Omega-6/Omega-3 EFAs- Together these oils work to dependably fight inflammation in the body. Since it is almost impossible to eat fish every single day, it is imperative to take EFAs in supplement form to be sure you consistently have adequate amounts in your system.
Aging causes a progressive deterioration in our ability to internally synthesize the essential fatty acids (EFAs) needed by the skin to preserve a youthful, moist appearance. When the skin is properly nourished, it shows less of the effects of aging. In fact, one of the omega-3 fatty acids, Evening Primrose, is essential if one has a tendency to develop eczema.
Suggested dosage: For fish oil, 1-2 teaspoons a day with meals. For super GLA/DHA, 3 capsules, 2 times a day with a meal
Recommendation: Life Extension Foundation – Arctic Cod Liver Oil and Super GLA/DHA
Silica-When we were young, our tissues soaked up and maintained high levels of silica—allowing our bodies to stay flexible, resilient, and energetic. Unfortunately, as we get older, our silica levels steadily drop. It has been suggested that silica supplementation may be a critical factor in helping us maintain a healthier, more youthful, and pain-free body. In addition, it may reduce the body’s natural recovery time.
Research shows that without sufficient silica, the body cannot sustain optimum skin elasticity, strong hair, nails, teeth and gums. Silica enriches the strength and functioning of connective tissue and it is through connective tissue that nutrients are absorbed and wastes are expelled. When silica is in attendance in the tissues in ideal amounts, these developments happen effectively, so the tone of the tissues will be improved, with greater vitality and less toxins. You skin will be better hydrated (as long as you are drinking plenty of clean water), your hair will have more luster and you nails will be stronger.
It is important to make sure what kind of silica you choose. It comes in many forms and from many sources. A lot of the silica supplements that are on the market today come in tablet form and are not easily absorbed by the body. It is necessary to secure a form that starts with highly purified mineral silica, is pH neutral and easily absorbed by the body.
L-Glutamine-This is a non-essential amino acid, which means that it can be quickly synthesized by the human body through activity of the enzyme glutamine synthetase. It is also the most dominant amino acid in the bloodstream, accounting for 30-35% of the amino acid nitrogen in plasma. Glutamine easily passes the blood-brain barrier and enhances the amount of glutamic acid and GABA; thus augmenting normal nervous system function. As amino acids chemically transform, ammonia is discharged. Glutamine takes part in the elimination of this toxic ammonia from the brain.
Since glutamine plays such an important role in the nervous system, when we are stressed, ill, had surgery; almost one third of our glutamine stockpile is released for nervous system usage. When this happens, it causes extensive muscle deterioration and loss as well as prompting a decline in beneficial levels of collagen for our skin. In addition, the concentrations plummet with age, so dietary supplementation can help to protect the skin.
Suggested dosage: It should be spread out in three equal dosages, preferably between meals. We suggest using your weight to determine the dosage. For every kilogram of body weight, you would use 0.5 grams of glutamine. For example: 110 pound person (50 kilograms) = 25 grams of glutamine daily
Caution: If taken to close to bedtime, it may cause insomnia.
Acetyl L-Carnitine- Acetyl-L-carnitine are key to important functions in the cell. First of all, the carnitines initiate the oxidation of fats, simultaneously removing toxic metabolites from the cell, In fact, a deficiency in L-carnitine not only interferes with fatty acid oxidation, but also allows toxic fatty acid metabolites to accumulate. The reduction in cellular beta (fatty acid) oxidation is yet another cause of impaired energy production. This process results in a lower level of protein synthesis with aging, and a consequent increase in weight, and decline in body mass.
Whenever you improve your body’s energy metabolism, age-related conditions such as congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, loss of skeletal muscle strength, loss of hair and skin tone, and fat tissue accumulation will all respond. Improving you body’s energy metabolism can turn back your body clock! Taking carnitine and CoQ10 is a no-brainer and are the twin pillars of anti-aging medicine.
Suggested dosage: We strongly recommend this supplement for people who are over 40 and fighting back to repair their skin. A daily dose of 500-1,500 milligrams assists in repairing the mitochondria, the energy-producing portion of your cells.
