Nutritional science is becoming increasingly interested in
the potential of certain micro-nutrients, which appear to
be of particular significance in the battle against ageing.
These so-called anti-ageing micro-nutrients include lipoic
acid, and the amino acid, carnitine.
Both lipoic acid and carnitine are manufactured naturally
by the body through the normal metabolism of food, but what
is particularly interesting to anti-ageing researchers is
that the body's ability to synthesise both these compounds
appears to decline significantly with advancing age.
Both lipoic acid and carnitine, the latter in particular,
are very important in the complex processes by which food
is converted by the body into energy. Lipoic acid is also
a significant anti-oxidant, combatting the free radicals
which are an important cause of the cellular damage which
can accelerate the ageing process and even contribute to
the onset of the degenerative diseases which are the source
of so much misery in old age. Lipoic acid is quite
quickly removed from blood plasma, which to some extent
restricts its value as an anti-oxidant in its own right.
However, the fact that lipoic acid is quickly taken up by
the body's cells in this way may well be indicative of its
significance for other functions. Moreover, there is now
good evidence that supplementation with lipoic acid can
help reverse the age-related decline in cell concentrations
of vitamin C and glutathione, which are respectively the
most important water and fat-soluble anti-oxidants, and
consequently critical in the anti-ageing battle.
Both lipoic acid and carnitine have also been found to be
crucial to the proper functioning of the cell mitochondria,
the principal producers of energy within the body. What is
particularly relevant in the field of anti-ageing is that
the heart is very densely packed with mitochondria; and
this vital organ not only consumes enormous amounts of
energy, but is unable to store the energy it needs for more
than a few minutes. The proper functioning of the heart,
and therefore life itself, is very highly dependent on the
proper functioning of these mitochondria, which is
particularly prone to decline rapidly with age.
The powerful anti-oxidant functions of lipoic acid appear
to be extremely important in protecting the cell
mitochondria from damage, whilst carnitine works to
maintain the delivery of energy to the mitochondria through
the metabolism of the essential fatty acids which are the
heart's principal source of energy; a metabolism which
otherwise declines significantly with age. But the
potential anti-ageing benefits of lipoic acid and carnitine
do not end with the heart. Lipoic acid, in particular, is
now widely used by nutritional therapists in ameliorating
the nerve damage and pain caused by diabetes, and there is
some evidence that carnitine may also be useful in this
regard. Experiments on old animals, including rats and
dogs, have suggested that supplementation with lipoic acid
and carnitine may also have significant effects in
improving brain function, particularly short-term memory,
and this is not really surprising given that mitochondrial
damage is strongly associated with age-related dementia and
conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
There is evidence that mitochondrial damage in brain cells
may be in large part due to increased free radical activity
caused by the build up of excess iron, copper, and other
minerals occurring naturally within the body. Excitingly,
it seem that lipoic acid may actually reverse this build
up, returning the levels of these minerals to those found
in younger animals. More than this; the capacity of
lipoic acid to remove excess metals from the body has led
to it being used in the removal of more damaging substances
such as lead and mercury; and suggests that the substance
may have a more general detoxifying capability, of use even
in cases of acute poisoning and alcohol or drug damage.
Finally, it is now widely accepted that many cancers are at
root diseases of degeneration, becoming consequently much
more prevalent as the population ages; and having their
origins in the long-term damage to cells caused by free
radical activity. Given this, it is believed that lipoic
acid's anti-oxidant function, and role in stimulating the
activity of vitamin and glutathione, may also play an
important part in the battle against cancer. Lipoic acid
is also known to help activate many of the genes which are
vital weapons in this battle. It is conceded even by its
advocates that much more research is required, but these
are nevertheless exciting findings.
Despite all of this, however, orthodox medicine is
characteristically reluctant to endorse the use of
supplements of lipoic acid or carnitine, although there
appear to be no concerns regarding toxicity with either.
Suitable doses appear to be in the range 100mg-300mg of
lipoic acid and 500mg-1,000mg of carnitine. But whilst
these doses should be sufficient to deliver the general
anti-ageing benefits in healthy individuals, nutritional
therapists and practitioners commonly recommend much higher
intakes for the treatment of specific conditions such as
diabetes and the promotion of weight loss.
----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products. Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm
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