Archives for November 2017

Nov
26
2017

Prevent Cancer, Cut Sugar

If you want to prevent cancer, cut sugar! This is the message of an Oct. 13, 2017 study. The research team had done experiments for 9 years, when they concluded that it was refined sugar that caused spontaneous mutations of RAS proteins. RAS proteins are responsible for cell growth. When a substance like sugar turns them on all the time, they can cause mutations that lead to cancer. In this article research concentrated on yeast cells, and the publication is in Nature Publication. The CNN publication describes this in simpler language. Essentially the research team found that a sugar molecule, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, was responsible in obese patients and in diabetic patients to mutate a RAS protein, which as a result can turn into an oncogene causing cancer.

Evidence that sugar causes obesity and type 2 diabetes

  1. A September 2017 US study followed 41 children age 9 to 18 with initial fructose consumption of >50 g/d. The treatment of the children consisted of an isocaloric fructose restriction of only 9 days. Following that their liver fat content decreased from 7.2% to 3.8%. In addition intraabdominal fat decreased and new fat production was reduced from 68% to 26%. The authors pointed out that reduction of sugar consumption in obese children was a very effective treatment tool.
  2. This August 2017 study from Helsinki followed 71 obese males for 12 weeks. They consumed 75 grams of added fructose every day in addition to their normal food intake. The liver fat content increased and cardiovascular risk factors worsened as blood tests showed. The investigators concluded that the adverse cardiometabolic effects were a result of the added fructose. They were not secondary to the weight gain (a theory in the past).
  3. This February 2017 study from the US the Taiwanese Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan was also of interest. It consisted of a 5-year long study involving middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. The result was that patients with more physical activity, a better diet and a higher score regarding psychosocial health did much better with respect to managing their diabetes. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is particularly important for the elderly to prevent diabetes.

Evidence that obese patients and type 2 diabetics get more cancer

  1. In this 2016 study from Poland the effect of diabetes causing various cancers was under investigation. The authors pointed out that worldwide in 2014 there were 387 million cases of type 2 diabetes and it was still rising. When they looked at correlation between various cancers and type 2 diabetes they found that diabetes had the strongest association between pancreatic cancer and liver cancer. But there was also an association between diabetes and breast cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer. Head and neck cancers were more frequent among diabetics. Some diabetic medications made cancer frequencies worse, others, like metformin made them better.
  2. In this March 2016 article from the BJC (British Journal of Cancer) cancer frequencies were correlated to patients with obesity and to patients with diabetes. Researchers found that some types of cancer correlated with obesity, whereas others did with diabetes and not with obesity. They found that type 1 diabetes had its own set of cancer risks while type 2 diabetes had a different set of cancers that correlated to the disease

More on cancer risks in diabetics

  1.  A 2015 study from Malaysia with an 11-year follow-up describes that type 2 diabetes had increased in the population which researchers studied. The investigators concentrated on a female population where they found a strong correlation between diabetes and endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer. In a group of 860 cancer patients they found that 26.5% were diabetics. They were at a much higher risk of getting these cancers.
  2. A 2016 study from the US examined 2,836 veterans who had problems with their esophagus. 1,704 received a diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma, 1,132 of them had gastroesophageal reflux disorder. Among the cancer patients there were 30.8% diabetics. The researchers calculated that for diabetics there was a 2.2-fold higher risk of developing esophageal cancer. The only other risk factor they could identify was nicotine dependence, which showed an association with a 1.7-fold risk of to develop esophageal cancer.

Evidence that sugar causes cancer

As explained earlier research found that fructose-1,6-bisphosphate is responsible in yeast cells to lead to RAS mutations. Human cells have the same metabolism as yeast cells, and they also have RAS protein and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate is important for cancer development in humans. Yeast cells are diploid cells as are human cells. But yeast cells are not human organisms, so the parallel stops at one point.

  1. A 2014 study from China showed that fructose-bisphosphate aldolase was a marker for lung cancer metastases. This enzyme breaks down fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Depletion of fructose-bisphosphate aldolase A reduces cell motility of cancer cells and the ability to cause more tumors. In other words, the key for cancer cells to thrive is the presence of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate.
  2. In this 2013 study from Beijing gastric cancer biopsies research examined these samples for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, the enzyme that breaks down fructose-1,6-bisphosphate.