Caution: Particular medications, especially the anti-seizure drugs such as valproic acid (Depakene) and phenytoin (Dilantin), may diminish carnitine levels; however, whether taking extra carnitine would be helpful has not been established. Heart muscle tissue, because of its high energy prerequisite, is particularly susceptible to carnitine deficiency. Individuals with low or borderline low thyroid levels should check with their physician before using any form of carnitines, as it may impair the action of thyroid hormones.
Coenzyme Q10- Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance located in almost every part of your body. Its actions mimic those of vitamin E and just may be an even more powerful antioxidant. It is almost imperative that you make sure that you have this supplement in your nutrition regime. It helps with circulation, stimulates the immune system, increases tissue oxygenation, and has vital anti-aging effects. It is also important because it gets into the cell membrane and safeguards it from free-radicals damage. It also performs in the mitochondria—the energy creating portion of your cells. This antioxidant is critical for healthy skin and a healthy heart. By the way, it is also an antioxidant that is easily depleted in the skin by things like sun exposure and toxins.
Suggested dosage: For people under 50 years of age, we suggest 30-50 milligrams. For over 50, we suggest 50-100 milligrams a day.
Note: Coenzyme Q10 is oil soluble and is best absorbed when taken with oily or fatty foods, such as fish. Be careful when purchasing this supplement, as not all Coenzyme Q10 is in the purest form. The best form is in the liquid gel form.
Suggested dosage: 100 milligrams in divided doses (breakfast and lunch)
Note: All ALAs are not equal! There are actually two types of ALA on the market. The first is R-ALA, which is the form naturally occurring in the body. The second is S-ALA, which is a synthetic form that can, in fact, interfere with the action of R-ALA. Most of the products out there have a 50/50 combination of each, because the process used to manufacture pure R-ALA is more complicated and expensive.
Caution: Alpha-lipoic acid supplements may affect the optimal dose of medications used to control blood glucose in diabetics. Individuals on such hypoglycemic agents should monitor their blood glucose levels and consult their health care provider for dosage adjustments if necessary to prevent hypoglycemia.
Recommendation: Life Extension Foundation – “”R”"-Dihydro-Lipoic Acid
There is a factor called AP-1 that can be activated negatively or positively. If you expose your skin to the rays of the sun, AP-1 can be activated negatively and damage the skin by producing free radicals. If AP-1 is activated by alpha lipoic acid, then it generates enzymes that digest specifically the damaged collagen. As we become older, proteins may become glycated. Glycation is a process where a glucose molecule is attached to the protein and is commonly measured in the body by estimating the blood levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (Hba l c). Alpha lipoic acid may decrease glycation, decrease pore size, and activate AP-1. Frequently the effect of this is a decrease in facial lines when applied topically.
The body requires ALA to generate energy. It performs an important function in the mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in cells. The body, in fact, makes sufficient ALA for these basic metabolic functions. This compound performs as an antioxidant, however, only when there is an abundance of it and it is in the “free” state in the cells. Sadly, there is a very small quantity of ALA circulating in your body, unless you take supplements. What makes ALA stand out as an antioxidant is its flexibility—it assists in the deactivation of an extended range of cell-damaging free radicals in many bodily systems.
Recommendation: Any esterified vitamin C is our first suggestion as we feel that it is a remarkable form of C. It is created by having the vitamin C react with a necessary mineral, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, or zinc. This produces a vitamin C that is non-acidic and includes metabolites identical to those produced by the body. Esterified vitamin C comes into the bloodstream and tissue four times faster than standard forms of vitamin C because it moves into the blood cells more effectively and also remains in the body tissue longer. The concentration of vitamin C in white blood cells achieved by using esterified vitamin C are four times higher than those attained with standard vitamin C. Furthermore, and a very important fact; only one-third is lost during excretion in the urine.
