The Aging Story Part 4: The Nrf2 Solution | LifeVantage US

Source: The Aging Story Part 4: The Nrf2 Solution | LifeVantage US

The aging process is truly an art form. The body acts as the canvas and through its many changes over the lifespan, conveys its relationship with the environment. With different life experiences, the lived qualities of aging are unique to each individual. Nonetheless, the various changes that come with age can all be tied back to one thing: alterations in cellular health. Therefore, if one desires to modify the aging process, one must look for ways to preserve cellular health over the lifespan. Here’s a new method that scientists are really excited about…

So far you’ve learned that in order to maintain the qualities of youth, you must keep your cells in good working order as you age. The Aging Story Parts 2 & 3 described two factors that can disrupt the health of your cells – oxidative stress (from excessive exposure to free radicals) and the disruption of mitochondrial function. To keep your cells healthy then, you must find ways to protect against these two disruptive factors.

OXIDATIVE STRESS PROTECTION

If you remember back to Part 2: Aging & Oxidative Stress it was said that… to protect the cells from oxidative stress, free radical levels must be managed. One such way to do this is to minimize your exposure to sources of free radicals. The problem with this method is that the sources are many and can often be challenging to avoid.

Another more practical solution to managing free radical levels involves the activation of the body’s internal defense system.

The way in which you turn the system on?

By stimulating Nrf2 – the master regulator of the defense system. By minimizing exposure to and repairing damage from oxidative stress, the upregulation of Nrf2 offers a novel way to protect your cells and keep them healthy as you age.

So what exactly is Nrf2 and how does it work?

WHAT IS NRF2?

Nrf2 is a structure (i.e., a protein) within cells of the body.

HOW DOES NRF2 WORK?

Nrf2 acts like a thermostat, but instead of regulating temperature it regulates the level of stress within your cells. And just like you set parameters on your thermostat to maintain a certain temperature in your house, the Nrf2 thermostat has set parameters to maintain a certain level of stress within your cells.

WHY NRF2 MATTERS?

In today’s world it seems everyone suffers from some amount of stress. The good news – small amounts of stress are a GOOD thing. Psychologically (mind), it motivates us to do our best work and helps us to do so in a timely fashion. Physiologically (body), it signals the release of chemicals that help keep us focused, energetic, and alert. It also signals to our bodies to turn on repair mechanisms that promote healing when we’ve been injured.

The bad news – too much of a good thing can turn into a BAD thing. And stress is no exception to the rule. High stress loads challenge the body’s ability to function optimally. The reason – stress increases the level of free radicals in the body which, if left unattended, can cause damage and impede cell function. Over time, glitches in cell function lead to a disruption of entire body systems – something that can accelerate the aging process.

So where does stress come from?

Sources of stress (or free radicals) include:

• Environmental toxins (air pollution, sunlight)
• Lack of sleep
• Intense exercise
• Metabolism
• Poor diet
• Prolonged emotional stress

Here is where Nrf2 becomes important. When your body is under a lot of stress (for instance – you aren’t getting enough sleep, you live in a city with poor air quality, you are under a lot of stress at work and your diet is less than ideal), it raises the level of stress within the cells to a point where it goes beyond its set parameters.

And just like a thermostat would kick on the A/C in response to air temperatures above those that have been programmed into the system, Nrf2 responds to the increased stress levels by telling the cell to start making hundreds of different protective molecules that work to bring stress levels back within the normal range.

How so?

These protective molecules reduce stress and promote cellular health by:

• Removing free radicals that cause cell damage
• Cleaning up damaged cells
• Improving cell function, and
• Activating a protective response that defends against future stress

Therefore, Nrf2 matters as it helps to minimize any damage to your cells that could eventually compromise your ability to look and feel your best.

STEPS TO TRIGGER NRF2

Listed below are different ways that you can activate Nrf2.

1. Stop taking high-dose antioxidant supplements (e.g., vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E)
2. Get active (engage in 30 minutes of activity most days of the week)
3. Practice intermittent fasting (once per month consume only water for 24 hours)
4. Eat the right foods (e.g., blueberries, tea, coffee, apples, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and many more)
5. Start taking Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer – a supplement containing a powerful blend of phytonutrients

The first method is a rather quick fix; however, the next three methods can be a bit more challenging to implement. Practically speaking, maintaining a consistent exercise routine, fasting once per month and eating all the right foods on a regular basis doesn’t always happen.

That’s where the last solution, Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer, comes in. Protandim is a dietary supplement that stimulates Nrf2 to a greater extent than when ingredients are consumed individually. It provides a natural way to stimulate the internal defense system, boosting its effectiveness at handling excessive levels of free radicals produced when the body is under a lot of stress.

