How to Slow the Aging Process
by Shin Ohtake creator of Max Workouts
The science of aging has always been considered controversial. A little like chasing Big Foot or the Lock Ness monster, people are intrigued but no one takes it very seriously...until now. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, Dr. Carol Greider, and Dr. Jack Szostak were were the scientists who were awarded the Noble Prize for discovering what may in fact be the key to aging. Until recently, the aging process was just an accepted process of human development.
Dr. Blackburn of University of California San Francisco, a cell biologist, has been working in the field of sequencing (or mapping) DNA for some time now and while working under Dr. Joe Gall of Yale University, she discovered a unique feature about the ends of chromosomes, also known as telomeres. She and her colleagues discovered that telomeres play a key role in protecting the chromosomes against degradation during cell division. And perhaps more importantly, they found that an enzyme called "telomerase" is responsible for building telomeres.
How this is related to the aging process:
When telomeres are shortened, cells age. When the telomeres get too short, the cells stop dividing and they die. As you age you start to accumulate dead cells.
* Quoted from NewsGuide.us
According to Dr. Woynarowski, the Chief Medical Education Officer of T.A. Sciences, a company that specializes in Telomere Biology. Telomeres has very important practical application for aging humans.
"Many of the diseases that are associated with aging and that are rampant in our society are associated with shortened telomere segments. These include cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer"s, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, diabetes and the physical signs of aging- such as wrinkles- to name a few."
"Some scientists believe that short telomeres actually cause aging and disease. Although this is not a generally accepted theory, it is gaining significant momentum."
Telomerase is the enzyme that builds telomeres and there is evidence that shows it can help prolong cellular life by keeping telomeres from shortening. Intriguing, right? 
Is Telomerase the key to the Holy Grail?
The anti-aging science community has been looking into this enzyme for some time now and a group of scientist from T.A. Sciences have apparently discovered a naturally occurring molecule found in the ancient Chinese herb "Astragalus" that activates the enzyme telomerase. The company has named the compound TA-65.
* Quoted from NewsGuide.us
Woynarowski states, "TA-65 is known as a telomerase activator because it turns on our own pre-existing telomere repair system by activating an enzyme called telomerase. TA-65 seems to help our telomerase find where the shortest telomeres are and targets them to grow longer instead of shorter. By adding length to these critically short segments, we hope to eventually help many conditions that show up as we age. In the end run we'd like to reverse aging or at least slow it down!"
TA-65...that's the key to immortality? An active ingredient isolated from a Chinese herb. So why don't we just go get a bunch of astragalus ourselves and eat it until the cows come home? Well, according to the T.A. Science this is the reason:
Normal Astragalus extracts contain thousands of different molecules and little or no TA-65. T.A. Sciences has tested four commonly available Astragalus extracts, and none of them contained any measurable amounts of TA-65.
The refining process begins with 3 tons of plant material harvested from selected farms in one small region in China. In T.A. Sciences' plant extraction facility, the raw Astragalus root is chopped up and refined. After initial extraction, the base ingredient is further purified and then sent to an outside government testing facility where it is tested for purity, heavy metals, and pesticides. The product is then sent to a FDA certified, state-of-the-art, laboratory for final purification that ends up with 90+% pure TA-65.
...sounds a little contrived to me. Anyway, T.A. Science may hold the proprietary rights to this compound, but there are other natural ways to enhance your telomerase activity without forking over your lifesavings in hopes of attaining everlasting youth.
Previous studies done by Dr. Blackburn showed a direct link between low telomerase activity and physiological and psychological stress. They found that people suffering from stress related diseases all showed low levels of telomerase, as well as shortened telomeres.
But here's the good news...
A study done by Dr. Ornish and colleagues found that simple lifestyle changes that include exercise, a low-fat vegan diet, and relaxation increased blood levels of telomerase by an average of 29 percent! Not to mention, it was done through natural means as opposed to taking supplements. Go figure! It always comes back to a healthy eating and exercising... Although TA-65 is naturally derived, it's still a supplement that you take to artificially enhance telomerase activity. And according to Dr. Blackburn, increasing telomerase activity is not always warranted:
* Quoted from the Nobel Prize press release
Most normal cells do not divide frequently, therefore their chromosomes are not at risk of shortening and they do not require high telomerase activity. In contrast, cancer cells have the ability to divide infinitely and yet preserve their telomeres. How do they escape cellular senescence? One explanation became apparent with the finding that cancer cells often have increased telomerase activity. It was therefore proposed that cancer might be treated by eradicating telomerase.
Despite the new found attention telomeres and telomerase have gotten, the science of aging still has a long way to go. However, it's garnered the respect from the scientific communities and hopefully that'll mean more well funded research and studies. And who knows, I may be writing an update to this article with the "real" key to eternal youth sooner than expected.
But for now it's important to note the power of our own mind and body. I truly believe that is the key to better health, fitness and good life lies within us and it's up to us to tap into that potential. Start by making small changes like eating better, cutting out junk foods, and replacing them with fruits and vegetables. Participate in some type of exercise program. Exercising helps to lower stress, which has been shown to increase telomerase activity, helping you fight age related diseases naturally.
Shin Ohtake is the author of the world-famous fitness program, MAX Workouts. To learn more about how you can get ultra lean and toned with shorter workouts, visit http://www.MaxWorkouts.com
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