Dare to be a Centenarian (eBook)

Science Based Guide to Healthy Longevity and Spiritual Quest in Senior Years

Nihar Pal (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2021 | 1. Auflage
296 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-0983-5124-3 (ISBN)

'Dare to be a Centenarian' is the only guide you will need to square the survival curve into your 80s, 90s, and maybe into your 100s, while enjoying a vibrant energetic life. The book captures all of the latest research on anti-aging and prevention of illness and diseases in senior years. In addition, the book explores societal topics such as ancestry and ethnicity; mainstream religions; genesis of the universe and planet earth; and, what happiness means in today's global interconnected mobile world.

"e;Dare to be a Centenarian"e; focuses on two key areas of healthy vibrant living: how to attain healthy youthful longevity and support spiritual quest as one advances to senior years. For healthy youthful longevity, the book focuses on the three key areas of vibrant living: aging management to slow down the aging process, wellness management to live a healthy life, and disease awareness for diseases in senior years and old age. For spiritual quest, the book focuses on societal topics, such as genesis of humanity and race, interfaith religions, the universe and planet earth; and, the meaning of happiness. Below is the overview of chapters related to aging management, wellness management, disease awareness, and spiritual quest: Chapter 1 is related to Aging Management to slow down the aging process, in order to increase the healthy, productive years of life. The human body is made up of trillions of cells. The only way to slow aging is at the cellular level from the aspects of genetics, epigenetics, mitochondria, and cellular health. Chapter 2 is related to Wellness Management to live a healthy life. Most of the illness in senior years is due to an imbalanced hormonal system, compromised immune system to fight infections, and unhealthy gut microbiome as a root cause of not feeling well; and, disabilities in senior years, such as erectile dysfunction and arthritis. The Chapter also includes some geriatric nutritional tips. Chapter 3 is related to Disease Awareness in senior years, which unlike other diseases, is due to metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and failure of the DNA-repair mechanisms rather than infection, and is difficult to cure. As one advances to senior years, the focus of health threats changes to diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease; and, how to prevent these diseases with nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes. Chapter 4 is related to the Underlying Biomedical Science that supports the above chapters on aging management, wellness management, and disease awareness for the curious reader to get insights at the cellular level. Chapter 5 is related to Spiritual Quest that explores societal topics such as ancestry and ethnicity; mainstream religions; genesis of the universe and planet earth; and, what happiness means in today's globally interconnected mobile world for individual pursuit and social engagement in retirement years. As people are living longer, "e;Dare to be a Centenarian"e; will help people from middle-age to old-age navigate a healthy youthful longevity to lead a happy, healthy, and energetic life.

Section 1.2

Mitochondria – For Healthy Energetic Life

Loss of energy is a common sign of aging and disease. Muscles weaken and atrophy. The heart loses its ability to efficiently pump blood. Memory falters, and organ systems go on the blink. You feel tired and sluggish, both physically and mentally, as if your get-up-and-go has got up and gone. What’s happening is that your mitochondria, the powerhouses located in each of your cells, are unable to keep up with your body’s energy demands. And when this happens, things begin to fall apart.

The human body is made up of trillions of cells. How you feel and function depends on how all these cells feel and function. To stay healthy, each cell must produce its own energy. Cells cannot borrow energy from each other. This energy is created by microscopic structures called mitochondria. Mitochondria are the power plants of our cells. They convert food (glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids) into energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which the body uses to live (i.e., metabolic process). For this to happen, cells require a vitamin-like substance called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles (cellular substructures) that are present in all animals, plants, and fungi. Your brain, heart, skeletal muscle, liver, and other metabolically active cells, each contain thousands of these structures. Most cells contain between 500 and 2,000 mitochondria which account for as much as 60 per cent of the volume of muscle cells and 45 per cent of the volume of heart cells. All told, you have billions of mitochondria that make up a whopping 10 percent of your total body weight.

These organelles are believed to have originated a billion years ago as independent bacteria that developed a symbiotic relationship with single-celled organisms. The larger organisms provided a hospitable environment for the bacteria, while the bacteria shared the copious amounts of energy they were able to generate. Although the two eventually evolved into single cells, mitochondria have retained their own DNA (containing 37 genes), which is passed from mother to child – independent of the DNA that carries the genetic code you received from both your parents.

Nutrients from food we eat pass into the mitochondria, where a chain of reactions, known as the Krebs cycle, converts food to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the high-energy packets that fuel our minds and bodies.

Unfortunately, there’s an unavoidable bug in the system. As ATP is produced, there is some inevitable leakage of electrons. This leads to the formation of free radicals called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which move into and wreak havoc in the cells – and the mitochondria and their DNA are directly in the line of fire. Over time, mutations in mitochondrial DNA cause these organelles to become less efficient, unable to produce optimal amounts of energy, and more susceptible to ROS injury.

