Taking Life Nice and Easy May Trump Antioxidants in
Slowing the Aging Process
Research in the journal Genetics shows that your
genes may be most important in slowing the body's aging process
July
6, 2010 - Don't put down the red wine and vitamins just yet, but if
you're taking antioxidants because you hope to live longer, consider
this: a new study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal
GENETICS casts doubt on the theory that oxidative stress to our tissues shortens
lifespan.
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That's because researchers from McGill University
in Canada have identified mutations in 10 different genes of worms -
genes believed to have counterparts in humans - that extend their
lifespan without reducing the level of oxidative stress the worms
suffer. The results contradict the popular theory that production of
toxic reactive oxygen species in tissues is responsible for aging.
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Read more about Antioxidants and Aging below news story -
"We hope that our study will help in tempering the
undue emphasis put on the notion that oxidative stress causes aging and
thus that antioxidants could combat aging," said Siegfried Hekimi, Ph.D,
the senior author of the study from the Department of Biology at McGill
University in Montreal.
"We also hope that the genes we have discovered can
be used in the future to modulate energy metabolism in a way that can
help delay the health issues linked to aging, and possibly increase
lifespan itself."
To make their discovery, the scientists exposed a
passel of worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) to a chemical that causes
random changes in its DNA, and looked among the mutagenized worms for
those appearing to have a slow rate of metabolism, manifested in their
slow development and slow behavioral responses.
They then identified the mutations in these worms
that caused this effect, revealing 10 distinct genes involved in
metabolism. The scientists' expected that the slowly metabolizing worms
would have less oxidative stress, but to the investigators' surprise
that was not the case. This suggests that a slow rate of living and
reduced energy metabolism is sufficient to increase longevity, even when
oxidative stress is not reduced.
"It looks like there's more truth to the cliché,
'slow and steady wins the race,' than we imagined," said Mark Johnston,
Editor-in-Chief of the journal GENETICS. "This research suggests that if
we just eat less, we may not have to suffer eating all that broccoli
simply for its antioxidants."
About information source:
Since 1916,
GENETICS has covered high quality, original research on a range of
topics bearing on inheritance, including population and evolutionary
genetics, complex traits, developmental and behavioral genetics,
cellular genetics, gene expression, genome integrity and transmission,
and genome and systems biology. GENETICS, the peer-reviewed, peer-edited
journal of the Genetics Society of America is one of the world's most
cited journals in genetics and heredity.
About Antioxidants and Aging
By National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine
Oxidation—one of the body's natural chemical
processes—can produce "free radicals," which are highly unstable
molecules that can damage cells. For example, free radicals are produced
when the body breaks down foods for use or storage. They are also
produced when the body is exposed to tobacco smoke, radiation, and
environmental contaminants.
Free radicals can cause damage, known as
"oxidative stress," which is thought to play a role in the development
of many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, eye disease,
heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. In
laboratory experiments, antioxidant molecules counter oxidative stress
and its associated damage.
The body can produce its own antioxidants and also
obtain them from food. Antioxidants are abundant in vegetables and
fruits and are also found in grain cereals, teas, legumes, and nuts.
Examples of antioxidants include anthocyanins, beta-carotene, catechins,
coenzyme Q10, flavonoids, lipoic acid, lutein, lycopene, selenium, and
vitamins C and E. Many antioxidants are also available as dietary
supplements.
Although antioxidant molecules counter oxidative
stress in laboratory experiments, there is some debate as to whether
consuming antioxidants—in food or supplement form—actually benefits
health. Antioxidant supplements are often synthetic (man-made), but some
of these synthetic forms may not have the same effects on the body as
antioxidants that occur naturally in foods. In addition, some beneficial
properties may be lost when antioxidants are extracted from foods to
manufacture supplements. There is also some concern that consuming
antioxidants in excessive doses may have negative effects.
Oxidative stress: physiological stress on
the body that is caused by the cumulative damage done by free radicals
inadequately neutralized by antioxidants and that is held to be
associated with aging.
Antioxidants: any of various substances (as
beta-carotene, vitamin C, and alpha-tocopherol) that inhibit oxidation
or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides and that include many held
to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free
radicals.
Free radical: An unstable molecule that
causes oxidative damage by stealing electrons from surrounding
molecules, thereby disrupting activity in the body's cells.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
July
6, 2010 - Don't put down the red wine and vitamins just yet, but if
you're taking antioxidants because you hope to live longer, consider
this: a new study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal
GENETICS casts doubt on the theory that oxidative stress to our tissues shortens
lifespan. 
