Alkaline water can protect exposed telomeres
Scientists at the Dana-Farber Institute (affiliated with Harvard University) have conducted research that they say has identified the root molecular cause of age-related decline. According to the senior author of the report, Ronald A. DePinho: “What we have found is the core pathway of aging connecting several age-related biological processes previously viewed as independent of each other”. The research, which was performed on mice, demonstrated that damage caused by aging could even be reversed by increasing levels of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains the health of the telomeres.
Age-Related Health Decline Triggered by ‘Malfunctioning Telomeres’
The scientists discovered that malfunctioning telomeres — the end caps on cells’ chromosomes that protect them from DNA damage — exposes the chromosomes and makes them vulnerable to damage caused by free radicals. As the cells age, they reach a predetermined limit of times that they can divide. Once cells reach that limit, the telomeres which protect them become shortened and frayed, making the chromosomal ends vulnerable to increased rates of unrepaired DNA damage.
Your Cells will Self Destruct…
As telomeres fail and cell DNA is exposed to free radicals, the damage builds up until the affected cells can no longer function properly. When cells become too damaged, a gene called p53 is activated; it stops the malfunctioning cells from dividing until they can be repaired. If cell repair is not possible, the gene tells the cells to self destruct.
The scientists involved in the study say the findings demonstrate that telomere dysfunction and activation of p53 trigger a wave of cellular and tissue degeneration. The research links telomere dysfunction to the mechanisms of aging itself. DePinho and his colleagues say their research suggests that telomere dysfunction is not just one culprit in age related decline; it’s the primary cause. Scientists hope that this discovery will lead to therapies that can protect people from the damaging effects of aging, but more studies are needed before a treatment regimen can be approved for human use.
Alkaline Water for Reverse Aging
The study confirms that free radicals cause damage to cells and DNA which result in aging. While an effective telomerase therapy is not yet available, it is possible to fight the effects of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are believed to damage DNA and cells by oxidizing them – combining them with oxygen in a manner that is similar to rusting, which ultimately leads to their destruction.
A diet rich in antioxidants is one way that doctors state that we can fight the effects of aging in the body. An effective way of getting antioxidants is to drink alkaline water. Antioxidant minerals in food and alkaline water both work the same way, by preventing free radicals from oxidizing cells and DNA that have been exposed by telomeres breaking down.
Antioxidant alkaline water fights aging
The antioxidant potential of alkaline water and foods is measured as (-) Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP). It takes a high-powered ionizer to produce high levels of antioxidants, and LIFE Ionizers answers the call with the flagship 9000 series, which produces ORP levels of up to -813, making the 9000 series some of the most powerful water ionizers in the world.
Ionized alkaline water creates negatively charged hydroxyl ions which combine with minerals in water to act as powerful antioxidants. The negatively charged antioxidant minerals in the water attract positively charged free radicals and act to neutralize them before they can attack the body. The high pH (up to 11+) and –ORP potential also combine to help produce natural detoxification which can help the body heal from damage that has already been done. Pretty amazing for a glass of water if you think about it!
References
DePinho R et al. Feb 2011. The ‘Core Pathway’ of Aging Harvard Gazette:
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/02/the-%E2%80%98core-pathway%E2%80%99-of-aging/
Shirahata, S. et al. Electrolyzed–Reduced Water Scavenges Active Oxygen Species and
Protects DNA from Oxidative Damage. Biochemical and Biophysical Research communications 234, 269–274 (1997)
