For most of us, 2020 was about how to SURVIVE - but 2021 will be our time to THRIVE! The last couple of months may well have been full of catch-ups, social events and celebrations with friends and family. Afterwards, our bodies are often crying out for a break and need some time to regenerate and rejuvenate.
What do antioxidants, ORAC scores, free radicals, oxidative damage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox all have in common? They are all involved in the process of how we age and the development of chronic diseases. But if they are so important to human health then why is so little known about them and how to prevent them from making people sick?
There is an important reason why ‘genomic instability’ takes the number one position on the list of hallmarks. It is often called the big boss of the 4 primary hallmarks. Ultimately, genomic instability influences every single parameter, process and outcome of all the other hallmarks. The blueprint (or code) printed in our genome is the information for all life and is the starting point of everything that makes us human.
How often do we hear someone say, ‘when my times up – it’s up!’ Seems pretty fatalistic to me, however, much of our society still believes that humans can only live up to about 80 years of age and it is only the extremely lucky that can make it to 100 years or more.
There are over a thousand different viruses that live in our gut, but we only know the role and function of about 2% of those viruses. Why are they there? What purpose do they fulfil in keeping us alive? Are any of those viruses a problem if they get out of balance or replicate?
Every second of our lives we’re under attack. Sounds dramatic doesn’t it? But it’s true, billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other living stuff want to make you their home and use up all your resources. Every breath we take, every surface we touch and even the water we drink exposes us to a viral horde.
So, our bodies have developed a super-complex immune system designed to protect us from these invasions and keep us alive.
This is now becoming more and more the focus of longevity science around the world. New research techniques, new money , new theories, all excited by the discoveries that our cellular performance, our genetic code, our DNA function can all be protected and repaired to potentially operate indefinitely.
Imagine a life where we could all sit around with friends and family sipping a glass of red wine and popping juicy little blueberries into our mouth all day. While we know this isn’t an option for most of us, scientists have discovered that the nutrients found in these two plants can extend our life and make us look younger.
