WORDS: SARAH JOSEPH
with a scientifically tested and proven unique Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) protocol – to activate the body’s self-regeneration processes. The 12-week programme begins with a comprehensive and in-depth assessment to evaluate individual biological function and create a complete health profile of the client. The results of these assessments are then used to develop a strategically tailored, client-specific treatment plan, which includes highly specialized HBOT sessions, combined with a unique cognitive programme, as well as physical training and nutritional coaching. Upon completion of the programme, the client will repeat the exact same medical assessment in order to measure and demonstrate the improvements accurately. Which factors escalate the aging process? There are many known factors that affect the aging process like genetics, lifestyle, stress, diet, sleep and exercise. A key factor however, which is what we focus on at Aviv Clinics – is oxygen and energy generation at the brain, body tissues and cellular level. Several components are essential for our bodies to function optimally. Oxygen is one such vital component. Oxygen is breathed in and transported to vital tissues by red blood cells. It is delivered to our cells which use the oxygen to supply us with energy to carry out functions including memory, attention, information processing, coordination, exercise, and healing of damaged tissues. As we age, our bodies undergo changes that make the transportation of oxygen through the blood vessels less effective. Our blood vessels become narrower; a process called atherosclerosis, which limits transportation of oxygen through our red blood cells. How do you approach age reversal? We noticed that a lot of the decline caused by the aging process can be attributed to oxygen delivery or the lack of it. Over time, our bodies become less efficient at channeling oxygen to organs and this deprives them of the supply of oxygen essential to keep them performing at their peak. This is why we start to notice our mind and body “slowing down” with age. Our latest clinical trial published in the peer-reviewed scientific medical journal Aging – proved for the first time in humans the beneficial effects of our HBOT protocol in reversing aging at a cellular level. The treatment works to improve both the physical and mental decline associated with aging by using our scientifically tested Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) treatment protocol to tackle this lack of oxygen. This involves breathing 100% pure oxygen How did you approach defining the medical in a pressure-controlled room, and fluctuprogramme at Aviv Clinic? We’ve seen great ating oxygen levels at a certain interval to strides and achievements in age-related increase the levels of oxygen in blood tissue research and medicine. The average life and activate the body’s self-regeneration expectancy is not what it used to be, say, processes. We also discovered that while a century ago. Now, we are looking at how in the hyperbaric suite, your mind is able to extend ‘health-span’ – the period of life to do more things at once. This led to the spent in good health, free from the chronic development of our cognitive training prodiseases and disabilities of aging. gramme, which is specifically designed for At Aviv Clinics, we look at aging and the those undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatassociated decline as a disease that can be ments. Used in combination with HBOT, it treated. Not only to slow down the decline improves memory, focus, processing speed, of the brain and the body, but to actually attention, executive function, and more. reverse some aspects of it, such as improvDuring the treatment, the body returns to ing the brain functionality and physical perregenerative levels similar to childhood, formance while increasing the health-span. making the mind and body more receptive The Aviv Medical Program is a treatment –
Fighting Time What do the first 30 mins of the day look like, your morning routine? As a physician and Director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric medicine and Head of Nephrology, the first 30 minutes of my day is usually spent assessing if there are any urgencies at the hospital. Soon after that, I go to the gym for a 10km run before heading to the hospital. How do you define aging? In simple terms, aging is just growing older. From a biological perspective, aging is when body functions start to slow down, resulting in a decline in mental and physical performance. This is because the body becomes less efficient at utilizing oxygen and generating energy. The most obvious signs, and usually the first to be noticed, is a decline in physical abilities – things like lack of energy, weight gain, reduced stamina and issues with sleep. This is because our bodies lose muscle mass and power, we also gain more fat tissue; and lung capacity and cardiac function decreases, making it harder to keep fit. Even our nerve conduction decreases, making muscles less responsive. Although not immediately noticeable, we also start to see changes in cognitive performance like trouble recalling things, remembering words, sustaining attention, solving problems, and multitasking. Aging, with its related functional decline was thought to be an inevitable process. However, today, it is possible to target aging as a disease that can be treated.
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IMAGE: SUPPLIED
Renowned physician Prof. Shai Efrati shares the secret to fighting time and defining a programme at Aviv Clinics that reverses the aging process
F E AT U R E
5/30/21 2:45 PM