When mitochondria are under attack from poisons, environmental stress, or genetic mutations, mitochondria fragment (fission/divide) and reform (fusion/regenerate) to strip out any damaged parts and reassemble them into usable mitochondria. At any given time, one or two mitochondria fragment/divide, but when a poison, like cyanide or arsenic or other dangers threaten the mitochondria, a mass fragmentation takes place. When cells are exposed to mitochondria damage, there is reduction of cellular ATP and the enzyme AMPK (cellular fuel sensor) activates a receptor on the outside membrane of a mitochondrion to signal it to fragment/divide. Thus the AMPK's role in helping to recycle damaged mitochondrial pieces as well as signaling to the cell to make new mitochondria places AMPK at the heart of mitochondria health and long-term well-being. AMPK can be activated by the drug metformin, as well as by exercise and calorie restriction.

Many scientists believe that free-radical damage to the mitochondria is the fundamental cause of aging. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is more likely to get damaged by free radicals in the course of everyday living. And virtually all agree that mitochondrial dysfunction due to mutations in the mitochondrial DNA, are relatively common - one in a few thousand people, is a factor in disease that involve energy balance, such as age- and disease-related muscle wasting, heart failure, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s – even diabetes and obesity.

The mitochondrial theory of aging is especially compelling when you consider that, in addition to producing ATP, these structures perform other vital functions within the cell. They help control cell growth, orchestrate intracellular communication, signal defenses against free-radical onslaught, and trigger the destruction of damaged or aged cells. With this broad repertoire, it’s inconceivable that mitochondria would not play a central role in aging and illness.

The mitochondria membranes are the key to energy production. Every time mitochondria make energy, they produce harmful free radicals which, if not neutralized, can cause damage to the mitochondria. If the membranes are damaged, less energy is produced and toxins build up. To prevent free radical damage, cells recruit a set of antioxidants like a combination of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), Acetyl L- Carnitine, and CoQ10.

Nutrients for healthy mitochondria

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

•CoQ10 is a small, vitamin like molecule which is an essential component of the electron transport chain in mitochondria, the power plants in our cells. ATP (adenosine-tri-phosphate) is the energy molecule used inside cells to do work. ATP is fabricated in mitochondria. The electron transport chain is the biochemical pathway by which electrons extracted from food are used to fabricate ATP. In the process, the electrons convert the oxygen in the air we breathe to CO2 and H2O. CoQ10 is an electron acceptor and donor. It shuttles electrons back and forth between several of the enzymes which carry out ATP fabrication. In addition to its function as an electron shuttle, CoQ10 is an antioxidant, which may be especially important inside mitochondria. The electron transport chain generates about 1 trillion oxygen radicals per cell every day. About 2 percent of them get free of the enzymes that try to hold on to them until they can be used, when needed, to generate energy. These free oxygen radicals (ROS) are very dangerous to the mitochondria, but also to the rest of the cell. In fact, the reason electron transport takes place in membrane-bound sacks such as mitochondria is, in part, to keep these free radicals trapped inside the mitochondria. This is why having a strong antioxidant like CoQ10 in mitochondrial membranes is important. Supplementation with CoQ10 raises the levels of this antioxidant in our cells and tissues. Furthermore, CoQ10 increases the activity of the electron transport chain, improving energy generation by mitochondria. We gradually lose some of our ability to produce energy from the food we eat as we age, because not enough electrons are generated in the mitochondria. Supplementation with CoQ10 partially reverses this loss, especially in the heart muscle.

•In summary, CoQ10 is a vital ingredient in energy production. CoQ10, an antioxidant present in all cells and particularly concentrated in the mitochondria. CoQ10 participates in the production of ATP as part of the electron transport chain and also protects the mitochondria against free-radical damage. As we grow older, our body produces less CoQ10 and that's when our energy-producing system starts to slow down. Our brains are no longer sharp, our hearts do not beat as efficiently and we tire easily. Low levels of CoQ10 affect every aspect of life. It also affects health, which brings on diseases and speeds up aging. It is not surprising that scientists have regarded the body's energy-producing system as the most basic system. It is also the master energy system that runs all our body's functions - circulatory system, immune system, endocrine system, and everything else that keeps us alive. Yet this most important system has largely been ignored, and the result has wrought havoc on the lives of almost everyone past the age of 30. What causes deficiency? CoQ10 is produced by the body in a 17-step process that requires at least eight vitamins, trace minerals, and the amino acid tyrosine. A lack of one can hinder the production of CoQ10. Also, after age 20, CoQ10 level starts to decline and the accelerated drop is seen after age 40. [Recommended dose: 100 to 300 mg per day]

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC)

•Many tissues use a metabolic strategy termed beta oxidation to “burn” fatty acids to obtain energy. This activity takes place in the mitochondria. Carnitine is a small molecule resembling an amino acid. It serves as a sort of ticket or tag for entry into the mitochondria. Carnitine is chemically attached to the fatty acids in the cell cytoplasm outside the mitochondria. A transport system in the mitochondrial membrane recognizes the attached carnitine ticket, grabs it along with the fatty acid, and moves them both into the mitochondria. Once inside, carnitine is removed from the fatty acid and transported back outside the mitochondria so it can be used again. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), a natural precursor to both carnitine and acetylcholine is a “neural transmitter”, which improves mitochondrial function in several ways. For example, ALC fed to old rats increases mitochondrial cardiolipin levels to those of young rats. Cardiolipin is a natural component of...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	15.2.2021
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie ► Lebenshilfe / Lebensführung
ISBN-10	1-0983-5124-X / 109835124X
ISBN-13	978-1-0983-5124-3 / 9781098351243

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