What is Aging?
Although we’ve been conditioned to think that aging is some single “thing” that we can turn back with a magic potion, a scientific breakthrough, or a plot device in a science fiction movie, it doesn’t actually work that way. The simple fact is that aging is not the result of any one single factor, but is the cumulative result of multiple factors, including:
- The aging of cells
- The breakdown of telomeres, the strands of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that protect our genetic material
- Protein degradation
- The build-up of harmful compounds (Advanced Glycation End Products) that are formed when proteins or fats combine with sugar in the bloodstream
- Excess sugar activity
- Progressive systemic inflammation
- Progressive dehydration
- Accumulated toxic build-up in organ tissue
- Reduced circulation
- Reduced cellular energy production
- Changes in hormone levels and hormone balance
- Impeded energy flows in the body
- Excessive body weight
- And, of course, good old wear and tear
This list is hardly complete. We could add stress or the accumulation of free radicals in the body or the results of cumulative poor nutrition, etc. The key here is not to identify every single factor (an impossible task), but to understand that if you want to slow the aging process, you must look at more than a magic bullet approach involving one or two supplements.
Q: Is Aging Random, or Is It an Organized Process?
Aging can be broken down into three distinct categories. This is important because the three categories give us clues as to how to handle the factors contained within them. The three “primary” categories that affect how we age are:
- The things we do to ourselves and which are easily correctable (relatively speaking)
- The micro level factors programmed into our very cells, which until a few years ago seemed impossible to change
- The macro level factors programmed into our body as we age such as hormonal changes, many of which can indeed be modified