How we age and die and how we can slow down aging

A telomere is a repeating sequence of DNA at the end of a chromosome. Each time a cell replicates and divides the telomere loses some of its length. Eventually the telomere runs out and the cell can no longer divide and rejuvenate, triggering a poor state of cell health that contributes to disease risk and eventual cell death. Depending on what we do we can speed up the process ( as most do!) or slow it down (anti aging). Another intriguing possibility is that you may be able to lengthen your telomeres while maintaining their quality, actually turning back your biological clock. The new science is showing that this is also possible, although we are far from any instant Fountain of Youth remedy.

The 21st Century is ushering in a new era of nutritional science, demonstrating the unbelievable power of nutrition to benefit human health. In this new understanding the search for the Fountain of Youth is no longer a fairy tale story. Scientific findings now suggest nutrition may be able to turn back the clock, at least a little bit. And the science clearly shows that nutrition can slow your rate of biological aging. Many nutrients can help protect and enhance repair capacity of your DNA, including your telomeres. A lack of antioxidants leads to increased free radical damage and more risk for damage to telomeres. Free radicals pr0duce inflammation which we want to avoid at all costs. The most basic supplements to address the inflammatory issue are vitamin D and DHA (the omega 3 fatty acid). Researchers have now demonstrated in 2100 female twin pairs, ages 19-79, that the highest levels of vitamin D were associated with the longest telomeres and the lowest vitamin D levels were associated with the shortest telomeres, a difference equating to five years of lifespan potential.  In a group of 608 cardiovascular patients followed over a five year period those with the highest intake of DHA/EPA had the longest telomeres and those with the lowest levels had the shortest telomeres.

The important point to understand is that you need an adequate supply of methyl donors in order for your telomeres to work properly, just like your car needs gasoline. The primary methyl donor for this purpose is called SAMe, which uses nutrients like methionine, MSM sulfur, choline, and trimethylglycine as building blocks.  Forming SAMe from these building blocks requires vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin B6.  

The most important basic supplement to help your telomeres is a good quality multiple vitamin along with adequate dietary protein, especially sulfur-containing proteins. Examples include whey protein, eggs, cottage cheese, dairy, red meat, chicken, legumes, duck, nuts, and seeds. Eggs are the highest source of choline in the diet, with other sources containing moderate amounts such as meat, chicken, dairy, nuts, and seeds.

Your brain also has a high need for methyl donors in order for your mood to feel good. If you are stressed out or depressed you are typically lacking methyl donors, meaning your telomeres are also running low of nourishment and prone to accelerated aging. This is a major reason why stress ages a person. Also, better quality skin as you age is directly related to the health of your telomeres.

On top of your antioxidant foundation there are specific antioxidant nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, carnosine, and especially tocotrienol E and resveratrol, are likely to have direct benefits for your telomeres. Nutrients such as quercetin, green tea catechins, grape seed extract, curcumin, and resveratrol all show specific ability to help preserve telomeres, with grape seed extract and curcumin showing the ability to generate longer telomeres.

RICO’S COMMENTS:

Of course any chronic health problem has increased inflammation and free radical damage as features and is likely to be associated with shorter telomeres. It all ties together: good nutrition, specific supplementation, exercise and mind-body connection (the 4 aspects of what I call Total Health). As telomeres shorten and/or or become functionally impaired, your body struggles to keep up. In this situation damaged molecules accumulate in your body and repair processes are hampered, aging is accelerated. The older you get the more the need for supplementation. You get out what you put in, just like any endeavor.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START MAKING THE CHANGES IN NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION THAT WILL SLOW DOWN THE SHORTENING OF YOUR TELOMERES. GROW YOUNG PEOPLE!

from www.healthiertalk.com

One of the biggest health myths is the idea that a person can get all the nutrition they need by simply eating a balanced diet. The truth is that it is next to impossible to get even the minimal RDA amounts of the limited number of vitamins and minerals on the RDA list, much less the amounts of all the many nutrients needed for optimal health from diet alone.

