The anti-aging handbook

Natural Health, March, 2006 by Timothy Gower

In addition to reducing inflammation, aspirin is a potent antioxidant. What's more, it likely stifles production of compounds that form when carbohydrates interact with amino acids to form advanced glycation end products.

"They're nasty," declares Leeuwenburgh of the aptly named AGEs, which some scientists think contribute to age-related diseases like cancer, hypertension, and arthritis. (One baby aspirin--81 mg--is generally sufficient for a daily prevention regimen. However, any amount can cause stomach distress, so don't take aspirin regularly without a doctor's consent.)

Insulin resistance syndrome, a common condition that requires extra insulin to make energy from glucose, also boosts heart-disease risk. Over time, levels of the mineral chromium--which helps insulin function--diminish. Some doctors recommend chromium picolinate supplements (200 to 1,000 micrograms daily) to lower insulin resistance. Adding soluble fiber (found in oats and beans) to the diet helps as well, notes Katz.

Depending on your blood profile, other supplements may be useful, says cardiologist Erminia Guarneri, M.D., of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, Calif. Niacin ups artery-cleaning HDL cholesterol; folic acid and other B vitamins lower heart-unhealthy homocysteine; and magnesium controls irregular heartbeats. However, she believes--and research confirms--that age-proofing the heart begins at the dinner table. "Let food be your medicine," she advises. (See "Live Long & Eat Well" on page 70.)

what you can do

Keep your mind in motion. "If you challenge the brain to take on new tasks, there's evidence that it has the ability to rewire itself," says George T. Grossberg, M.D., a psychiatrist at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. In a 2002 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, people who spent the most time in mentally stimulating activities like reading, playing games, or doing puzzles cut their dementia risk by nearly half.

Keeping your feet in motion is critical, too. Neuroscientist Arthur Kramer, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Illinois found that sofa-surfers who take up a walking program of just 45 minutes, three times a week, improve their scores on tests of mental sharpness by up to 20 percent. "As people become more fit, the circuits that support cognition and perception become more efficient," Kramer explains.

Finally, some food for thought: Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Grossberg recommends fish oil capsules or flaxseed oil supplements, another good source of omega-3s. Either way, start with at least 1,000 mg per day. (Consult your doctor on this or any other change to your nutrition or exercise plan.)

To further preserve your brain, Grossberg suggests this daily regimen: 200 IU vitamin E, 500 mg vitamin C, and a vitamin B-complex supplement with folic acid.

maintain your MUSCLES

how they age

At around 40, a woman's muscle fibers begin to shrink; the decline starts before age 30 in men. And with each passing year, muscle cells lose mitochondria, which provide energy to cells. Weakened muscles impair balance and reaction time, and absorb sugar from the bloodstream less efficiently, leading to fatigue and increasing the risk for diabetes.