Initial Personal Observations on Life Extension Methods
I seem to have aged less than many, probably because I exercise [Index] to stimulate androgen (testosterone) and hTERT transcriptional activator HGH release, with consequent elevation of hTERT protein phosphorylating IGF-1, and recently I may seem to be younger due to the application of cyclic telomerase activation treatments. Note that hTERT protein phosphorylation is required to transport the hTERT catalytic component of telomerase from the cytosol into the cellular nucleus. In addition, I found a telomerase-activating growth factor skin cream based on colostrum that reconstructs both collagen and elastin in the extracellular matrix by including TGF-beta. Happily, TGF-beta is a telomerase inhibitor, so that purely TGF-beta skin creams exist for a telomerase inhibition phase of treatment following a telomerase activator phase of treatment. This way, collagen and elastin may be reconstructed all the time in the extracellular matrix, while lengthening skin cell telomeres in the usual manner with cyclic treatment based on the application of growth factors featuring endogenous telomerase activators. Otherwise, I tried and rejected melatonin, a telomerase inhibitor, for daytime use, finally confining it to 1 hour before bedtime [1,2]. Melatonin has been shown to extend the life span of mice up to 20%, although it may promote cancer at some dosage levels, and so I use it with anticancer curcumin (another telomerase inhibitor), red grapes, and broccoli sprouts. I use Centrum Performance, which includes Ginko Biloba for improving cerebral circulation & HGH release, and take plenty of vitamin C, as favored by Linus Pauling [27, 28, 29, 30, 31], who extended his lifetime. (Dr. Pauling took between 12,000 and 18,000 mg of vitamin C every day for years and lived to 93.) Recently (2005) it has become clear that vitamin E and perhaps alpha lipoic acid should also be taken to cover free radicals dissolved in lipids, since vitamin C only dissolves in water, while alpha lipoic acid is soluble in both lipids and water. Alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-carnitine are taken together, perhaps also with PQQ and ubiquinol, to combat mitochondrial aging and old age cognitive decline. This should result in superior protection for mitochondrial DNA. Neuroprotective, anticancer, cardioprotective curcumin (found in curry powder and turmeric) should be taken (with black pepper, bioperine, or piperine to improve bioavailability) to chelate iron catalyzing destructive Fenton reactions and prevent lipid peroxidation runaway chain reactions (see Aubrey de Grey, The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging) in which peroxidized lipids dramatically accelerate free radical cell damage. Excess iron in the diet catalyzing runaway Fenton reactions peroxidizing lipid membranes can induce neural inflammation and dementia in experimental animals quite independently of caloric intake. Societies with low iron input (Japanese) or well-chelated iron (India, due to curry in the diet and little sacred cow consumed) have much lower rates of Alzheimer's Disease from iron-related inflammation than America and many other western nations, and show fewer glowing iron deposits in PET scans of their brains. I take a tablespoon of turmeric (with pepper including piperine to improve curcumin bioavailability) in water frequently during periods in which telomerase is not to be activated, and curcumin or turmeric pills are becoming widely available. Olives may be taken like pills for antioxidant hydroxytyrosol (a phytochemical, Links/hydroxytyrosol), oleic acid, squalene, oleuropein, and oleocanthol, and anticancer red grapes like pills may be taken for quercetin and trace resveratrol. It is a good idea to take more folic acid and B-vitamins than the RDA amounts to fix methylation, homocysteine problems, and glucose toxicity leading to carbonylation of proteins with glycation and consequent problems with Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) [62s]. Finally, I am on a low-calorie diet now that emphasizes whey protein, low-mercury chunk light tuna or mackerel fish, egg whites, fiber, and vegetables rich in phytochemicals, vitamins, and the TNF-alpha inhibitor Luteolin. Note that mammal flesh heavy with saturated fats promotes HDL cholesterol and might defeat you with heart attack or stroke. The Revenge of the Pets could sink you with cancer; colon cancer is due to secondary bile products originating in meat fat. The high methionine levels in red meat or eggs may result in high homocysteine levels when methylation is degraded by aging [69s], leading to atherosclerosis. Furthermore, meat, poultry, and eggs contain arachidonic acid that can increase inflammation, increase the stickiness of blood platelets, and gum up the proteasomes, organelles that digest used-up proteins tagged with ubiquitin [2s], although arachidonic acid is vital to developing youngsters. Tend to eat foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol [62, 62c]. Boiled fish or fish canned under heat and pressure and packed in water, on the other hand, contains the omega-3 fatty acids good for the fatty sheath around brain cells. Mackerel fish is rich in CoQ10. Perhaps we should be like the star man of NGC 7000: follow the Pelican in the matter of appropriate protein by eating fish. However, mercury in canned fish, especially in shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, may be dangerous to human infants. Chunk-light tuna has less mercury than many other varieties of tuna. I now try to eat low-sugar, low-glycemic load foods to minimize low-grade inflammation [70s]. I might add that bodybuilding [Index] exercises (see books on bodybuilding physiology) increase your androgen levels as well as IGF-1 and HGH levels, especially in the presence of the amino acids L-arginine and L-lysine. In addition exercise upregulates many other endogenous telomerase activators. There is evidence that treating gum disease and exercising can both ward off Alzheimer's Disease. At 53 (2002), I was still doing pull-ups with 100 lb. chained on, and did 100 push-ups at 52 [26]. According to Larry Scott, it takes 20-40 min. of pumping up to adequately increase HGH levels, so I use a split routine about 40 min to an hour each day, taking several days to cover my whole body. Incidentally, I also used alpha-hydroxy in Pond's Age Defying Complex to grow new skin cells, but am switching to a CoQ10 skin cream that will clean out cellular wastes, antioxidize cells, remove wrinkles, and not reduce the number of cell divisions available to my skin cells. Perhaps a future L-Carnosine skin cream (such as Resilience Rescue) could even extend the number of cell divisions available [54]. This might also be accomplished with a skin cream containing TA-65 [Index] or astragalus extract in glycerin or liposomes applied in a month-on, month-off periodic manner for a year. Most recently in late 2011 I have been using growth factor skin creams, in particular telomerase-activating colostrum skin cream, which also contains TGF-beta. Telomerase-inhibiting TGF-beta skin cream can be used to reconstruct collagen and elastin in the extracellular matrix during telomerase inhibition periods. Thus extracellular matrix collagen and elastin can be restored all of the time, throughout both halves of the cycle in cyclic treatment with telomerase activators and telomerase inhibitors.
