The anti-aging handbook

Natural Health, March, 2006 by Timothy Gower

"STOP THE CLOCK!" scream the ads for various products that promise to reverse the aging process.

There's just one problem. "It can't be done," says Andrew Weil, M.D., director of the integrative medicine program at the University of Arizona and author of Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being. He believes that the denial of aging is counterproductive, which makes it all the more important to distinguish between science and science fiction when it comes to your health.

Happily, researchers have found that anyone can add years of active living to the average natural lifespan (currently 77.6 years in the United States)--in Wefts words, "to live as long and as well as possible."

Examples abound. Consider Winnie Hopfe, 65, of Longmeadow, Mass. Instead of winding down in retirement, she runs in seven or eight competitive events each year, often leaving women half her age in the dust. She took up kayaking last summer, and spent a weekend water-tubing in the Adirondacks.

When you were a child, could you picture your grandmother water-tubing? Hopfe and many others like her are living proof that proper care and maintenance can keep the human body running strong far longer than anyone conceived just a few decades ago.

But it takes work. What follows is the best advice on bolstering the major systems in the human body to stave off age-related decline. And while you're lacing up those walking shoes or seeking out new supplements, remember that adopting the right attitude may be the most important step of all. "The most damaging concept in our culture," says Weil, "is that the worth of life diminishes with age."

bolster your BONES & JOINTS

how they age

All adults begin to lose bone mass in their 30s and 40s--about half a percent per year and decreasing estrogen levels accelerate the process in women. In the decade after menopause, the average woman will lose about 2 percent to 3 percent of her bone mass each year. When bones shed calcium more quickly than it's absorbed, they become brittle and fracture easily. About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis; eight in 10 of them are women.

When two bones meet, they form a joint. Over time, synovial fluid, which lubricates joints, may dry up, and the protective cartilage that lines joint surfaces erodes. The result can be pain, stiffness, and loss of flexibility. About 80 percent of people over 55 have some form of degenerative joint disease such as arthritis.

improve your IMMUNE SYSTEM

how it ages

Your body's defense network gradually produces fewer potent white blood cells in especially critical warriors known as T cells--making you more vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, carcinogens, and other disease-causing organisms. Vaccinations (such as flu shots) may become less effective. Wounds take longer to heal

what you can do

Keeping your immunity strong as you age means keeping yourself running--or walking, swimming, or cycling. Regular exercise can prevent the age-related decline in the immune system's antibody response, says University of Colorado physiologist Monika Fleshner, Ph.D. In a 2004 study, Fleshner and colleagues gathered 46 men--some old, some young, some dedicated jocks, some not--and injected them with a harmless protein designed to mimic an infection. Blood samples showed that the active older men mounted a robust immune response, while the sedentary older males had a reduction in their ability to generate antibodies. Most intriguingly, the samples from active men over 60 were indistinguishable from active guys in their 20s and 30s.

While a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables strengthens the immune system, one nutrient in particular offers a powerful defense. The antioxidant vitamin E cleans up free radicals that can challenge immunity; it also reduces production of certain prostaglandins that interfere with the work of T cells. Older bodies manufacture more prostaglandins, which has led researchers to ask whether supplementing with extra doses of vitamin E bolsters immunity. The answer appears to be yes, according to a 2004 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. A team at Tufts University found that people over 65 who took a daily supplement containing 200 IU of vitamin E cut their risk for colds and other upper-respiratory tract infections by 30 percent.

what you can do

The average American woman gets only about 500 milligrams of calcium per day from food, a far cry from the recommended 1,000 to 1,200 mg. Dairy products and leafy greens can help bridge the gap; so can supplements. But some people go overboard, taking more than the upper limit of 2,500 mg. "I spend a fair amount of time counseling patients to decrease their calcium intake," says endocrinologist Nelson B. Watts, M.D., director of the University of Cincinnati Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center.

Your calcium intake won't do you much good if you don't get enough vitamin D to help absorb it. Watts finds the current recommendation for people over 50--400 IU daily--too low. Sunlight triggers internal production, but to be on the safe side, Watts advises women to take in 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day.