Aging

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Aging is not a disease but a normal part of life. However, it brings with it certain changes in the body that most of us would like to keep at bay for as long as possible, including a decline in the acuity of the senses and visible changes in appearance, such as wrinkling of the skin and thinning of the hair. The likelihood of developing certain disorders, including arthritis, muscular degeneration, memory problems, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and many types of cancer, also increases with age. Humans have been searching for the mythical fountain of youth for millennia. Yet aging remains a process that, sooner or later, will affect all of us. It proceeds slowly, and begins at the cellular level.

The human body is composed of literally trillions of cells. In a constant dynamic process, individuals cells die and are replaced with new ones. For the most part, cells are replaced with new ones. For the most part cells are replaced through mitosis, in which a single healthy cell divides in half and gives birth to an identical brand-new cell. Cells use the raw materials drawn from the nutrients you provide to repair, rebuild, and renew themselves.

Even though most free radicals exist for only a fraction of a second, they can have dramatic effects. In the body, free radicals can attack cell membranes and can even change the genetic material of cells, resulting in mutations and a higher than normal rate of cell death. Obviously anything that accelerates cell death would be implicated in the aging process. Free radicals also can interact with other substances in the body, such as cholesterol, which then becomes more likely to adhere to the walls of blood vessels. Thus, hardening of the arteries, commonly associated with aging, may be more a result of free-radicals damage than the simple passage of time.

It is important to note that not all free radicals harm the body. For example, the immune system produces free radicals that destroy certain bacteria and viruses. It is free-radical reaction that enables hemoglobin, the red pigment in the blood, to bind to oxygen and carry it through out the body. Other free radicals are involved in the production of energy, and some help produce hormones and special enzymes important to the processes of life. The body also produces free radicals in the normal courses breaking down food.

There are many different signs and symptoms of aging. Most of these develop gradually and are very diverse, but it should be remembered that it is not possible to diagnose aging based on isolated signs and symptoms alone. Different people possess widely varying degrees of these signs and symptoms such as an overall decrease in energy and vigor, the tendency to become easily tired, changes in sleeping patterns, decreased memory, behavioral changes, skin and hair changes such as wrinkles, brown spots on the skin, loss of skin elasticity, and hair loss affecting the limbs, changes in hair color, a loss or decrease in vision and hearing, changes in bowel function, decrease in libido, sexual dysfunction, urinary problems such as incontinence, dribbling, and changes in frequency of urination, changes in menstrual cycle, abdominal obesity and inability to lose weight.

Preventive measures for aging

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