The enzyme was under expressed in 86.2% of the gastric cancer biopsies. This meant that glycolysis was stimulated in the cancer cells. An overabundance of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate caused tumor cells to get into an active phase and to metastasize.

Discussion of why sugar causes cancer

I have previously discussed this topic in a blog 3 ½ years ago. At the time a few steps were missing from the knowledge we have today. Nothing has become different regarding the connection of sugar overconsumption and the risk of developing cancer. First of all, we have learnt that fructose overconsumption or sugar overconsumption leads to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate in the blood, which stimulates RAS proteins to mutate and stimulate oncogenes to cause cancer. In addition, people who are overweight, obese or have diabetes have too much insulin production, which can also lead to cancer causation. Finally, obese people have a lot of very active kinins in the blood that can cause cancer as well. In conclusion, what has changed between March 2014 and now is that we have a lot more detail why things happen the way they do. Connections that used to be obscure have now a rational explanation.

The message is that we need to cut out refined sugar from our diet, cut out starchy foods and cut out processed foods. This will improve our metabolism and reduce our risk of getting cancer. We will also lose weight, which I have experienced in 2011 when I lost 50 pounds over 3 months. What did I do? I was just doing what I described to you: cutting out sugar, starchy foods and processed foods.

Prevent Cancer, Cut Sugar

Prevent Cancer, Cut Sugar

Conclusion

Want to reduce your risk for getting cancer drastically? Then cut out sugar and starchy foods along with processed foods (which have too much sugar in it).  Strangely enough it was only now that researchers have found the missing link. The culprit is fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, a metabolic byproduct from sugar consumption. It stimulates a RAS gene, which can mutate, turn into an oncogene and eventually cause cancer. This fact was not known a few years ago. But the knowledge that cancer can occur due to diabetes, obesity and insulin resistance goes back a long time.

We need to learn from science: cut out refined sugar, starchy foods and processed foods. This will change insulin resistance into insulin sensitivity. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate will not accumulate, but get normally metabolized. This way fructose-1,6-bisphosphate does not pose a problem for RAS proteins. Your insulin level will normalize, the previous kinin overproduction will disappear and your risk for cancer will decrease.

We have allowed the sugar industry to undermine our health for too long. It is time to take back the control over our lives, assess our food habits and make the necessary changes.

Nov
18
2017

You May Want To Cut Down Coffee Consumption

Many people drink too much coffee, so you may want to cut down coffee consumption. With all the good news about the health benefits when drinking coffee, some people went too far. They have overdone what was supposed to be good for them. Recently a study came out that tells you how to cut down coffee consumption.

But first I like to review the issue whether to drink caffeinated or decaf coffee. Next I will tell you how you can switch to decaf coffee.

Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have the same health benefits

  1. Recently a large study showed that coffee, caffeinated or not, has a connection with lower overall mortality.
  2. Coffee has long been a subject of heated discussions. Some praise it, and others condemn it. There are multiple past studies; some showed health benefits, some did not. This is why the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA. did a larger study. The purpose was to re-examine the health benefits for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.

Mortality data regarding people who drank decaf coffee or regular coffee

Researchers assessed mortality among 74,890 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS). Another 93,054 women in the NHS 2 study became part of this. And 40,557 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study were also part in this large study. The medium follow-up for all of these three groups was 22.5 years. 19,524 women and 12,432 men died during that time period. Ming Ding is a doctoral student at the Harvard School of Public Health department of nutrition. She was the lead author of this study. She pointed out that in the past there were confounding problems. Many studies had shown that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease. But the results in many studies were blurred. Studies often did not distinguish between smokers and non-smokers. This meant that the cardiovascular risk from smoking wiped out a beneficial effect from coffee drinking.

Confounding and other factors

Ding’s studies took this into account and also other confounding factors like how much sugary soda pop people were drinking and whether or not they were eating well. In addition they normalized for other factors that could interfere like drinking alcohol and eating red meat. Without normalizing for the factors mentioned above the study results were as follows. Study participants who had less than a cup of coffee and three cups a day had a 5% to 9% lower risk of dying than those who drank no coffee. Those who drank more than three cups a day did not see any benefit.