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Here is a recap that ties together Part 2: Aging & Oxidative Stress & Part 4: The Nrf2 Solution –

• You are exposed to a number of things that can increase the level of free radicals in your body.
• When the level of these molecules becomes so high that your internal defense system can no longer provide adequate protection against them (referred to as oxidative stress), the cells are damaged.
• Damaged cells are unable to function at their best.
• Increased exposure to excessive free radicals over your lifetime (leading to damaged cells) can accelerate the aging process.
• Minimizing your exposure to sources of free radicals and building up your internal defense system can promote the health of your cells as you age – helping you to look and feel young as you get older.
• Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer is a dietary supplement that helps to boost your internal defense system by activating Nrf2, the “master regulator” of cellular protection mechanisms.
• When stimulated, Nrf2 acts like a thermostat and measures the free radical load in the cell. If there are excessive free radicals around, it tells the cell to start making protective molecules. If there is no imbalance, Nrf2 is turned off.
• Therefore, Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer offers an effective way to maintain cellular health as you age by minimizing exposure to and repairing damage from oxidative stress.

ABC Primetime Investigative Report 2005 on Protandim

This is an ABC Primetime Investigative Report that was done in 2005 on our flagship product Protandim. At that time the company was not in network marketing. ABC had heard what Dr. McCord’s tests had shown about Protandim and wanted to see if it was the real deal. As you can see with this clip, it is the real deal. Because of this clip that aired on national television, numerous Universities and research institutes began to do their own self funded studies on Protandim. As a result, we now have 18 peer reviewed studies on http://www.pubmed.gov which is the national library of medicine. Take a look at this clip and see the importance of this unbelievable breakthrough in science.

 

Nrf2 Science. Huge Breakthrough! This will change the world.

 

The Aging Story Part 3: Aging & Mitochondrial Health | LifeVantage US

May 9, 2016

Source: The Aging Story Part 3: Aging & Mitochondrial Health | LifeVantage US

Maintaining cellular health involves preserving the functionality of cell structures (specifically, mitochondria). With all structures working at their best, the cell is able to perform its numerous jobs efficiently and effectively. Mitochondria are key structures within your cells that, when damaged, can compromise overall cell function. Here’s how they play their part…

PARTS 1 & 2 QUICK REVIEW:

PART 1: THE AGING STORY – BIOLOGICAL VS. CHRONOLOGICAL AGE

Read Part 1 >

In Part 1 it was established that there are two types of aging – biological aging and chronological aging. Chronological aging refers to how old you are in years and biological aging refers to the age of your body systems. When it comes to staying young, it has little to do with your chronological age and everything to do with your biological age.

The way in which you measure biological age?

By looking at the health of your cells, which is represented by the presence of cellular damage and the functionality of certain cell structures. The side effects of aging – gray hair, memory loss, etc. – are outward indicators that cellular damage is racking up and cell function is declining.

As such, it was suggested that to slow the aging process would require steps to be taken to:

• Protect the body from cellular damage and,
• Promote cell function

PART 2: AGING & OXIDATIVE STRESS

Read Part 2 >

In Part 2 you learned that a major culprit of cellular damage is oxidative stress. So to protect your cells (and your body) would mean preventing the very thing that causes oxidative stress – an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to counteract their potentially damaging effects. To do so would require that you minimize your exposure to sources of free radicals and boost your internal defense system.

But what about promoting cell function?

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NOW THIS IS WHERE MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH COMES INTO PLAY:

THE MIGHTY MITOCHONDRIA

The other aspect of maintaining cellular health involves preserving the functionality of cell structures (specifically, mitochondria). With all structures working at their best, the cell is able to perform its numerous jobs efficiently and effectively. The mitochondria are key structures within your cells that, when damaged, can compromise overall cell function. But before we delve into the mechanisms by which damaged mitochondria impede the day-to-day operations of your cells, let’s first discuss their main function.

Mitochondria are present in nearly every cell of the body. Their main role is to convert energy from food into a form of energy that the cell can use. This form of energy is called ATP and is used to drive numerous cellular processes.

Without ATP around, our cells stop working which means our heart stops pumping, our muscles stop contracting and our brain stops thinking. Thus, without mitochondria, ATP production stops and life ceases to exist.

The number of mitochondria in a cell can range from one to several thousand depending on the cell’s function as well as its metabolic activity. Cells that are metabolically active such as liver, kidney, brain, and muscle cells all have higher energy requirements and therefore have more mitochondria around to generate sufficient ATP.

Unfortunately, the ATP production process comes with a hitch – the creation of free radicals (oxidative stress). During the conversion of nutrients (say glucose) to ATP, free radicals are generated. Under normal conditions, only small amounts of free radicals are generated and can be dealt with before damage is done.

