Telomerase Research and Current Products on the Market

Telomerase Background

Telomere's in red at end of chromosomes

The HeLa cell line was derived for use in cancer research. These cells proliferate abnormally rapidly, even compared to other cancer cells. Like many other cancer cells, HeLa cells have an active version of telomerase during cell division, which prevents the incremental shortening of telomeres that is implicated in aging and eventual cell death. In this way the cells circumvent the Hayflick Limit, which is the limited number of cell divisions that most normal cells can later undergo before becoming senescent(cell death).

Current Research

The journal Nature published a fascinating study about the enzyme’s effect on genetically engineered mice last year. In the study, researchers bred mice that, in normal conditions, didn’t create telomerase. The mice grew to adulthood without the enzyme. Then, for a month, the team provided the mice with a trigger chemical that allowed the mice to create telomerase.

Without the telomerase, the researchers discovered that the mice tend to age prematurely. They contracted osteoporosis or diabetes, and they tended to die earlier than normal mice. Then, during their month with telomerase, things turned around.

Sterile animals became fertile again. Prematurely aged internal organs returned to health. Telomerase also reversed aging’s effects in the mouse’s brains.

Other cutting edge research on telomerase shown to extend telomeres length longer than usual

Products On the Market Now
1.TA sciences and ta-65 telomerase shortening supplements
October 2010, Intertek/AAC Labs, an ISO 17025 internationally recognized lab, found the largest component of TA-65 to be Cycloastragenol
600$ per 3 months supply at TA Sciences

2.Alternative that may work is  Cycloastragenol supplements  1-2months supply for 300$

3.Astragulus directly from the root where the ta-65 extract came from. If you go this route be careful as Astragulus root has been shown to suppress the immune system or even be toxic in some species of this plant.

Warnings

Some precautions before trying these supplements. Since this is new research there is always the possibility of unknown side effects over longer term usage. Telomerase is produced in cancer cells so it is possible that telomerase may support existing cancer cells. Of course this is only theoretical

Telomerase shortening does not occur the same way in animals as humans making it very difficult to test the viability of telomerase preserving products.

Proven Therapies
To date altering your lifestyle to live longer has been proven to be effective in many parts of the world. Dan Buettner's Blue Zones book explores cultures around the world that live longer on average by 10-20 years than that of the majority of westerners. Places like Ikaria Greece, the Swedish town of Kungsholmen, Okinawa, Japan and Nicoya in Costa Rica show that maintaining active social networks, pursuing leisure activities, avoiding smoking, getting regular exercise, eating lots of vegetables and fruit, a little fish and whole grains and a little red wine is their secret to longevity. Some scientists have speculated that these people are increasing telomerase activity already naturally.

Further Reading
Dan Buettner's The Blue Zones
Workbook for the Blue Zones Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way

The Paleo Diet

Recently I started learning about the Paleo elimination diet. Its basically about how our bodies evolved over millions of years by eating specific types of natural foods. These days obesity and diabetes is becoming an epidemic. Why? Diabetes is usually blamed on poor eating of too much sugary foods but grains produce the same insulin spike as sugars do since starches are metabolized into sugars. So why aren't grains on this list? The Paleo Solution asks these questions.

I am looking for more clinical data on grain heavy diets and how they affect our health.I have been unable to find any clinical data or studies done on grain heavy diets. High starch vegetable diets however seem to be unhealthy for you as the starches are converted in sugar in the body which is nearly the same.

The majority of the information in the book I found to be very convincing  and overall his theory seems sound. I completely agree with his advice on eating a large amount of vegetables and fruit,nuts with lean protein sources,low sugar intake and plenty of exercise. There are many other studies like The China Study that have been done that have proven this. See "The China Study"

Unfortunately there are many statements by the author on what constitutes healthy fats like flax oil and vegetable oils to be very inaccurate. The authors a stance on a very low salt diet has been proven to be true as high salt diets have been shown to be a factor in high blood pressure but i felt he was doing a little too much scaremongering. Some other advice like you can't eat too much protein is just plain wrong and

Overall a quick read with a plan for you to take action on the information within the book. Its hard to go wrong with this book
The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health

Life-Extension-The future is now

Have you ever had a profound life altering experience?

I had one 3 years ago when i watched this video. The experience came when i seriously asked myself

"Do i want to live forever?".

This video is a little long at 1hr 16mins but its well worth your time.
If you are seriously interested in anti aging you need to get involved.

You can start by signing up for our 100% free e-report on superfoods that have anti-aging properties. In the near future i will be providing as much free information, materials and resources that i can get my hands on to be available for people that are interested in being proactive.

Jason McDonald
Senior editor

How to lose 50 years of aging in 16 days

Gold nanoparticles darken white hair after treatment for one day, 

center, and 16 days, right (credit: American Chemical Society)

Attention seniors: French scientists have developed a process that permanently dyes white hair without harmful chemicals.

Philippe Walter and colleagues soaked white hairs in a solution containing fluorescent gold nanoparticles.

The hairs turned pale yellow and then darkened to a deep brown. The color remained even after repeated washings.

Using an electron microscope, the scientists confirmed that the particles were forming inside the hairs’ central core cortex.
The discovery has applications ranging from hair dyeing to electronic sensors to development of materials with improved properties, the scientists said.

The synthesis and detailed characterization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) inside human hair has been achieved by treatment of hair with HAuCl4 in alkaline medium. The AuNPs, which show a strong red fluorescence under blue light, are generated inside the fiber and are arranged in the cortex in a remarkably regular pattern of whorls based on concentric circles, like a fingerprint. It opens an area of genuine nanocomposites with novel properties due to AuNPs inside the hair shaft. (Credit: American Chemical Society)

 

 

Article by Kurzweilai.net