Dose response curve for regular and decaf coffee

After eliminating all the confounding factors researchers compared the various groups again, and the following linear dose-response curve emerged:

  • Less than 1 cup of coffee per day: 6% lower death rates than non-coffee drinkers.
  • 1 cup to 3 cups of coffee per day: 8% lower death rates.
  • 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day: 15% lower death rates.
  • More than 5 cups of coffee per day: 12% lower death rates.

Coffee consumption reduces diabetes and heart disease

Ming’s study connected with another research paper that had shown that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and also less heart disease. She found that both, caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, reduced the risk of getting diabetes later in life. When asked about what would be responsible for the reduced death rates with coffee consumption, she explained: “There are at least two known chemicals in coffee, namely lignans and chlorogenic acid that could reduce inflammation and help control blood sugar, both of which could help reduce the risk of heart disease”. You may want to cut down coffee consumption because you know decaf coffee does the same as regular coffee.

Other details about the caffeinated/decaf coffee study

Although there seems to be a linear response up to 5 cups of coffee consumption, above 5 cups this linear relationship disappeared. It was not explained whether there was a saturation point, whether there was yet another hidden confounding factor or whether there were detrimental effects on the adrenal glands with too much caffeinated coffee consumption.

Another finding was that it did not matter whether the coffee was regular (caffeinated) coffee or decaffeinated coffee. The results were identical.

Many other studies did not have the large numbers to show whether or not decaffeinated coffee was as effective in preventing heart disease as regular coffee.

Suicide rates and coffee consumption

There was another peculiar finding: suicides were down by 20% to 36%, if a person drank at least one cup of coffee per day. If a person consumed less than 1 cup of coffee per day the suicide rate was 36% higher than the control group with no coffee consumption. This is a rather peculiar finding, particularly for the consumption of less than 1 cup of coffee. Other studies also showed a decrease in suicide rates with coffee consumption.

Although previous studies had shown a reduction in liver and prostate cancer, after the removal of confounding factors this study did not show any effects on cancer causation or cancer death rates with coffee consumption.

Discussion

The Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA has excelled in high quality nutritional studies for decades. This study is particularly important, because it is so large, giving it more statistical power. Secondly, the observation time of an average of 22.5 years is longer than most coffee studies in the past. Add to this the removal of the “noise” (called confounding factors) that interfered with the objective of the study, and you end up with a very meaningful result.

Clear results after confounding factors were removed

The important findings were that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have the same effect of saving and extending lives. Perhaps you want to drink not more than 5 cups of coffee per day. That lowers your risk of premature death by 15%. It is most likely that it is the effect of lowering the rate of diabetes and heart attack rates that is responsible for the risk reduction. At least this was the opinion of the chief investigator. Cancer rates were not lowered by coffee consumption.

I sleep better when I drink decaffeinated coffee, so for me the notion that decaffeinated coffee and regular coffee have the same effect was important.

Revisit the statement: “you may want to cut down coffee consumption”

Now we know that there is no difference in benefits whether the coffee is caffeinated or not. Those of you who consume 3 to 5 cups of decaf coffee already enjoy a 15% reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease.

Those of you who take the same amount of regular coffee may get into a caffeine dependency problem. Because every time the caffeine stimulation wears off, you yearn for yet another cup of coffee. You need your fix, and this becomes a dependency problem. You have conditioned your body to that regular dose of caffeine, even though it is the bioflavonoids that are reducing mortality while caffeine is neutral.

My experience of coffee withdrawal

When I came across Ding’s research findings I was glad that now there was clarification about whether decaf coffee was as good as regular coffee. The next step for me was to cut out regular coffee and replace it by decaf coffee. Formerly I had been drinking 5 mugs of coffee daily (translated into 500 mg of caffeine daily). When I decided to quit this habit, I figured I should do it cold turkey from one day to the next. To my surprise this was a much bigger deal than I had thought.

Withdrawal symptoms

I craved the next cup of coffee, and I drank a decaf coffee. It did not help: Still, there was this craving for regular coffee! Yawning, restlessness and tiredness were symptoms that followed me all day long. Then there was irritability, a mild headache and almost flu-like symptoms. Eventually I went to sleep and woke up one hour later feeling a bit more energetic. But two hours later I had to lay down again. I was feeling that bushed. The following few days went better. There was more energy. But I still liked a noonday nap of about 1 hour.