Alpha Lipoic Acid- If it’s crucial role in health is any sign, alpha-lipoic acid may very well unite with the ranks of vitamin C and E as a function in your first-line defense against free radicals. It deactivates free radicals in both fatty and water regions of cells, in contrast to vitamin C (which is water soluble) and vitamin E (which is fat soluble). What that equates to is that ALA is the only antioxidant that is both fat and water soluble. Not coincidentally, the levels of ALA in our bodies decline with age as the free radical action increases. Supplementing with ALA can help reverse this process.
Alpha lipoic acid is powerful antioxidant and has been said to be 400 times stronger than C or E and raises the levels of these two vitamins in the body. It can also inhibit inflammatory reactions in the body and slow the onset of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease and arthritis.
Alcohol, analgesics, antidepressants, anticoagulants, oral contraceptives and steroids may decrease the degree of vitamin C in the body. Additionally, smoking anything initiates a serious depletion of vitamin C.
Suggested dosage: A minimum of 1,000 milligrams of C daily. Remember that vitamin C is water soluble and (your body does not stockpile it), you have to restock the supply on a daily basis. If you are over 50 years of age, 3,000 to 5,000 milligrams a day is a good dose in divided doses—twice daily.
Note: Medications for diabetes such as chlorpropamide (Diabinese) and sulfa drugs may not be as effectual if taken with vitamin C. In addition, taking high doses of vitamin C may produce a false-negative reading in tests for blood in the stool.
Caution: If you consume aspirin and standard vitamin C (ascorbic acid) together in large doses, you may experience stomach irritation—possibly leading to ulcers. So, if you have to take aspirin regularly, please use an esterified form of vitamin C, and take it separately from the aspirin. Pregnant mothers are advised not to take more than 5,000 mg of vitamin C daily. A growing fetus may become dependent on this supplement and acquire scurvy when deprived of the accustomed megadoses after birth.
Vitamin C-This is a biggy! Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is essential for at least 300 metabolic functions in the body. We could make a list that would cover several pages, but we will a few, including those that pertain to skin.
•Tissue growth and repair
•Adrenal gland function
•Healthy gums
•Inhibits free-radical damage
•Helps to manufacture collagen
•Helps to protect you from abnormal blood clotting and bruising
•It aids in the production of anti-stress hormones and interferon (an important immune-system protein)
•It protects against the harmful effects of pollution
•Enhances immunity
•It can combine with toxic substances, such as certain heavy metals, and help to eliminate them from your body
•Promotes the healing of wounds and burns
Vitamin E is, in fact, a family of eight different but related molecules that fall into two major categories: the tocopherols and the tocotrienols. Inside each group, there are alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms. Of all eight of these molecules, it is the d-alpha-tocopherol form that is the most powerful. Natural sources of Vitamin E are far superior to synthetic Vitamin E because natural Vitamin E is more available for utilization by the body than the synthetic form. The synthetic form is only 67% as active as the natural form. Please read the labels closely. The natural form is listed as d-alpha-tocopherol, and the synthetic is listed as dl-alpha-tocopherol.
We recommend a form of Vitamin E called tocotrienols, which have the capacity to completely disperse in a cell membrane, travel at top speed, and round up free radicals far more rapidly than alpha tocopherols. The bottom line is this form of E encompasses all the properties of alpha tocopherol or a prescription of mixed tocopherols, but is 40 to 50 times stronger and more effectual at repairing skin damage, shielding the heart and circulatory system, and driving out free radicals.
Suggested dosage: 200-400 IU, in the morning
Note: In order to maintain the proper level of Vitamin E, the body needs zinc. If you take iron supplements, please take them at different times of the day. Inorganic forms of iron (such as ferrous sulfate) destroy Vitamin E. In contrast, organic iron (ferrous gluconate or ferrous fumarate) leaves Vitamin E intact.
Caution: If you are taking an anticoagulant medication (blood thinner), do not take more than 1,200 international units of vitamin E daily. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, or an overactive thyroid, do not take more than the recommended dose. Lastly, if you have high blood pressure, start with a small amount (200 international units daily) and increase slowly to the desired amount.
Recommendation: Life Extension Foundation – Gamma E Tocopherol/Tocotrienols
