macular degeneration – Causes Of Aging And Degenerative Diseases
Causes Of Aging And Degenerative Diseases
Longevity experts agree that one of the primary causes of aging is oxidative stress, the result of attacks on your cells from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable, highly reactive particles that are a byproduct of your metabolism. They are a response by your body to stress factors from your diet, lifestyle and environment. In addition to accelerating the aging process, oxidative stress is an underlying cause of virtually all degenerative diseases–cancer, heart disease, arthritis, alzheimer’s and more.
You’ve witnessed this phenomenon when you’ve noticed rusting metal–that’s oxidation at work. When free radicals attack your body, they create this same type of oxidation, except it’s from the inside out. Oxidative stress is one of the primary causes of aging, and leads to loss of muscle tone, stiffening of tissue, and dry, wrinkled skin.
Aging can be best described as the process that reduces the number of healthy cells in the body. As you age, and more and more cells are affected and die off, your body loses its ability to respond to emergencies and fight off these free radical attacks. Eventually, this manifests in some kind of disease.
Oxidative stress may be the sole cause of some diseases, but more often it weakens your immune system and makes your body vulnerable to diseases caused by other factors. Oxidation may also worsen existing conditions and slow down the healing process.
Degenerative Diseases. There’s almost no common disease that is not associated with oxidative stress. This include all of the major degenerative diseases we have today:
• cancer
• heart disease and stroke
• diabetes
• Parkinson’s
• Alzheimer’s
• arthritis
• macular degeneration and cataracts
• rheumatoid arthritis
• asthma and emphysema
• kidney and liver disorders
• and many more!
Environmental Causes of Aging. Sources of oxidative stress, and the free radicals that cause it, include:
• environmental toxins and pollution
• pesticides and herbicides
• strenuous exercise
• chronic illnesses
• processed foods and food additives
• chronic inflammation
• smoking
• ultraviolet radiation from the sun
• electromagnetic radiation in your environment
•
1000
emotional stress
Antioxidant Deficiencies and Oxidative Stress. The growing rate of degenerative diseases in our culture today points to a widespread deficiency in antioxidants. Throughout our history, humans evolved eating a much more substantial intake of food, especially fruits and vegetables (which are rich in antioxidants), combined with an active lifestyle.
Today, we live a much more sedate lifestyle, combined with a lower intake of nutritious, unprocessed food that is rich in antioxidants. Combined with the increase in free radical attacks from our environment, this has created an unhealthy imbalance in the antioxidants and free radicals in our bodies.
Industrial Agriculture. The use of pesticides, herbicides and selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and minerals in typical factory-farmed fruits and vegetables.
Overeating. One of the surprising causes of aging is the amount of food you eat. Food requires oxygen to convert it into energy. Eating more food, especially poor quality food, requires more oxygen to convert it to energy. The more oxygen that is used, the more free radicals are produced.
This theory is clearly demonstrated by the numerous “calorie-restriction” studies. Laboratory animals live longer and healthier by eating a nutrient-dense diet with 40-50 percent fewer calories. With less food to metabolize, fewer free radicals are produced.
Our Toxic Environment. Biologists say that there has not been enough evolutionary time for humans to adapt to as many toxins as we are exposed to today. The human body is fundamentally the same as it was 40,000 years ago, but the stressors that we are being exposed to have changed dramatically.
All these factors show that antioxidant protection is now more important than ever. In order to get enough antioxidants from your food, you need at least 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day, quite a task for most people. The solution is to eat more foods exceptionally high in antioxidants, or take supplements. Educate yourself about good sources of antioxidants and start your antioxidant diet plan today.
By: Stan Mrak
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Stan Mrak is an active baby-boomer who has had a passion for health and nutrition for more than 30 years, ever since he picked up a book by Richard Passwater and discovered the world of preventive health. Click here to visit his website at www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com and learn much more about antioxidants and how to get more of them into your diet.
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Have you ever walked out of the optometrist’s office with a new prescription for glasses and contacts, only to be utterly amazed at what you can actually and suddenly see? You notice all the details you never noticed before, the colors, the textures, even how sharp and in focus everything is.
It is admittedly a neat surprise. But did you know that there are nutritional supplements that specifically support wonderful healthy eyes and possibly prevent debilitating diseases of the eye, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma. There are nutrients that can stop or relieve some of these more common vision problems that we can experience, especially as we age.
The eye is a delicate organ and the components that it contains, such as the lens, retina and macula are prone to free-radical attack. They can be protected with the super-powerful antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E. If you have a history of cataracts, macular diseases, glaucoma, or other age-related eye problems in your family, you should definitely read on as we give a run-down on the specific vitamin and mineral supplements that could aid in preserving your ever-so-precious eyesight. And if you smoke, have poor nutrition generally, or your eyes are not adequately protected from extensive exposure to sunlight, that goes double.
We will start with the powerhouse antioxidants.
Besides doing so many extremely positive things for your body, Vitamin C will gobble up the free radicals as they attempt to attack the sensitive parts of your eyes. The lucky people who have not had trouble with cataracts are simply 60% more likely to have sufficient levels in their systems compared to the unlucky ones with cataract problems. It’s the anti-oxidant powers at work. This clouding of the lens that can lead to blindness is something you can protect yourself against. Since our levels of Vitamin C decline as we age, bless your healthy eyes with a supplement of Vitamin C. How about just an extra 250 mg per day?
Several vitamins work in combination with each other to protect your eyes, especially the lens. Another awesome supplement to consider is Vitamin A, which can also be known as Retinol, and can really benefit your night vision. It is involved in forming and maintaining the skin cells that make up your eyes, as well as your mouth, nose, throat, lungs, digestive and urinary tract. The extremely delicate blood vessels in your eyes can be easily damaged by free radicals. An adequate supply of Vitamin E can help prevent this damage, and protect your lens as well. If you have low levels of Vitamin E, you are simply more likely to develop eye problems, such as cataracts. It is a no-brainer to easily cut your risk in half by supplementing with extra Vitamin E. Who needs cataracts?
Your eyes have a natural supply of zinc in them, and most of it is centered in the retina. Well guess where the eye disease macular degeneration is centered – the retina! So it follows that if you do not have enough zinc in your system, serious eye problems, or blindness can happen. Zinc supplements have been shown to reduce or prevent the vision loss of macular degeneration.
Luteine is another front-line defender of healthy eyes, and is well-known for its benefits to preserve vision, and especially important if your eyes are exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun repeatedly or for long periods of time. It is an anti-oxidant as well, and is another protector of the sensitive cells of the macula, which is the part of the eye responsible for good sharp vision. You may want to consider supplementing with luteine.
And, finally, let’s not forget bilberry. You may never have heard of this Scandinavian plant that is very similar to blueberries and very high in healthful flavenoids. Supplementing with bilberry could be your best hedge against night blindness. If you really can’t see well in dim light, or your eyes suffer from glare, you need to give this a try. It could make a big difference.
More than 25 million people live with vision problems, vision loss and blindness. Treatments can be expensive, risky or not effective at all. Good healthy vision is one of the most priceless gifts you have, so bless your vision all you can by educating yourself on the vitamins and minerals that can relieve, slow down or even prevent serious eye diseases and vision loss. To maintain and promote your own healthy vision is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.
About The Author
Elaine Frazier – self-taught expert on nutrition, homemaker and mother, author, webmaster of http://purehealthworks.com.
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