Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011 I. First, some clinical physiology -- It’s mostly about inflammation, cortisol and energy supply! A. Cells in all tissue live longer – in the brain, muscles, kidneys, liver, pancreas, etc. – if inflammation is minimal and cellular energy is plentiful. B. And guess what depletes cellular energy supply the quickest? You guessed it – inflammation! This is why long-term ongoing inflammation is being shown to increase the likelihood of developing nearly every significant chronic illness – heart attack and stroke, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases, chronic fatigue, arthritis, asthma….. Activities that reduce cortisol & inflammation: 1. sleep 2. eating vegetables and high-fiber fruit 3. eating less 3. unstressed exercise 4. laughter, love 5. maintaining healthy digestion 6. breathing 7. reducing tissue toxic burden 8. lot’s of nutrients, from food and supplements
Inflammation promoters include: 1. anything that increases cortisol 2. sleep deprivation 3. insulin resistance 4. metabolic, dietary, and environmental toxins 5. stress 6. extra body fat 7. sedentary habits 8. weak digestion 9. tobacco 10. fried or deep-fried food……
C. Inflammation involves oxidation. When it comes to longevity, oxidation is bad, anti-oxidation is good. D. Cells (brain, liver, muscle…) are programmed to die eventually – they are not made to last forever. This is called apoptosis. This is natural, normal. It’s actually not good for cells to live indefinitely – that’s what makes a cell malignant (cancer), in fact. E. When our cells last an extra long time, we call that longevity. The way our bodies manage the aging process and slow the process down is a marvel! On the other hand, too much inflammation and oxidation, and not enough cellular energy – leads to early apoptosis, or early cell death. F. Back to the beginning – excluding acute trauma or poisoning, it’s fair to say that cells die early when they can no longer make enough energy to keep up with cleaning and repairing themselves. And again, for the most part it’s chronic inflammatory and oxidative challenges inside the cells that drain the energy supply. G. Limiting inflammatory processes extends the life of cells. And helping cells make more energy extends their lives, too. H. Genetics do play a role. Some peoples’ cells are extra good at coping with all this, so they last a decade or two longer. Their genes help them make antioxidants more easily, plentifully, or get rid of toxic waste more quickly, effectively. 1
Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011 I. We are learning that all of our bodies have genetic messages in storage (in the DNA) that are optionally expressed – messages that will only come out of the DNA and tell the cells what to do if they are induced to do so – if the DNA gets a signal. Some messages are good, some are not. Many of these optional DNA messages have to do with cells being tougher or weaker, more energetic or less, and living longer or less long, depending upon the gene’s message. J. And it turns out that it’s most of the factors in the inflammation table above that induce these genes to express, that trigger the gene into revealing it’s message to the body! This is amazing! We keep coming back to lifestyle, and that’s so appropriate! As you can imagine, it’s desirable to maintain a lifestyle that triggers the expression of a gene that codes for a strong immune system and lots of energy, and undesirable to maintain a lifestyle that triggers the expression of a gene that codes for, say, cancer. The study of how our environment and lifestyle causes our genes to share these messages or not is called epigenetics. II. The Determinants of Health – Habits that promote health and longevity A. Sleep a. b. c. d. e.
Most research tells us that the average person needs 8+ hours of sleep each day. The biochemical clock sets the sleep cycle in motion around 9:30-10:00pm. Most of us ignore this! Oops! The signal is that first relaxed yawn. The longer one waits to sleep after this first signal, the more sleep quality is reduced. Lot’s of other things make it hard to sleep well, of course, including hormonal change, stress, etc.
Benefits of good quality, adequate sleep a. more energy b. better mood c. better memory and cognitive function d. less inflammation e. lower blood pressure f. less pain g. more growth hormone and testosterone h. lower body mass index (BMI) i. better blood sugar control j. more efficient tissue recovery from injury k. less infection l. etc. etc. etc.
The cost of long-term sleep deprivation a. more cortisol and adrenalin secretion b. early apoptotic loss of brain cells c. more inflammation d. more pain, heightened pain perception e. more depression f. decreased memory and cognitive function g. reduced muscle mass and more fat tissue h. insulin resistance i. higher blood pressure j. higher blood sugar k. lower testosterone and loss of nighttime growth hormone peak l. increasing breakdown of collagen fibers in skin → skin aging m. etc. etc. etc.
Some sleep aids: light mental activity before bed, relaxing herbs and essential oil, Calcium/Magnesium beverage, 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan, L-theanine, GABA, melatonin-ER, bio-active milk peptides…..