Decades of over-farming has left the world’s top soils severely depleted of essential minerals. For the most part, the only minerals replaced have been those needed for optimal growth and not vital minerals such as magnesium, which are needed for optimal health.

Foods on our grocers’ shelves frequently have had true nutrition processed out (and often harmful additives processed in to enhance shelf life, taste, color and texture). In many instances most of the claimed nutrition comes from added synthetic petrochemical vitamins and crushed rock minerals – which are vastly inferior to natural vitamins and minerals found in food.

Keep in mind that in many instances RDA amounts of vitamins and minerals are merely the theoretical amounts needed to prevent deficiency-related illness. Besides the fact that RDA amounts are often far below the optimal amounts, the RDA list does not include literally hundreds of other valuable nutrients which we have evolved and adapted to utilize.

If it is so easy to get all the nutrition needed from diet alone, why is it that up to 95% of us are deficient in magnesium? For that matter, why is it that most of us are deficient in other vital nutrients as well – even those of us who regularly eat a so-called balanced diet?

Another related myth is the idea that doctors are good sources of information and advice about diet and nutrition. In most instances, mainstream doctors are woefully deficient in information about diet and nutrition. Doctors are taught in medical schools whose primary funding source is the pharmaceutical industry and whose curriculum is controlled by the AMA. Not surprisingly, doctors are taught that the way to treat illness is to prescribe drug company medications and to perform mainstream medical treatments. What they are not taught is the vital role that diet and proper nutrition play in our health.

One longtime doctor turned naturopath told this author that in his entire mainstream medical education he had but one single lecture on diet and nutrition. Other doctors, including more recent graduates, confirmed that their educational experience was much the same when it came to diet and nutrition.

A good plan for obtaining plenty of nutrition to insure a maximum of good health and a minimum of illness is:

1. Eat a healthy and varied nutrient-dense diet with as many fresh organic items as possible.

2. Avoid junk foods, processed foods and inorganic meats – especially processed meat products.

3. Utilize supplemental items such as organic superfood powders and whole food derived nutrients to insure that you get all the vital kinds and amounts of nutrition needed.

RICO’S COMMENTS:

EAT PALEOITHIC (Hunter – Gatherer Diet, The Caveman Diet) The Paleolithic diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, seeds, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, packaged refined foods, and processed oils. Funny, as most of what it EXCLUDES is part of most American’s diet! No wonder we are the most obese country in the world and 1 out of every 3 women and 1 out of every 2 men will get some form of cancer in their lifetime. The USDA food pyramid is worthless. Its focus on grains, carbs, and starchy foods! It’s not what we were born to eat. * side note: there was no history of Diabetes, Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease during the Paleoithic Era. Disease started when we started consuming grains.    *** There is no known need to eat sugar or starches. If there were, it would be an essential nutrient, which glucose is not. It is not listed on any list of essential (or even conditionally essential) nutrients (that we must obtain [from our diet] because we cannot make them sufficiently ourselves)

Due to numerous factors you can’t possibly get enough nutrition from just the food you eat these days. Stress, pollution, toxins in our everyday food, air and products, lack of sleep and sunshine, greedy corporations tainting our food supplies for profit, and the ill effects of technological advances endanger our health at every turn. My main regimen centers around 10 supplements. The most important by far, and the corner stone, is PROTANDIM. One Protandim a day eliminates free radicals at a rate of one million to one per second, every second, 24 hours a day, without being depleted, and reduces your oxidative stress by 40%, to the level to that of a 20 year old in just 30 days and keeps it there! This is extreme anti-aging and disease prevention.       

Then: Vitamin D3, B complex, Krill Oil/Astaxanthin, Green Superfood, Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Nitric Oxide, Chlorella, and CoQ10 ubiquinol. Things such as Melatonin (sleep) and Collagen (joint support) decline in their production as we age and can be supplemented.

GreenMedInfo.com has a list of 71 diseases that may be associated with statin drugs, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are actually over 900 studies showing the risks of statin drugs, which include:

Oftentimes statins do not have any immediate side effects, and they are quite effective, capable of lowering cholesterol levels by 50 points or more. This makes it appear as though they’re benefiting your health, and health problems that develop later on are frequently misinterpreted as brand new, separate health problems.

