Frank's Comments:
This article is one of a series written for Synergy Performance Heath & Fitness Center as part of their monthly newsletter. Synergy is an integrated health facility, with a growing number of locations in the Los Angeles area, combining the benefits of a medical clinic, a physical therapy facility and a well-equipped gym under one roof with all services available to members. Services include Medical treatment, orthopedic surgery, nutrition counseling, physical therapy and personal training. If you live in the Los Angeles area and are looking for a place to guide you in optimizing your health and physical capabilities, you should check out Synergy at http://synergyperformancehealth.com.

There are some other antioxidants that should be a part of your strategy to minimize the effects of aging. Alpha-lipoic acid is one of those antioxidants that is both fat-soluble and water-soluble, and crosses the blood-brain barrier to work in all tissues. It can minimize the neurological damage from a stroke, and is thought to retard the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It also lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity in type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, preventing damage from glycation. The R-lipoic acid form is what the human body produces, and better supplements use R-dihydro-lipoic acid, which is immediately active upon ingestion.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 or Ubiquinone) is another must-have antioxidant that works in the mitochondria – the energy factories which power all cells of the body - and greatly enhances energy production. In animal studies, high levels of CoQ10 have been found to retard aging markers and to reduce fatigue significantly. The body’s production of CoQ10 is hampered by all statin-based drugs (Lipitor, etc.) because it is synthesized from cholesterol. If you use any of the statin drugs you absolutely should be taking supplemental CoQ10. The ‘rare but serious’ side effect spoken of in the statin drug commercials is caused by mitochondrial death due to reduced levels of CoQ10. It is not reversible, and leads to a nasty death. Recent research has revealed that the active form of CoQ10 in the body is a metabolite of Ubiquinone known as Ubiquinol. Some supplement producers have begun to market this active form. It is better absorbed and assimilated and is about 8 times as effective in facilitating energy production. Its function as an antioxidant is far more effective as well.

Pomegranate juice is another effective antioxidant product you can add to your diet. A recent study cited in July/07 Life Extension magazine showed a 35% reduction in carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) (basically plaque) after consuming 1.7 ounces of the straight juice every day for 1 year. The same group saw a 21% reduction in systolic blood pressure in that period. Why wouldn’t you drink this for life? Costco sells ”Naturally Pomegranate” brand juice, with 1 Oz = antioxidant equivalent to 15 pomegranates.

Glycation busters – reducing blood sugar and insulin to healthy levels

When blood sugars bump into proteins and lipids, they sometimes react with them and form advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). This now useless combination stays where it was formed and the resulting structure no longer performs its original function. This is the primary cause of diabetic damage. One of your most important anti-aging strategies is to reduce glycation damage by keeping blood sugar low. Dr. Alan Ingles states that fasting blood sugar above 75mg/dl signifies the beginning of pre-diabetes. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes accelerates with every point above that, and skyrockets above 90. By the time you reach the medical alarm level of 125, the damage has been going on undetected for years.

At the top of your strategy list for controlling blood sugar should be the practice of eating 5-6 small meals a day – grazing, not gorging – and eating low glycemic index foods. Eliminate or drastically reduce sugar and starch intake; delete soft drinks, sugared or diet, from your life. Make desserts a rare treat, and eat only modest amounts of whole-grain breads and pastas. Below are some other products to consider in this fight.

• Beta-glucans are soluble fibers found in cell walls of oats, barley, yeast, bacteria, algae and mushrooms, which have the remarkable ability to improve blood glucose metabolism. If you eat the right whole grain products, you get a good supply of beta-glucans. Most breakfast cereals will be devoid of them, and full of white flower and sugar. There are numerous supplement products on the market that will allow you to add beta-glucans to your food in the form of a powder.
• Alpha-lipoic acid was cited in the first paragraph of this article as a powerful antioxidant, but it also significantly lowers blood glucose and improves insulin sensitivity.
• L-Carnosine is a naturally occurring antioxidant that performs an anti-glycation function in the body, preventing the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). It also improves metabolic function.

An example of a multi-nutrient product for glucose management is Life Extension’s Cinnulin PF which contains a form of chromium, quercitin, coffee berry extract, green tea extract and a form of corosolic acid. I’m a firm believer that products designed with synergistic combinations are much better than trying to find one magic bullet that fixes a problem. That’s the way foods work - as vast combinations of nutrient elements that our bodies know how to use to best advantage. Look for supplements that provide a broad spectrum of ingredients know to minimize these aging mechanisms.

In the next installment of this newsletter we will take up supplements that reduce the damage from Inflammation, which seems to accelerate with aging, and consider what supplements impact the genetically-programmed cellular ‘end-of-life’ mechanism – Senescence.