No matter what diets we follow or pills we take, we all die. We can't stop, control, or avoid the fact of our mortality. But we do have some influence over when we die, and how.
Focusing more on the concept of health span, as opposed to life span, health-care researches are looking for methods to beat the big killers in the American populations-cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Additionally, more and more nutrition and health research is focusing on increasing immunity and enhancing performance. Again, it is the longevity, beauty and salubrity dream, and more and more research seems to individually indicate that in fact we can expect to extend the number of years we live healthy, fruitful lives, free of age-related diseases.
Our bodies are equipped with a vast array of defense mechanisms, designed to provide us with some immunity to deleterious external factors, including bacteria, viruses, environmental pollutants, and so forth.
This immune system serves us in two ways: it disables harmful external factors, and it repairs damaged tissue and cells. Sometimes, however, our systems are overloaded by external factors- a poor diet, cigarette smoking, or exposure to toxic chemicals. Our immune system is unable to keep up or it gets revved up too high- and we get sick.Most research has been done on the role of antioxidants and phytochemicals in enhancing the immune system, and the results are fairly consistent: antioxidant vitamins and certain phytochemicals can dramatically boost the immune system, reducing body's vulnerability to external and internal malfunctioning.
Antioxidants have been shown in numerous studies to dramatically enhance immune-system function.
Free radicals are unstable chemicals formed in the body during normal metabolic processes and from exposure to external sources of toxin such as cigarette smoke and air pollution; antioxidants quench free radicals before they can attack healthy cells and contribute to degenerative diseases: that's the quick version.
The longer tale encompasses a complex web of metabolic activities and addresses why free radicals are at the root of many or most diseases and are major factor in aging.The effect of vitamin C deficiency were first noted among sailors, whose long voyage at sea mean that they were deprived for months of fresh fruits and vegetables. They developed devastating symptoms that included swollen, bleeding gums and the inability of wounds to heal that were later named scurvy. Vitamin C boosts immune system function, promotes collagen formation and development, protects against blood clotting and bruising, promotes the healing of wounds, maintains blood-vessel integrity and adrenal-gland function, aids in the production of various hormones and enzymes. Best food sources vitamin C are oranges, tangerines, tomatoes, squash, mangos, Brussels, spinach, strawberries, green peppers, guava, parsley, cabbage, grapefruit, black currants, persimmons.
Researchers in the 1920s found that vitamin E was essential to the ability of pregnant animals to carry to term and necessary for reproduction in general. Vitamin E improves circulation, helps repair damaged tissues, promotes normal blood clotting and healing, reduces scarring, helps prevent cataracts and may prevent age spots. Best food sources for vitamin E are wheat germ, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, spinach, nuts and seeds, peanut oil, soy, corn, sesame, whole grains.
In ancient Egypt, symptoms of night blindness were treated by placing fried liver-rich in vitamin A over the eyes. Vitamin A is found in two forms: retinol and carotene. Retinol, from meat sources, can be absorbed as it is by the body. Carotenoids must be broken down by the body before they can be used as vitamin A. Researchers later recognized that yellow pigments (carotenes) in plant substances were also converted in the body into vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for good night vision, healthy skin, production of RNA, normal bone growth, cellular integrity, and skeletal and tooth development. Best food sources for vitamin A are organ meats, egg yolks, butter, fish-liver oil, swordfish, and white fish.
Jean Cullen
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