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2.) Flu Vaccines Have Little to No Measurable Benefit, not to mention being dangerous for you!

The CDC states that the annual flu vaccine is the “best” way to avoid catching the seasonal flu, but what many fail to realize is that there’s virtually NO valid scientific evidence to support it, in either its effectiveness or its safety. This is particularly true for key target groups for which the CDC says the flu shot is most important, like seniors, children and pregnant women!

Again and again, the Cochrane Database Review—which is the gold standard for assessing the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of commonly used medical interventions—has concluded that flu vaccines do not appear to have any measurable benefit either for children, adults, or seniors.

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3.) Drug companies are making claims based on lies with only 6% of their advertising backed by scientific evidence.

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4.) Wisely choosing how you cook your fish can make a big difference. Carefully poaching or baking until tender and flaky, while avoiding over-cooking the fish are your best bets.

When cooking any kind of food, also keep the following tips in mind:

• Use a stable oil like coconut oil for all your cooking and baking
• Avoid using non-stick or aluminum cookware
• Avoid overcooking your food

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5.) Foods that raise your blood sugar levels essentially are “toxic” in that they set in motion a cascade of detrimental health effects. The same can be said for fructose. It’s not a toxin in and of itself, but when consumed in excess (anything above 15-25 grams/day for most people), its effects are toxic to your system and will surely have a negative impact on your health.

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6.) Every food has a “heat labile point.” This is the temperature point at which food changes its chemical configuration. Pasteurization, deep-frying, and barbecuing are all forms of cooking where food is heated past the heat labile point.

Your body is designed to eat foods of certain chemical configurations—which is related to your ancestral history.

If these configurations change, whether due to ‘unnatural’ cooking methods, or chemical additives, your body may not be able to properly digest and assimilate that food as it doesn’t have the appropriate enzymes for the job. When the food does not digest and assimilate properly, it can sit in your gut, where it can become toxic. For example, carbohydrates can start to ferment; proteins putrefy, and fats become rancid. These toxins irritate the lining of your gastrointestinal tract and can upset your gut flora, causing overgrowth of candida and other pathogens. Many of today’s ills can be traced back to improper and unnatural cooking and processing.

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7.) In her book, “Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer,” Shannon Brownlee talks about the number of people who die in hospitals due to incorrect care, drug dosage or hospital-acquired infections. Even with new safety regulations in place, 180,000 hospitalized Americans still die every year from largely preventable causes – and the worst part about it, Brownlee says, is that as much as a third of that care does nothing to improve your health! The United States ranks 46^th in the world in infant mortality and 49^th in life expectancy.

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8.) FLUORIDE IN OUR TAP WATER!

Originally, the fluoride used to fluoridate water supplies came from the aluminum and atomic bomb industries. A couple of years later, however, they realized there was another fluoride product that was much more readily available.  The reason it was so readily accessible was because it was a truly hazardous waste that was very hard to get rid of, namely hydrogen fluoride from the phosphate fertilizer industry.

This fluoride gas is captured in the scrubber system and turned into hydrofluorosilicic acid—which is the primary source of fluoride used for water fluoridation. This phosphate fertilizer byproduct also typically contains arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, plus a variety of other contaminants that are part of the phosphate ore.

“And so now you have a product, or a hazardous material, that you can’t put in an ocean, you can’t put in a river or lake or stream, you can’t bury it, and you can’t even give it away,” says Green. But you can sell it and put it in the commercial water supplies!

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9.) Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that influences virtually every cell in your body, and is easily one of nature’s most potent cancer fighters. So I want to stress again that if you are shunning all sun exposure, you are missing out on this natural cancer protection. You can get vitamin D3 in supplement form, and if sunlight or a safe tanning bed is not an option. Higher levels of vitamin D are necessary to provide protection from more serious chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, infections, multiple sclerosis and more. The average adult needs to take 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D per day in order to elevate his or her levels above 40 ng/ml — the bare minimum requirement necessary for disease prevention. Ideally, you’ll want your levels to be between 50-70 ng/ml.