Benefits of getting off regular coffee

This was not like me! Normally I have lots of energy and I don’t need naps. It took me 1-½ weeks to get over my 5-cup a day coffee withdrawal. But it was 100% worth it! Since then my energy is back to normal. I don’t have to chase coffee houses on a trip or ensure there is always a cup of regular coffee available for me at home (work does not apply, because I am retired). If I want I can replace my beloved coffee with another fluid. I love lemon juice sweetened with stevia instead of my decaf coffee. It is liberating that I no longer depend on the caffeine. But I still like the flavor of decaf coffee, and there is something enjoyable about the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee. And so I drink 3 to 4 cups of decaf coffee a day.

How to cut down coffee consumption

Here is a 2016 study from the Johns Hopkins University where 34 patients on 600 mg of caffeine per day received a 1-hour lecture about coffee withdrawal followed by a 6-week diary of their coffee consumption. They were asked to reduce their caffeine consumption down to 50 mg by week 6 of the coffee elimination program. Tests followed with salivary caffeine levels 6, 12 and 26 weeks after coffee cessation. There was also a 1-year follow-up telephone conversation. The results were that there was good compliance. Saliva caffeine levels verified this. The diaries over the first 6 weeks showed that the participants had gradually eliminated caffeine consumption. Perhaps this was a more humane way than my “cold-turkey” approach.

You May Want To Cut Down Coffee Consumption

You May Want To Cut Down Coffee Consumption

Conclusion

Many people are sensitive to too much caffeine consumption in coffee and other caffeinated beverages. But since the Harvard study that I mentioned above there is no need to overdose coffee or tea consumption. Decaf coffee has the same effect on lowering death rates by 15%, as does regular coffee. It pays to avoid caffeine, as you will avoid caffeine dependency. Drink decaf coffee instead!

I also discussed that withdrawal from regular coffee can be done more gently over a 6 week period. I did it from one day to the next and had a 1-½ week long withdrawal reaction. Do it slower or faster, whatever works best for you. The end result will be the same. Then enjoy it that you no longer depend on caffeine!

More info: https://www.askdrray.com/coffee-could-be-a-lifesaver/

Nov
05
2017

What Limits Our Life Expectancy?

Most anti-aging experts say that there are a number of factors that in combination lead to what limits our life expectancy. Right now the average life expectancy is about 80 years. With a bit of effort it can be expanded until 115 to 120 years. I like to discuss what these limits are.

1.Diseases that limit our life expectancy

 

  • Congenital hypertriglyceridemia and familial hypercholesterolemia

We all know that certain diseases can shorten a person’s life. Some families have a history of congenital hypertriglyceridemia. There is a history of all the male family members having heart attacks at a young age and dying prematurely. In other families it is the LDL cholesterol that is congenitally elevated, causing premature heart attacks.

  • Obesity

Obese people come down with diseases that shorten their lives. There is diabetes that is more common with its own problems of nephropathy, cardiovascular disease and blindness. But obese people also can get severe osteoarthritis in hips and knees that often lead to total hip and knee replacements. With complications people will die prematurely.

  • Liver cirrhosis

A number of conditions lead to cirrhosis of the liver: chronic alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis (particularly hepatitis B and C) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. There are also a few less common causes.

  • Kidney failure

There are several clinical conditions that can lead to kidney failure, like diabetes, high blood pressure, polycystic kidney disease, but also abuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) for joint disease.

Unfortunately kidney disease like this often shortens a person’s life.

  • Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease

When a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease the life expectancy will only be about 10 years on average.

Parkinson’s disease treats the patient somewhat better with a life expectancy of between 10 to 20 years after diagnosis.

But any neurological disease seems to significantly shorten the life of a of a person. This list is not complete, but these diseases are common. All of them will shorten a person’s life expectancy. The key is prevention to avoid the onset of these diseases.