2
Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011
B. Exercise a. Exercise does almost all the same things good sleep does! Our bodies are amazing! Exercise will: a. increase cellular energy by making each cell’s energy-making machinery more efficient and active. b. increase the number of muscle-to-nerve cell intersections (receptors) c. increase sleep quality, normalize sleep chemistry d. improve mood, happiness e. increase secretion of endorphin hormones, improving immunity and mood, reducing inflammation and pain, etc. f. reduces cortisol and adrenalin outputs, reduces their levels in the blood for about 6 hours g. reduce blood pressure and heart rate, helping the heart and vessels last longer h. increase oxygen delivery to tissue i. induce sweating, and this improves excretion of all toxins and poisons – including lead, mercury, insecticides, fossil fuel chemicals, etc. – in sweat j. etc., etc., etc. C. Breathing 1. Relaxed, whole-chest breathing will, even if only done for a few minutes several times each day: a. increase oxygen delivery to all tissue, including lining of blood vessels b. cause vasodilation, increasing blood delivery to all tissue, including brain c. reduce inflammation, beginning in the blood vessel walls, because research says better blood flow leads to less inflammation c. reduce blood pressure d. alkalinize the blood, instantly reducing adrenalin secretion and anxiety e. etc. D. Happiness – Brings about most of these same benefits! 1. Happiness has many roots and consequences: a. meaningful work b. family time c. group involvement – family, neighborhood, school, work, community, etc d. friendship e. being valued, respected f. loving others g. communication and connection h. involvement, making a difference
3
Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011 E. Basic Cleansing Diet, the Health and Longevity Promoting Diet, the cancer, dementia, and heart disease prevention diet, etc. START HERE → Eat Less! Consider fasting one day a month or week! This diet promotes cleansing by minimizing exposure to new toxicants, by keeping the pathways of elimination as free as possible, and by making abundant detoxifying nutrients available. It reduces inflammatory, destructive processes in the body. Eat enough, eat regularly, three times daily with snacks as desired. Eat organic foods if possible, at least in regards to The Dirty Dozen (Peaches, Apples, Sweet bell peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Pears, Grapes (imported), Spinach, Lettuce, Potatoes -- www.ewg.org). Do not eat products that are canned, packaged, prepared with coloring, preservatives, additives, chemicals, and so on. Vegetables and fruits: 60-70% of your diet should be vegetables and fruits. Depending upon the size of your appetite, this will be at least 6-12 (½ cup packed) servings each day. Eat them at every meal, getting a variety of colors (green, red, yellow, orange, purple, blue) and types (leaf, flower, stem, fruit, root). Corn is not a vegetable; it’s a cereal grain. And for our purposes here, no potatoes or yams count as vegetables either; they will be on the list of starches. Cabbage family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, cauliflower, bok choy, etc.) protect tissue from the toxicity of many chemicals and improve detoxification and elimination of many chemicals. Eat ½-1 cup at every meal, if you are able. Protein: 15% of your dietary calories should be concentrated protein sources. Animal proteins are allowed, but try to eat less flesh and dairy and more vegan proteins, such as beans and lentils, raw nuts, raw nutbutters and seed butters, tofu and tempeh. If you eat fish, stay with low-mercury fish e.g. small salmon, herring, sardines; and include a highfiber vegetable, fruit, legume, or seaweed with your meal -- this will reduce mercury absorption further. If you eat meats, try to eat low-fat meats from free range grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free animals; or better yet -- organic. Concentrated carbohydrates (starchy foods): 15% of your dietary calories will come from this group, including whole grains (short-grain brown rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, wheat berries, barley, whole or rolled oats and rye), all potatoes, and yams. 15% is not a large quantity – for example it’s about ¼-1/2 cup cooked brown rice. Per meal. Avoid flour (see below). Fiber is a great cleanser as it binds fats, hormones, chemicals, metals and other undesirables in the intestines. Fiber is found in beans/legumes (the best!), apples, peaches and pears, berries, crunchy vegetables, and whole grains. Eat two to three of these fiber sources at every meal. Liver cleansing foods: Eat at least once daily foods that are stimulating to liver function and bile flow (lemon/lime, beet, carrot, nuts/seeds, soybeans, chlorophyll, artichoke, fresh rosemary, burdock and dandelion roots……). Oils: Cook with olive or coconut oil, and use extra-virgin olive, walnut, and flaxseed oils in salad dressings. No frying or deep frying, and minimize animal fats. Herbs/spices: Many herbs are detoxifying and anti-inflammatory. These include turmeric, rosemary, ginger, cinnamon, nettles, and thyme. Garlic and onions are great cleansing promoters. Purified Water: 2-3 liters/day or more, varying with body size, activity level, and daily sweating. No-No’s: Have no refined or concentrated sugar/sweets, flour (bread, pasta, pastry…), coffee or decaf, tea, caffeine, alcohol, fried or deep-fried food, trans-fatty acids; and as above no preservatives, coloring, chemical additives, canned food, boxed meals or mixes, etc. Avoid “browned” foods – meats, breads – the yummy outside layer of any food cooked at high heat – these are Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs); and they promote rapid aging of most tissue.