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10.) STRENGTH TRAINING is an integral part of a well-rounded exercise program, and is recommended for all ages, including kids and seniors. Do it because muscle revolutionizes your metabolism, transforms your body from the inside out, and is your best bet for reversing the aging process. It’s also an important part of maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening your bones, and improving your body’s posture, range of motion and functionality In short, do it because muscle is about all the things you associate with youth.

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Info from: Dr. Mercola, Al Sears, Mike Adams

RICO’S COMMENTS: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

Mission Statement

Achieving optimal health, physically, emotionally and spiritually is ever more difficult in today’s high-tech world we live in. Just eating right and exercising is only the tip of the iceberg. Stress, pollution, toxins in our everyday food, air and products, lack of sleep and sunshine, greedy corporations tainting our food supplies for profit, and the ill effects of technological advances endanger our health at every turn. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge to make appropriate choices for you and your family, in nutrition, exercise and supplementation to be able to live the longest, healthiest, happiest, disease-free life possible!

What’s in this little yellow pill? 5 herbs that have been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine: Milk Thistle, Ashwaganda, Bacopa, Turmeric and Green Tea (decaffeinated) Protandim is backed by 8 clinical studies with 25 more clinical studies in progress at major institutions right now on the beneficial effects of Protandim on different health problems.

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Is your ultimate health worth $40.00 per month?

All you have to do to get one bottle of 30 pills (month’s supply) shipped every month for the discounted price of $40.00 is to join under the link below and enroll as a “preferred customer”. 100% money back guarantee

If you are like me you will want to show this information to your family, friends and loved ones so that they too, can experience the amazing benefits of Protandim. Remember, proven clinical studies: all proven science: no hype (unlike most of the products out there). Just forward this email to all you know so that they will be able to live a long, healthy, quality life.

Please contact me with questions and I will be glad to answer all of them.

Rico Connor CEO

www.totalhealth4life.net

rico@totalhealth4life.net

ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Go to www.lifevantage.com/TH4L

Click on upper right on ENROLL

Click on enroll as preferred customer (to get $10 cheaper)

Fill out all personal information

Purchase a bottle for every one person in your household that will be taking it … which will come right away.

Then, set autoship of 1 bottle per month per every one person in your household.

If Your Sunscreen Contains Any of These Chemicals That I Consider Dangerous and Potentially Life Threatening, Do Yourself a BIG Favor…

Dump it in the trash now .

Yes, that’s right. Toss your sunscreen in the trash if it contains any of these questionable chemicals:

• Para amino benzoic acid…
• Octyl salicyclate…
• Avobenzone…
• Oxybenzone…
• Cinoxate…
• Padimate O…
• Dioxybenzone…
• Phenylbenzimidazole…
• Homosalate…
• Sulisobenzone…
• Menthyl anthranilate…
• Trolamine salicyclate…
• Octocrylene…

And, oh yes, let me not forget…

Potentially harmful chemicals such as dioxybenzone and oxybenzone (two chemicals I just mentioned) are some of the most powerful free radical generators known to man!

To read the whole article click on the link below:

http://products.mercola.com/summer-survival-kit/?source=nl

RICO’S COMMENTS:

Not only is sunscreen have tons of chemicals and toxins that are absorbed into your body through your skin, but it doesn’t even block the UVA rays that are dangerous to you! Remember your skin is the biggest absorber of toxins. It is very thin and whatever you put on it goes directly into your bloodstream. Look at your everyday products that you put on your skin: lotion, cosmetics, shampoo, deoderant, perfume, etc and try and read all of the chemicals that are in them! They are ALL GOING INTO YOUR BODY. The average woman puts 515 chemicals in her body every day.

Remember you NEED sunlight to create Vitamin D, one of the most health beneficial vitamins in the body.