The problem occurs when the free radical load is increased, either because of too few mitochondria doing the work or because the mitochondria around are not working properly. This leads to damage of both the mitochondria as well as other parts of the cell.

The ensuing damage to both the cell’s energy producing machinery (the mitochondria) and its outer layer (the cell membrane) leads to a decrease in energy production and further increases in the free radical load. As damage mounts, cell function declines and/or cell death occurs leading to disruption of overall health.

So to keep your cells in good working order, you must preserve the health of your mitochondria.

MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH & CELL FUNCTION

Promoting peak mitochondrial function requires that a continuous recycling and regeneration process of these structures occur throughout the lifespan. The purpose of this process is two-fold:

• To enable the reorganization and elimination of mitochondrial components (in other words, to get rid of any non-working parts and replace with new functioning parts) and,

• To respond to changes in energy demand and supply by altering the number of mitochondria available to the cell (more mitochondria means more energy can be produced).

This process requires the interplay between mitochondrial biogenesis (making of new, healthy mitochondria), mitophagy (selective removal of damaged mitochondria) and fusion/fission (joining and dividing of mitochondria) – forces that govern the rate of mitochondrial turnover.

Failure to maintain a dynamic balance between these systems can contribute to a decline in cellular health, eventually leading to the noticeable changes in body function that we associate with aging.

The reason – impaired quality control of these systems results in accumulation of damaged mitochondria that may generate more free radicals and produce ATP less efficiently.

THE EFFECTS OF AGING ON MITOCHONDRIA

If you remember back to Part 2: Aging & Oxidative Stress, it was mentioned that a natural deterioration process takes place as you age and contributes to the decline in cell function. Unfortunately, as a part of this process, the recycling (mitophagy) and regeneration (biogenesis) of mitochondria becomes less efficient.

This impairment of the quality control process has the potential to slow mitochondrial turnover and can lead to an accumulation of modified lipids, proteins and DNA – all of which can negatively impact the performance of existing mitochondria.

RESTORING YOUTH

Defective mitochondrial biogenesis, as a result of the normal aging process, is intimately associated with a decline in mitochondrial number and functionality. And fewer, less efficient mitochondria can mean bad things for your cells.

Since the functional purpose of biogenesis is to help maintain mitochondrial quality and to secure sufficient ATP production, finding ways to activate this system could help with:

• The maintenance of energy production (meeting the cells energy demands)
• The prevention of endogenous oxidative stress (excessive free radical production by the mitochondria)
• The promotion of healthy aging (by maintaining cellular health)

So in order to promote health as you age, and thus preserve your youthful vitality, high numbers of high-functioning mitochondria (specifically in cells that have high energy requirements) are needed.

But how? How do you make more mitochondria and how can you promote mitochondrial efficiency?

The answer – making more mitochondria requires the activation of mitochondrial biogenesis and promoting mitochondrial efficiency requires ample protection from oxidative stress.

PROMOTING CELLULAR HEALTH AS YOU AGE

So now that you know WHAT can disrupt cellular health as you age (oxidative stress and the disruption of mitochondrial function) and HOW both factors impede peak performance of your cells, it’s time to talk solutions. Specifically, the innovative solutions offered by LifeVantage.

These solutions will be the topic of discussion in the last two articles in this five part series. Learn all about how LifeVantage’s Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer protects your cells from oxidative stress in next week’s article, Part 4: The Nrf2 Solution.

The series will end with Part 5: The NRF1 Solution, which will cover the ins-and-outs of how LifeVantage’s newest product, Protandim NRF1 Synergizer, works to activate mitochondrial biogenesis. Together these two solutions offer a novel way to keep your cells functioning at their peak well into your older years.

The Aging Story Part 2: Aging and Oxidative Stress

The Aging Story Part 2: Aging and Oxidative Stress

 

For many of us, the word ‘aging’ evokes feelings of fear, negativity and resignation. And it’s no wonder we have such an aversion to aging as it often comes with a number of unwanted changes, both in the way we look and feel. But as you learned in Part 1: The Aging Story – Biological vs. Chronological Age, maintaining a youthful look and feel as you grow older may be more realistic than was once thought.

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The way in which you do so… by keeping your cells healthy.

CELLULAR HEALTH AND AGING

The problem is, despite your best efforts to keep you (and thus, your cells) healthy, destructive forces and a natural deterioration process happening inside the body are working against you. So even though you are promoting the health of your cells by eating a good diet, taking a multi-vitamin every now and again and engaging in regular exercise… it’s not enough.

