The cure for old age without a prescription

Scientists at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), working under the leadership of David Rollo, have developed a complex cocktail that prevents the development of the main aspects of the aging process. It is quite possible that this is not another questionable dietary supplement, but a prototype of a functional nutrition product. However, the rules for conducting clinical trials for such products are, perhaps, even stricter than for medicines. But we can assume that the cocktail for prolonging youth has passed the stage of preclinical animal studies: the results of the work are published in the latest issue of the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine in the article Vadim Aksenov et al., "Dietary amelioration of locomotive, neurotransmitter and mitochondrial aging". 

The full text of the article is in the public domain, and it contains the exact composition of the rejuvenating drink! Are there any volunteers? Figure out for yourself how much one hundred mice weigh, what kind of green tea extract the authors used, in what form the cocktail includes magnesium, manganese, potassium, etc. And the dehydroepiandrosterone used in previous works, but excluded from the list, is not sold without a prescription and it is probably not worth taking it without a doctor's appointment and supervision.

Table 1 Ingredients included in the complex dietary supplement

Some dosages differ slightly from the formulation applied in earlier publications and dehydroepiandrosterone was removed

According to Rollo, aging weakens the sharpness of the mind, dulls the perception of the world and reduces a person's physical abilities. The latter symptom is one of the most reliable signs of aging, as well as an indicator of the risk of developing obesity and, ultimately, death.

The results obtained by the authors indicate that a complex dietary supplement can significantly weaken the manifestations of this key symptom of aging in elderly mice by increasing the activity of the energy centers of the cell – mitochondria – and reducing their release of free radicals. As a result, there is not only an improvement in the energy of the cell, but also a decrease in oxidative damage caused by free radicals to cellular structures, which are considered the main cause of aging.

The development of almost all diseases that are the most important causes of human mortality, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, many types of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, has a pronounced relationship with age and free radical oxidative processes. Therefore, effective intervention in the aging process can prevent the development of these diseases.

During the experiments, the researchers fed the mice with pieces of bagels soaked in the composition they developed, which provided a stable and accurate dosage of the drug. In addition to the observed moderate increase in life expectancy (by 11% in normal mice and by 28% in a line with reduced production of growth hormone and, as a result, markedly reduced motor activity) the animals of the experimental group maintained a high level of motor activity even in old age, while the daily activity of the control group mice decreased by 50% in old age. The same thing happened with the activity of mitochondria and the neurotransmitters of the animal brain that provide motor activity. Based on these observations and the results of studying animal tissues, the authors concluded that the recipe they developed increases life expectancy, prevents the extinction of cognitive function and, possibly, is able to protect animals from the harmful effects of radioactive radiation.

The anti-aging cocktail consists of 30 components that can be purchased without prescriptions in pharmacies and stores selling dietary supplements, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, aspirin, beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), folic acid (vitamin B6), ginger, gingko biloba, ginseng root, extract green tea, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, fish oil and linseed oil. The choice of components was based on their ability to suppress the five main mechanisms involved in the aging process.

Rollo believes that the results obtained mean more than just prolonging life. Maintaining good health of people in old age can have important social and economic consequences for society as a whole. Currently, the authors are working on improving their composition.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of McMaster University: Researchers find a formula that forestalls aging.

12.02.2010