Having too little vitamin D may not have any outwardly obvious signs. Yet vitamin D (specifically the vitamin D3 form) impacts an incredible array of support for systems and functions in your body…

• Heart health*
• Cell formation and cell longevity*
• Skin health*
• Pancreatic health*
• Aging process*
• Sleep patterns*
• Hearing*
• Reproductive health*
• Athletic performance*
• Eye health*
• Vascular system health*
• Respiratory health*
• Immune health*… Most people feel in better health during the summer sunshine months — ever wonder why?
• Healthy mood and feelings of well-being*
• Weight management, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism*
• Hair and hair follicles*
• Strong and healthy bones, because vitamin D encourages calcium uptake*
• Muscles*
• Proper digestion and food absorption*

Since healthy levels of vitamin D protect and promote so many of your body’s functions, a deficiency may mean your body lacks the tools it needs to keep you in optimal health

RICO’S COMMENTS:

Most people taking vitamin D supplements are taking the wrong kind. It MUST be in the D3 form. The main source of vitamin D is getting sunshine. Your body produces vitamin D by the sun. The old wives tale of the sun being bad for you is hogwash. The only way the sun could be bad for y0u is if you stay out too long in the sun at peak hours. If you get a half hour to an hour of sun a day you will have good levels of vitamin D. The Sunscreen industry fosters the cancer idea of tanning to build their business of putting all the toxins and chemicals from their products on your skin to prevent cancer. Read the labels on your sunscreen and realize all of those toxic ingredients are being absorbed by the biggest absorber of things in your body……..YOUR SKIN.

My first issue back writing my “Rico’s Room” column for STRIP LV magazine is out! Writing is what I love doing…..imparting knowledge to enable you to make the correct choices in your health and fitness regimen. It has been a long journey to create my state of health ….. to this day I still get better each year as I learn more and incorporate into my lifestyle. Everyone always asks me…….”What do you take every day?”

Click on the link below to read …… MY DAILY SUPPLEMENT REGIMEN

StripLV Oct 2010

All the best,

Rico

Testosterone

Estrogen and Progesterone

HGH

Digestive enzymes

Melatonin

GABA

DHEA

There is a lot of difference of opinion on hormone replacement therapy in the medical community. There are no long term studies on the effects of administering testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and HGH on humans. The anti-aging community touts the many benefits, like increased muscle mass, fat burning, sexual virility, increased energy, cardiovascular health, preventing diabetes, fighting depression and increasing cognitive abilities. The mainstream community warns of possible cancer, etc. as side results of this kind of therapy. Many seniors are choosing to obtain the health benefits listed above to have the highest quality of life and are willing to risk the possible risks. They see immediate results and their quality of life improves almost overnight.

The other ones are Digestive Enzymes, Melatonin, GABA, and DHEA.

Digestive Enzymes: These proteins are necessary for every chemical reaction in the body and the normal activity of cells, tissue, fluids, and organs. They improve the speed of chemical reactions and regulate most biological reactions that occur within the human body.

Research has shown that every ten years the body’s production of enzymes decreases by 13%. With age comes the need for supplementation. The typical American diet consists of considerably more enzyme-deficient cooked food than enzyme-rich raw food. When you eat cooked or processed foods, you are depleting your enzyme potential.
Think about this—if you cook your food in any way—grill, microwave, broil, bake, steam, etc.—your food is frozen, canned, or pasteurized, the enzymes have been destroyed. Most of our foods are cooked or processed, so it’s easy to see that we routinely deprive our bodies of much-needed enzymes on a daily basis. Our digestive system is working overtime to try and process the foods we eat. The typical diet indicates a definite need for supplemental enzymes.