Think of it this way. Your body is a machine and though it’s pretty amazing, it eventually wears out from repeated use. In addition to naturally becoming weathered, exposure to certain environmental and lifestyle factors can wear your cells out even faster.

What’s more, there are internal disrupters that threaten the health of your cells. That’s right, your own body is working against you. The very process of making the energy you need to survive creates harmful molecules that can damage your cells.

So… is there really anything you can do in addition to living a healthy lifestyle to protect your cells as you age?

With the number of destructive forces you are up against, along with the natural deterioration process, it would seem as though it’s a losing battle. But in fact, it’s not. There are things you can do to keep those billions of cells (that collectively make up your body) working hard well into your older years.

The first method is to minimize oxidative stress, a major culprit of cellular damage.

The second method has to do with maintaining mitochondrial health. We will save this piece for the next article in the series – Part 3: Aging & Mitochondrial Health.

For now, let’s take a look at the oxidative stress piece.

BATTLING AGAINST OXIDATIVE STRESS

New research has provided insight as to how things like pollution, sunlight, emotional stress and metabolism deteriorate your cells.

Here’s a rundown of the main points –

Destructive influences like those mentioned above place stress on the body by increasing the cells exposure to free radicals. And while the body needs free radicals in small amounts, having too many around can be disruptive.

Essentially, once the production of free radicals exceeds the body’s ability to counteract their potentially damaging effects, a state of imbalance is reached. This is called oxidative stress and it’s believed to be one of the major culprits behind the deterioration of cellular health.

Therefore, keeping your exposure to sources of free radicals to a minimum and boosting your internal defense system can help to maintain the health of your cells as you age. And the healthier your cells, the more likely you are to preserve your youthful look and feel.

Here’s the bullet point version –

• You are exposed to a number of things that can increase the level of free radicals in your body.
• When the level of these molecules becomes so high that your internal defense system can no longer provide adequate protection against them (referred to as oxidative stress), the cells are damaged.
• Damaged cells are unable to function at their best.
• Increased exposure to excessive free radicals over your lifetime (leading to damaged cells) can accelerate the aging process.
• Minimizing your exposure to sources of free radicals and building up your internal defense system can promote the health of your cells as you age – helping you to look and feel young as you get older.

The Aging Story – Biological vs. Chronological Age | LifeVantage US

Source: The Aging Story – Biological vs. Chronological Age | LifeVantage US

It’s no secret that your body changes with age. These changes can be seen in your appearance (such as wrinkles and gray hair) as well as in your physical and mental performance (think slowed reaction time and memory loss). And, as unfortunate as it may seem, things like wrinkles, balding and hearing loss are largely unavoidable.

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The question is why?

Because a normal part of the aging process is a gradual deterioration of the body – with the effects becoming more noticeable during the second half of life. From changes to your physical appearance, to a decline in your body’s ability to bounce back from injury or illness (resilience) and the onset of age-related health conditions – the effects of aging do not go unnoticed and make getting older seem rather grim. By age thirty your excitement for birthdays may begin to fade, with each passing birthday becoming a source of angst and a subtle reminder that your best years may be behind you.

But why do we long to return to our more youthful years?

For most of us, it has nothing to do with reverting back to our twenties. Rather, it stems from a strong desire to preserve our youthful vitality. In other words, we just want to maintain the energy and physical resilience we experience during those prime years.

This begs the question – is it possible to enjoy the perks of youth long after our thirties?

The answer is yes, it just might be possible to keep the unwanted side effects of aging at bay, at least for a period of time. The reason – because youthfulness is not as much about how old you really are, but rather how old you feel and how well your body works. The story goes like this…

The human body has two different ages – a chronological age and a biological age.

• Chronological age refers to the actual time you have been alive, meaning how old you are in years.
• Biological age refers to how old you appear to be and has to do with what’s happening inside of your body. Think of it as the age of your body organs (heart, brain, muscles) and instead of being measured in years, biological age is measured by looking at the amount of wear and tear inside the body. This wear and tear is indicated by the health of your cells (which make up your body organs). And the health of your cells is represented by the functionality of certain cell structures as well as the presence of cellular damage.

So the symptoms we associate with aging (gray hair, memory loss, aches and pains, etc.) can be thought of as outward indicators that cell function is declining and cellular damage is racking up. Thus, to slow the aging process would require steps to be taken to –

1. Promote cell function and,
2. Protect the body from cellular damage

This would promote cellular health and, in turn, help keep the body organs functioning at their best – something that could keep you looking and feeling young well into your older years.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Aging & Oxidative Stress to learn more about what causes wear and tear on your body, how it impacts the aging process and what you can do to protect yourself.

Lifevantage Opportunity

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