4
Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011 Advanced Glycation Endproducts – what are they, why do they matter? “Browned” foods – the yummy outside layer of any food baked, fried, grilled at high heat – those delicious meats, breads, crackers, cakes, custards, fries, chips – the brown material represents jillions of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs). From: http://www.aging-no-more.com/advanced-glycation-end-products.html As you age your structural proteins are damaged by a process known as glycation. This process is a reaction between proteins and sugars to significantly alter the structure and function of proteins. Research over the last 20 years has implicated AGEs in most of the diseases associated with aging like: Alzheimer’s Disease, Cancer, Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes, Kidney Disorders, Atherosclerosis, High blood pressure, Stroke, Visual impairment, Skin disorders III. Healthy Skin -- ↓↓AGEs; ↑↑Essential Fatty Acids, Vits E & C & A, Zinc, dietary fiber, gelatin, Indian Gooseberry and Ashwaganda (slows Type 1 & 3 collagen breakdown) [hint – look at your fingertips and cuticles – if they are cracked, peeling, red, then you likely are low in one of these.] IV. Cleaning or Depuration Processes – Diet, Fiber, Exercise, Sweating – Our bodies know how to cleanse! We need to get out of the way. Everything in this lecture supports this cleansing process! V. Nutriceuticals – supplements that promote longevity A. Inflammation managers (they are all antioxidants) 1. Curcumin – many human studies, antioxidant in all tissue studied including brain, gut, liver, joints; free radical scavenger and antioxidant, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage; stimulates new brain cell growth and recovery after stroke; slows aging of the brain; chelates iron; prevents metastasis of several cancers and brings about early cancer cell death….[absorbed poorly, get Meriva®, 800mg 1-3x/day] 2. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – very similar profile to Curcimin, found in green tea, but not black tea [standardized extract 45-50% EGCG, 1200mg 1-3x/day] 3. NAC – increases cellular Glutathione, potent universal antioxidant [600mg 1-3x/day] 4. Alpha Lipoic Acid/RLA – essential cofactor of four mitochondrial enzyme complexes. Endogenously synthesized RLA is essential for life and aerobic metabolism. The list of positive health effects is enormous. Benefits are from increasing energy production at least as from much as its antioxidant effects. [ALA 600mg 1-3x/day, RLA half as much] 5. vitamin E as mixed tocopherols, vitamin C, Selenium, mixed carotenes 6. Probiotics – reduce gut permeability and whole body toxicity and inflammation, autoimmune disease, liver disease, cancer, etc. [fermented foods, or a supplement 1/day] 7. Omega 3 oils – fish, walnut, flax, hemp, vegetables (!) 8. Pomegranate juice– phenolic anthocyan antioxidant, super for the lining of arteries, 5
Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011 has reversed arteriosclerotic plaque build-up in arteries. [1/2 cup once/day] 9. Bilberry/Blueberry proanthocyanidin antioxidants (free radical scavengers), may help protect against the effects of internal and environmental stresses such as cigarette smoking and pollution, as well as supporting normal body metabolic processes. The effects may include depressing blood fat, lowering blood pressure, preventing blood vessel scleroses, dropping blood viscidity and preventing thrombus formation. 10. Apples! contain pectin, and several phenolic (Quercitin) and proanthocyanidin antioxidants, far more than red wine, reducing incidence of cancer, allergy, autoimmune disease, obesity, insulin resistance and Diabetes…… B. Cellular Energy Promoters 1. D-Ribose – the best Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) promoter to date. Extends life of injured brain cells, heart cells in Heart Failure, etc. [5 grams 2-3x/day] 2. Ubiquinol – newer, highly absorbable and longer-lasting CoQ10 [50-100mg 1-3x/day]; Extends life of injured brain cells, heart cells in Heart Failure 3. Magnesium – necessary for normal energy production, many detoxification pathways 4. Carnitine – enhances ATP production, testosterone-like effect in older men (women) 5. Whey Protein Branched Chain Amino Acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) and Pyrroloquinoline Quinine (PQQ) have both increased the number of mitochondria (the organelle inside all cells where the ATP is made) in rodent studies. C. Miscellaneous 1. Fiber [Archives of Internal Medicine Feb 14 2011 – subjects with high dietary fiber intake had 22% increased likelihood of survival over a 9-year period.] 2. vitamin D3 – has hormone status now, necessary for immune and brain function 3. nattokinase – a fibrinolytic (fibrin clot-dissolving) compound from fermented soy; may prevent clot-related strokes, TIAs, and heart attacks. [100mg 2x/day]Warning: Coumadin 4. vitamin K2 – 45mg/day reverses arteriosclerotic plaquing and osteoporosis in a significant number of patients. Warning: Coumadin 5. Resveratrol – mimics effects of calorie restriction, numerous positive effects, including life extension in worms and small vertebrates and cancer prevention, controversial, necessary doses in humans may be impractical, exciting research…… 6. Pycnogenol, has been shown to improve microcirculation, retinal edema and visual acuity in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. Further study has shown that 6
Promoting Longevity – Living a Long and Healthy Life John Hibbs N.D. Bastyr University May 2011 Pycnogenol maintains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, selectively binds to collagen and elastin in the body, and aids in the production of endothelial nitric oxide.
7