Turn on the anti-aging secret in your cells!
Scientists have long known that just keeping your mitochondria (the tiny energizing “engines” inside every cell) in peak form slows the aging process dramatically! How can you protect your existing mitochondria and create healthy new ones? Easily!
Block harmful free radicals with COQ10!
Your body naturally produces COQ10 (coenzyme Q10) to protect its cells’ mitochondria from damaging free radicals. “Coenzyme Q10 is an assistant to the thousands of enzymes in the body that act as catalysts for all of our biochemical functions, ensuring that you have the energy your mitochondria—and body in general—needs to heal, maintain a strong immune system, and fight cellular damage linked with aging,” explains boardcertified doctor of natural medicine Michelle Schoffro Cook, PH.D., D.N.M., author of Be Your Own Herbalist. The problem: COQ10 declines rapidly over time, especially after age 40. Lagging mitochondria can be the catalyst for everything from chronic fatigue to wrinkling skin, broken bones to joint wear and tear—and even serious conditions like heart disease. That’s why supplementing with COQ10 is shown to slash the risk of dying from a heart attack in half! The protective dose: 100 mg. daily.
Tip: You can boost Coq10’s benefits by pairing each dose with 100 mg. of shilajit, an herbal supplement that’s been a staple in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. One option: Extra-strength Shilajit Extract ($7.99 at Swanson Vitamins.com).
Rejuvenate your cells with glycine! Just- published Japanese research suggests that supplementing with glycine (an inex- pensive amino acid, available over the counter) revitalizes aging mitochondria. “What’s most exciting about research on glycine is that in as little as 10 days the effects of aging begin to reverse,” says Schoffro Cook. While glycine is found in beans, bone broth, kale, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage and pumpkin, it’s best, she says, to supplement with 1,000 mg. to 2,000 mg. daily in divided doses between meals. One option to try: Puritan’s Pride Glycine ($7.60, Amazon.com).
Stoke your “engines” with easy exercise!
Simply moving your body for 30 minutes every single day, by engaging in any kind of physical activity (walking, biking, weight lifting, housework and gardening all fit the bill) can fortify your existing mitochondria and increase the number of new ones in your cells 50% within three weeks, Washington University research suggests.
Rev mitochondria with earlier dinners!
Though it’s unclear why, research shows that giving your digestive system a break, by, say, not eating after 7 p.m., helps replenish mitochondrial functions, Schoffro Cook says.
—Kallie E. Kristensen