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Anti Oxidants Slow
Down Aging Process
Contrary to what Juan Ponce de
Leon thought when he searched
for it in the 16th century, the
fountain of youth is made of
anti-oxidants, not water, and
it's a lot easier to find than
the famed explorer thought.
In a study published in
January's American Journal of
Physiology, Christiaan
Lecawenburgh, a professor in
UF's College of Health and Human
Performance, found that
anti-oxidant intervention, which
can come from taking vitamin
supplements or from a steady
routine of exercise, slows parts
of the aging process.
"Our most significant finding
was that anti-oxidant
intervention slows down basal
skeletal muscle oxidation, which
causes the body to age," said
Leeuwenburgh, who did the study
with researchers from the
Washington University School of
Medicine. "This is the first
evidence of this."
Aging and tissue and muscle loss
Regular exercise or a diet
including plenty of
anti-oxidants such as vitamin E,
vitamin C and beta carotene, all
of which fight the tendency of
oxygen to slowly break down
muscle mass, might protect
against the type of tissue and
muscle loss that occur as
individuals grow older,
Leeuwenburgh said.
"We were surprised to see that
regular exercise training was
about as effective in reducing
levels of oxidation as a diet of
anti-oxidants," Leeuwenburgh
said. "The combined effect of
anti-oxidants and exercise,
however, didn't cause a
significantly lower level of
muscle oxidation, which was
interesting."
The study also was the first of
its kind to show that levels of
oxidation in the body can be
determined noninvasively, by
using specific markers in the
urine.
Aging and heart disease
Leeuwenburgh recommends daily
anti-oxidant intake, especially
vitamin E, because it also has
been proven to protect against
heart disease. Exercising more
and eating less also will help
people live longer, he says.
About The Author
Reprinted from the University of
Florida Focus, Univerity Of
Florida Alumni Association, PO
Box 14425, Gainesville, Florida
32604-2425.
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