Why do we age?

Why do we age?  No one knows for sure, but many scientists think that process called oxidation plays a major role. 

What is oxidation?  Oxidation is a process when oxygen molecules rip single electrons out of the large molecules that make up our cell walls.  If enough of this happens, our immune system destroys these damaged cells because it doesn’t recognize them anymore.  This is particularly bad if the destroyed cells are irreplaceable, such as nerve cells. 

Yes, this is depressing news but if this is true, how can we protect ourselves?  The best way is to learn how our bodies naturally defend themselves against oxidation and take action: 

1)  Melatonin – chemical secreted by the brain only at night protects against oxidation.  That means we need a good-quality 7-9 hour sleep.  Make it your priority. 

2)  Vitamin E – this has been known for a long time.  For example, red blood cells deficient in vitamin E age much faster than cells with normal vitamin E levels.  What you can do:  invest in high-quality vitamins (ask me for recommendations).  

3)  Diet rich in antioxidants – the name speaks for itself.  Mother Nature created wild blueberries, organic apples and greens in her lab to protect our cells against oxidation.  But if we don’t eat them, they can’t help us.  Just google it to get a huge variety of these foods and go to your local farmers market.  Studies showed that elderly rats fed blueberry diets not only had better memory and motor skills, but even recovered such skills lost because of the normal brain aging. 

And by the way, this is not a woo do science – I learned all that in my chemistry class!  J  And the best part is that everyone can benefit, it is never too late to start.