The basic concept of aging is that there is declining efficiency in the body as we grow older.  Eventually declining efficiency will result in change in function.  This will lead to degeneration, damage, aging, breakdown, and death.    

There are thousands of research papers describing free radicals as possibly the primary cause of aging.  Free radicals are unstable molecules in the body.  Usually molecules contain electrons in pairs.  When there is a loss or gain of an electron, this destabilizes the molecule.  It becomes highly reactive and destabilizes other molecules.  The body attempts to balance and neutralize free radicals, but over a period of time free radical damage accumulates.  Many scientists believe the major amount of aging is the result of free radical damage.    

Many people are learning each day, free radicals are considered harmful.  Advice is given by health experts to help neutralize free radicals, such as supplementing antioxidants, eating food grown without pesticides, and so on.  The great danger of free radicals is free radical accumulation, where the body is unable to constantly neutralize free radicals, even when using antioxidants, proper nutrition, exercise, and so on.    

To understand one possible method to neutralize free radical accumulation, an understanding of the process of metabolism and aging can be a great help.   Metabolism is the handling and processing of molecules in the body.  The molecules are either synthesized or degraded.  Energy and structures of the body are the two main results of metabolism.  Energy is created in the form of chemical energy that the body can use, called ATP.    

ATP energy requires oxygen as the potential rate-limiting step.  This means that the amount of oxygen will determine the efficiency and amount of ATP that can be produced at any one time.  From Harper’s Biochemistry, “which allows the respiratory chain to function at the maximum rate until the tissue has become virtually depleted of oxygen” (Ref. Robert K. Murray, MD, Ph.D., Daryl K. Granmer, MD, Peter A. Mayes, Ph.D., D.Sc., Victor W. Fodwell, Ph.D., Harper’s Biochemistry, 25^th Edition, Appleton & Lance, Stanford, Connecticut, 2000, Page 140).  So the key to producing ATP energy at the maximum rate is availability and amounts of oxygen.    

ATP is produced from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.  Carbohydrates produce glucose, which the body breaks down into ATP.  Glucose from carbohydrates is the major source of production of ATP.      

Fats can also be a source of ATP production.  If oxygen levels are not optimal, this can limit ATP production made from carbohydrates.  The body will use an alternate source to help produce ATP, fatty acids.  However, the fatty acids will also require oxygen to produce ATP.  So there are two results from less than optimal amounts of oxygen.  One is carbohydrates produce less ATP.  A second is fatty acids are increased in the bloodstream as an alternative source to help produce ATP.  Fatty acids deplete available oxygen for production of ATP produced by burning glucose from carbohydrates.  Thus increasing fatty acid levels can eventually lead to a change in metabolism, where smaller amounts of ATP are produced from carbohydrates and more are produced from fatty acids.    

Fatty acids can be highly damaging in the body.  Fatty acids are highly reactive with cell membranes.  This can result in free radical damage to cell membranes.  Increasing fatty acid levels can deplete oxygen levels, to the point where there is no longer enough oxygen to burn all the fatty acids.  This can result in increasing levels of partially oxidized fatty acids.  Partially oxidized fatty acids have been proven highly harmful to the body.  For example, one of the aspects of heart disease is fatty acids help clog vascular walls.  However, it is partially oxidized fatty acids, called partially oxidized  LDL, that are the culprits involved in clogged arteries.  Thus, depletion of oxygen can be highly stressful to vascular walls, cell membranes, and many other structures and functions in the body..    

The value of understanding the aging process in relation to changes in metabolism, the gradual shift to using more fatty acids to produce ATP, you can understand the origin of a great deal of excess free radical damage.  It can all start from a lack of oxygen available to burn glucose produced from carbohydrates, to produce ATP.    

An example of the aging process and decreased ability to produce ATP from carbohydrate sources, accumulation of glucose can occur in cells when not efficiently burned to produce ATP.  This can lead to the glucose reacting inside the cell with proteins and fats, resulting in damage.  Another example, increasing levels of partly oxidized fatty acids occur when less ATP is utilized from carbohydrates and more from fats.  This results in increasing levels of damage to vascular walls and cell membranes.  Still another example, free radical damage can be highly reactive in the fatty brain tissue, which can help explain why the brain degenerates, as we grow older.  For instance, in Parkinson’s Disease, the major problem is the molecule called L-dopa is oxidized at a great rate, before it can produce the neurotransmitter dopamine.  It is low levels of dopamine that are considered the primary cause of Parkinson’s and the high rate of oxidation of L-dopa considered the primary cause of low levels of dopamine. There are many other examples that can describe degenerative processes that can result from increasing levels of fatty acids in the bloodstream used to compensate for lowered ability to produce ATP from carbohydrates.     

An approach to consider neutralizing the accumulation of free radicals resulting from increasing fatty acids in the bloodstream is to find methods and supplements to increase oxygen in the bloodstream.  This will help maintain optimal levels of glucose burned by oxygen and converted to ATP.  This will help decrease the need for fatty acids as an alternative energy source of the body.    

For example, one of the great supplements that research has proven can increase oxygen utilization in the bloodstream is ginseng G-115.  Antioxidants can increase oxygen.  Appropriate exercise can increase oxygen.  The prescription drug hydergine may be the best molecule at increasing oxygen levels in the bloodstream.  Increasing oxygen in the bloodstream is a method to help decrease free radical accumulation.  This can be considered anti-aging.    

This concept of increasing oxygen levels in the bloodstream can be helpful in understanding methods to help slow down and reverse aging, degeneration, breakdown, and death.  It is known that optimal amounts of antioxidants, proper nutrition, proper exercise, supplements, and many other positive ideas to increase health, ultimately do not stop or reverse aging.  One idea is that increasing levels of free radical accumulation eventually overtax even the healthiest individuals.  Antioxidants and other methods to neutralize free radicals are ways that balance and keep the body in harmony, but these methods do not cure the root cause of aging, which is considered by many scientists to be increasing accumulation and load of free radicals, until breakdown and death.  Keeping metabolism optimal can help at the root cause of free radical accumulation.  There are other methods to help keep metabolism and especially ATP production from carbohydrates, at optimal levels.  For instance supplements that help optimize the mitochrondia, the section in cells where ATP is produced, can benefit ATP production from glucose.  There are other methods and examples that can help optimize ATP production.  However, increasing oxygen levels may be primary. 

Good luck. 

Note – there is a test called the BMR (basic metabolic rate), which you can test at a doctor’s office.  This measures the rate you burn glucose and can inform you of where you rate metabolically.   

Note – In order for these nutritional ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality. Dr. Bob often said, “almost all supplement companies produce poor quality.”  You can consider the product page of this web site. Almost all the products met Dr. Bob’s approval.  Since he passed away we have attempted to keep the same high standards.   

WARNING: DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS.  

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