Melatonin is a hormone which aids in falling to sleep and inducing deep restful sleep, which is when the body can repair itself. Melatonin prevents destruction of chromosomes by oxidation. The levels in our blood of melatonin drop slightly before puberty and continue to drop steadily into old age. Recent studies suggest that supplementing the hormone may bolster our immune systems, keep our cells from disintegrating, slow the growth of tumors and cataracts, and ward off heart disease. All that while helping us sleep better.* The recommended is one milligram daily to help you get a good night’s sleep. Melatonin can be found in any health food store and is very cheap.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the most important and abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. In layman’s terms, it helps induce relaxation and sleep. Sleep problems are also clearly linked to low GABA levels. Many peope aren’t aware that it also stimulates the anterior pituitary which results in higher levels of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Studies have shown that GABA promotes significant increases in plasma growth hormone levels. I take 3 grams of GABA and one milligram of melatonin before I go to bed and sleep like a baby and my body is repairing itself as I sleep. Once again GABA is found in health food stores and is also relatively cheap.

*Newsweek, August , 1995 Geoffrey Cowley

DHEA is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. Studies have shown that DHEA dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer, extends the life span of animals up to 59%: enhances sexual function; cures impotance; and boosts memory and cognition. The anti-obesity effects were some of the best news. DHEA is not simply and appetite suppressant: studies were showing that it alters metabolism to accelerate fat burning and foster gains in muscle mass. Our production of DHEA decreases markedly with age. After peaking at around age 25, it drops steadily in both men and women.  The reason everyone should definitely include DHEA in their vitamin regimen is that it is the only hormone in the human body that decreases in such dramatic fashion. By age 75, blood levels in many people have dropped 95% from prime peak. * Since it is a precursor from which the body makes testosterone, estradiol, and a number of other steroid hormones, you can see why you should be supplementing with DHEA. Suggested  dosages range from 50 mgs. for men and 30 mgs. for women daily.

More proof that with supplementation, you can reverse the biological factors that  determine aging and be younger than your chronological years.

*The DHEA Breakthrough, Stephen Cherniske, M.S.

Rico Connor

Total Health For Life, LLC

Superoxide Dismutase may be the most powerful antioxidant enzyme in the body, acting as a scavenger of the always harmful free-radicals. Free-radicals are highly active and unstable and attack any molecule in the body. Organ or tissue damage occurs when the amount of free-radicals exceeds that of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD.

Few foods contain SOD as it is easily destroyed. So our bodies are often deficient in this antioxidant. Allowing the damaging effects of free-radicals to go unchecked.

Research has shown that SOD can eliminate or reduce significantly damage to tissue in the heart, particularly where it has been sustained during a heart attack. SOD can also have the effect of reducing tissue damage in the intestines, kidneys, skin and pancreas. These beneficial effects take place because the activity of SOD enzymes significantly enhances energy production within the individual cells that make up organ tissues. This allows them to repair themselves at a higher, more efficient rate.

www.nutralegacy.com

RICO’S COMMENTS:

How many of you have ever heard of SOD? It outranks anything that you are currently taking now probably. Like I say all the time: knowledge is power.  I take it in pill form 500 mg twice a day.

Resveratrol is a natural compound that is a rich source of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, that also activates sirtuin, a family of proteins associated with cellular longevity.  In that studies on lab animals show that orally delivered resveratrol exerts potent anti-diabetic effects,  Giorgio Ramadori, from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (USA), and colleagues explored the underlying mechanism of this benefit. The researchers found that resveratrol acts directly on certain proteins in the brain, thereby normalizing hyperglycemia and greatly improving hyperinsulinemia in diet-induced obese and diabetic mice, these effects being independent of changes in body weight, food intake, and circulating leptin levels.    The team suggests that: “[O]ur results unveiled a previously unrecognized key role for the CNS in mediating the antidiabetic actions of resveratrol,” and hopes these findings will lead to new approaches for diabetes prevention in humans.

Source:  www.worldhealth.net

RICO’S COMMENTS:

Resveratrol is one of the newest most potent anti-aging antioxidants. It has numerous health benefits: fighting cancer, anti-aging, preventing cardiovascular disease, etc. It is found in grapes, red wine, peanuts, grapes, and other plants. Resveratrol opens up the arteries by enhancing the production of nitric oxide. It helps to prevent heart attacks by keeping blood cells from sticking together and keeping arteries from narrowing. It should be a part of everyone’s health regimen.