Can You Stop, or Dramatically Reduce the Aging Process?
- Oxidative Stress: Oxidative stress is a condition characterized by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)[i] and the body’s ability to detoxify these reactive intermediates or repair the resulting damage[ii]. ROS, which include free radicals and peroxides, are highly reactive molecules that can damage cellular components such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. This damage can contribute to aging and various diseases, including cancer[iii], cardiovascular diseases[iv], and neurodegenerative disorders[v]. It is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body, leading to cell and tissue damage[vi].
- Glycation: Glycation is a process where reducing sugars nonenzymatically bind to proteins, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)[vii]. This mechanism significantly contributes to aging and complications associated with diabetes, such as senile and diabetic cataracts[viii].
- Telomere shortening: Telomere shortening is a biological process where the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, gradually become shorter with each cell division. Telomeres protect the genetic data during cell division, but they lose a small portion of their length every time a cell replicates. Over time, as telomeres become critically short, cells can no longer divide effectively, leading to cellular aging and senescence. This process is associated with aging and an increased risk of age-related diseases, as well as certain genetic disorders and conditions such as cancer[ix].
- Side Reactions: Side reactions related to aging can involve various unintended chemical reactions within cells that lead to cumulative damage. These reactions can result from various metabolic processes and external factors such as environmental stressors, such as exposure to forever chemicals[x]–[xi]–[xii]–[xiii]–[xiv]–[xv], heavy metals[xvi]–[xvii]–[xviii] and EMF and ionizing radiation [xix]–[xx]–[xxi]–[xxii]. Examples of side reactions include the formation of free radicals during cellular respiration, which can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids through oxidative stress[xxiii]. Additionally, spontaneous chemical reactions, such as the nonenzymatic glycation of proteins, can lead to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), contributing to the structural and functional decline of tissues. These cumulative side reactions are significant contributors to the aging process and the development of age-related disease[xxiv].
- Mutations: These are changes in the DNA sequence that can accumulate over time due to various factors, including environmental stressors, errors during DNA replication, and exposure to mutagens such as UV radiation and chemicals. As an organism ages, the rate of these mutations increases, leading to a decline in cellular function and the onset of age-related diseases. These mutations can disrupt normal cellular processes, contribute to genomic instability, and impair the ability of cells to repair themselves, ultimately accelerating the aging process and increasing susceptibility to conditions like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders[xxv]–[xxvi]. The accumulation of genetic mutations is a fundamental mechanism underlying the biological aging process and has significant implications for health and longevity.
- Protein Aggregation: Also called Prion Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Syndrome (GSS), Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) and Kuru (caused by cannibalism)[xxvii] is a process where misfolded proteins clump together, forming insoluble fibrils that accumulate in cells and tissues, contributing significantly to aging and age-related diseases. These aggregates can disrupt cellular function by impairing the proteostasis network, overwhelming cellular degradation systems like the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy. This leads to cellular toxicity, inflammation, and the progressive decline in tissue function, commonly observed in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The accumulation of protein aggregates is thus a critical factor in the aging process and the onset of related pathological conditions[xxviii]–[xxix][xxx].
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Citations
[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species
[ii] Zhong X, Wang G, Li F, Fang S, Zhou S, Ishiwata A, Tonevitsky AG, Shkurnikov M, Cai H, Ding F. Immunomodulatory Effect and Biological Significance of β-Glucans. Pharmaceutics. 2023; 15(6):1615. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15061615
[iii] Hemnani T, Parihar MS. Reactive oxygen species and oxidative DNA damage. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1998 Oct;42(4):440-52. PMID: 10874342.
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[vi] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324863
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[viii] Advanced Glycation End Products: Sparking the Development of Diabetic Vascular Injury, Alison Goldin, BA, Joshua A. Beckman, MD, Ann Marie Schmidt, MD, and Mark A. Creager, MD, Circulation, Volume 114, Number 6 https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.62185
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[xi] National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). (2023). “PFAS and Your Health.” https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/pfas
[xii] https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-pfas
[xiii] Beans C. News Feature: How “forever chemicals” might impair the immune system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Apr 13;118(15):e2105018118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2105018118. PMID: 33833063; PMCID: PMC8054019.
[xiv] https://publichealth.uci.edu/2023/04/26/bridging-the-gap-the-health-effects-of-forever-chemicals-in-our-drinking-water/
[xv] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/understanding-the-risks-of-forever-chemicals/
[xvi] James AA, OShaughnessy KL. Environmental chemical exposures and mental health outcomes in children: a narrative review of recent literature. Front Toxicol. 2023 Nov 30;5:1290119. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1290119. PMID: 38098750; PMCID: PMC10720725.
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[xviii] Vallée A, Ceccaldi P-F, Carbonnel M, Feki A, Ayoubi J-M. Pollution and endometriosis: A deep dive into the environmental impacts on women’s health. BJOG. 2024; 131(4): 401–414. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17687
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[xx] “Genotoxic effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.” Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, 2010. DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2010.05.006.
[xxi] Electromagnetic fields and protein misfolding.” Prion, 2012. DOI: 10.4161/pri.6.1.16502.
[xxii] “Radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure and the resting EEG: Exploring the thermal mechanism hypothesis.” International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2017. DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1312526.
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[xxiv] Zhong X, Wang G, Li F, Fang S, Zhou S, Ishiwata A, Tonevitsky AG, Shkurnikov M, Cai H, Ding F. Immunomodulatory Effect and Biological Significance of β-Glucans. Pharmaceutics. 2023; 15(6):1615. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15061615
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[xxvi] Vijg, J., & Suh, Y. (2013). “Genome instability and aging.” Annual Review of Physiology, 75, 645-668.
[xxvii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559103/
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