2. Mitochondria and the biology of aging

The small organelles in each cell, the mitochondria are the power packs of our cells. Mitochondria can be preserved through exercise, CoQ10 supplementation and caloric restriction. This overcomes a lack of energy and strengthens the muscles of the body, which includes the heart. As Dr. Whitaker has shown in this link, it is simple. Eat less, exercise more and take nutritional supplements.

3. DNA mutations

The big question is how do we preserve DNA against damage from the everyday metabolism by-products and ionizing radiation from space? There are many open questions. Our DNA does not sit still, it constantly moves, genes are activated and suppressed, and in this process we lose cancer suppressor genes causing cancer that eventually can kill us. Our scientists today are smart, but they are not that smart that they would know all the future research results they have not yet detected. The answer would be stabilization of DNA, as this could prevent many cancers and would definitely prolong our lives. 

4. Reducing telomere length

In one study the telomere length at the age of 100 was only 40% compared to the age of 20. Now we are learning that it is possible to lengthen telomeres by healthy lifestyles. Research in humans has shown that increased physical activity elongated telomeres. So did vitamin C, E, vitamin D3 supplementation and resveratrol. A Mediterranean diet and marine omega-3 fatty acid supplementation elongate telomeres as well. In addition, higher fiber intake, bioidentical estrogen in women and testosterone in men can be effective in elongating telomeres. Finally, relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation are also elongating telomeres.

Longer telomeres are responsible for longevity

Below I am listing evidence that longer telomeres are not only responsible for longevity, but protect you also against major diseases like heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

I like to start by providing a link where research explains more about this question.

Below I am going to summarize the facts that show that telomere lengthening is something to strive for.

General comments about telomere length

When telomeres shorten progressively, senescence sets in. Cells undergo a process called apoptosis, which is the normal process of cells dying. But some cells stay in that in-between state and transform into cancer cells. Shortening of telomeres affects health and the lifespan of a person. Shorter telomeres are responsible for the development of disease and reduced survival.

Telomeres as an internal clock, age-related

Telomere length can serve as an internal clock as to how long our cells and organs will live. In this context it is important to mention that lifestyles have an important role in preserving the length of telomeres (see below).

Telomere length decreases with age. In humans the loss of telomere length is about 26 (24.8–27.7) base pairs per year. This is the “clock that is ticking”. A number of factors affect the telomere length: age; genetic factors (some people come from families with longevity); certain factors that influence the gene expression, called “epigenetic factors”; social status and economic well-being; exercise; and smoking. The good news for everybody: gender does not affect the rate of telomere length loss, but lifestyle does!

Measurements of telomere length

  1. People who had their white blood cell telomere length tested and got the result of having shorter telomeres than the average in their age group, had a 3-fold higher risk of developing a heart attack. People in nursing homes with shorter telomeres had a much higher risk of death than controls with longer telomeres. Excessively short telomeres can lead to genomic instability, inter-chromosomal fusion and cancer.
  2. In cancer cells the telomeres are short, but telomerase, an enzyme that can elongate telomeres is elevated compared to the normal surrounding cells. Several studies have shown that shorter telomeres are a risk factor for cancer. An example was a genetic syndrome, called dyskeratosis congenita. Dyskeratosis congenita – Wikipedia In this syndrome the body cells have short telomeres. This leads to premature graying, vulnerability to infections, progressive bone marrow failure, predisposition to cancer at a young age and premature death in adults.

Effects of smoking and stress on telomeres

  1. Effects of cigarette smoking: If you smoke one package of cigarettes per day, you lose an additional 5 base pairs in the telomere (on top of the average of 26 cited above). If you smoke one pack of cigarettes a day over 40 years, this is the equivalent to the loss of 7.4 years of life.
  2. Stress ages you faster. A study showed that telomeres were shorter in a group of stressed women and telomerase was missing as well, when research measured white blood cells (monocytes). Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. The difference between the telomere length of a control group and the stressed women was the equivalent of 10 years of life on average!

Lifestyle factors that influence telomere length 

Dietary factors

High fiber intake showed an association with elongated telomeres in a group of women, but excessive weight shortened telomeres. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid was shortening telomeres as well. Reduction of protein intake tended to cause longer telomeres, which is responsible for longevity. In rat experiments protein restriction early in life led to longevity and long telomeres. In these animals’ kidney cell telomeres were particularly long.

