Dr. Michael Roizen: Do You Need Ager Management?
CBN.com From the author of the best-selling books You, The Owner’s Manual and You, The Smart Patient comes the latest addition to the series, You, Staying Young. Dr. Michael Roizen has teamed up once again with Dr. Mehmet C. Oz to translate cutting-edge information to help their readers. Just as they do in their other books, they achieve this goal by giving readers what they call the best weapon: knowledge.
Dr. Roizen says many people think aging is a landslide of a process and that we are all destined to use walkers and hearing aids. Though people may not be able to avoid all the bumps of aging, some aspects are not as inevitable as they think. There is a way to "nudge" your systems so they work in your favor, and it's never too early or late to start these changes.
TOO MUCH SUGAR
Glycosylation is a process that occurs when sugar molecules (glucose) floating around in our blood attach to protein molecules, diminishing their effectiveness and cause inflammation. This process increases with aging, and it happens so readily that it doesn't even require a specific enzyme to push it ahead – that's why glycosylation is very dangerous. Glucose is usually what gives our cells energy, but when we develop insulin resistance (from being overweight or having a genetic predisposition such as a family history of type 2 diabetes) insulin cannot effectively get all the glucose in our cells. If glucose cannot get into a cell, it stays in the blood and gunks up the proteins in our body. When extra glucose latches onto another molecule on the outside of a cell, the extra glucose handcuffs that molecule and prevents it from doing its job well. The glucose-modified proteins are termed advanced glycosylation end products.
Depending on where glycosylation occurs, it can have many different effects on your body. When that glucose attaches to a protein, the altered molecular structure creates these changes:
- In blood: Glycosylation weakens the very tight junction between cells and makes them leaky and vulnerable to tears. The body will then repair those tears by plugging them with cholesterol, which causes plaque in your arterial walls.
- In the lens of the eye: When glucose attaches to proteins in the lens of the eye, it changes the lens cells from crystal clear to a little cloudy. Much of that cloudiness leads to cataract formation. When glycosylation occurs in the tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye, they become fragile and leaky, and bleeding can occur in a condition called diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness. Glycosylation also makes your blood pressure fluctuate throughout the day and can cause nerve injury.
NITRIC OXIDE AND NETI POTS
Nitric oxide is a gas that only has a half-life of less than several seconds. It comes in and blows away pollution, you have it and then you don't. It plays a fundamental role in keeping the body healthy; however, if its production is impaired it can lead to cell injury or the dysfunction of organs. Nitric oxide is found in the highest levels in the nasal pharynx, and that's why nasal breathing and meditation are so important. The flow of air that happens when you breathe through your nose allows very rich sources of nitric oxide to be fuel injected into your system. The nitric oxide then helps dilate your arteries, so that your blood keeps moving. Not having enough nitric oxide promotes aging of the skin. A Neti Pot device, which cleanses the nasal cavities with water, can help open the nasal cavities so that more nitric oxide can be inhaled in.
VITAMIN D AND BONE LOSS
Vitamin D – Active Vitamin D is manufactured when skin is exposed to sunlight. It is the key that unlocks the gate and allows calcium to leave the intestine and enter the bloodstream. Vitamin D also works in the kidneys to help prevent the loss of calcium that would otherwise be excreted. You need an abundant supply to remodel bone. This is important because as you age your ability to make vitamin D through the skin decreases. Also, as you age, you stay inside more or become housebound and experience less sunlight exposure. It is important to take 1000 IU daily (or 1200 for women older than 65) of Vitamin D a day, along with 1500mg of calcium in foods and supplements for healthy bones. Also, it is good to add 400 mg of magnesium a day to prevent the constipation that calcium causes.