Dietary supplements

Detailed studies exist about the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on telomeres. Studies followed women who consumed foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids for 5 years. A control group with low omega-3 fatty acids in their diet were also part of a study. The antioxidant effect of omega-3 fatty acids reduced the rate of telomere shortening. The control group lacking omega-3 fatty acid in the diet had much shorter telomeres. This group had a moderate risk for developing breast cancer. Other antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene showed a link to longer telomeres and a lower risk to develop breast cancer. Antioxidants protect the DNA of telomeres from oxidative damage.

5. Decreasing hormone production

Another factor of aging is hormone deficiency in general and human growth hormone (HGH) deficiency in particular. In the past the school of thought was that HGH was only important for bone growth in children and young teenagers. However, more research revealed that it has also an important maintenance function. This maintenance concerns our muscles including the heart and to preserve our brain. Here is a review article about human growth hormone deficiency that may be mind-blowing to you. When people age, they lose HGH production putting them at a considerable risk to get heart attacks and strokes. But they are also at a higher risk of serious falls due to muscle weakness and balance problems.

Diagnosis of HGH deficiency

When the doctor detects low IGF-1 levels in the blood this is a sign of HGH deficiency. This graph shows that beyond the age of 60 HGH levels are extremely low. Tests that check for low HGH metabolites in a 24-hour urine sample are necessary to confirm this.

Replacement of HGH in aging people

When this test is also showing HGH deficiency, the time has come to do daily HGH injections with human HGH. The injection is easy, as it uses using a similar pen that is the common device for insulin injections. The dosage is only between 0.05 mg and 0.25 mg per day, and the administration is before bedtime. There is a significant cost to this treatment. For this reason, it is important to check whether the personal health care plan covers injections with human growth hormone, as it is a true hormone deficiency in many aging people.

Replacing missing HGH production with HGH injections

This is remarkably effective not only for heart attack and stroke prevention, but also to treat muscle weakness. In addition, it treats lack of mental clarity and increases general well-being. Patients report that their joint and muscle aches disappear. They can engage in physical activities again. But HGH is not the only hormone that needs monitoring. Tests for thyroid hormones, sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone in women and testosterone in men are also necessary. When levels are low, there is a need for hormone replacement in the form of nature-identical hormones. The estimate is that you gain about 10 to 15 years of good and active living by replacing missing hormones with bioidentical ones.

6. What can we do to maximize our life expectancy?

Here are a number of factors that help preserve telomeres and thus reduce aging and keep you from getting serious illnesses like heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

  • Consider eating less.
  • Include antioxidants, fiber, soy protein and healthy fats (derived from avocados, fish, and nuts).
  • Stay lean, active, healthy, and stress-free (regular exercise and meditation).
  • Eat foods such as salmon, herring, mackerel, halibut, anchovies, catfish, flounder, flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, kiwi, black raspberries, lingonberry, green tea, broccoli, sprouts, red grapes, tomatoes, olive fruit, and other vitamin C-rich and vitamin E-rich foods. They are a good source of antioxidants. Avoid tuna and grouper fish because they are too high in noxious mercury.
  • These habits combined with a Mediterranean type of diet containing fruits, and whole grains will help protect your telomeres.
  • Replace missing hormones
What Limits Our Life Expectancy?

What Limits Our Life Expectancy?

Conclusion

At the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine on Dec. 13, 2015 in Las Vegas the endocrinologist, Dr. Thierry Hertoghe from Belgium gave a talk about “How to extend the human lifespan by 40 years”. He said that bioidentical hormone replacement could add 15 years of life. Organ transplants, if necessary, telomerase activators and stem cell therapy can add another 25 years of life expectancy to a total of 40 years. He felt that there is a limit of about 120 to 125 years of life expectancy. I have blogged on this here: life extended by several decades.

Limits of extension of life

“Living forever” is simply not in the cards, as we do not have all the answers to preserve DNA and mitochondria from damages. What nature has done since its existence is by rejuvenation through eggs and sperms create new life. This circumvents the longevity conundrum.

We are living longer than our ancestors. Many diseases have become treatable, and it is encouraging to see this progress. But there is a limit of what can be done.

More information http://nethealthbook.com/news/the-biology-of-aging/