By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T.
What simple type of diet and ONE single supplement can help you slow down the aging process? Here’s the answer.
Anti-Aging Doesn’t Get Much Easier Than This
Over the years, I’ve had many patients who told me they didn’t want to take a lot of pills. Whether the pills were drugs or vitamins, it didn’t matter.
“Please, just the very minimum, doc,” they would say.
In 2011, Spanish researchers came up with a study that produced an ideal 1-2 punch to meet the demands of “minimalist patients.”
To no surprise to me, their “recipe” was a Mediterranean diet along with a CoQ10 supplement. The combination resulted in anti-inflammatory benefits beyond that of the diet alone. Particularly fascinating was a host of biochemical improvements they documented taking place within a key structural network (the endoplasmic reticulum) inside cells that synthesizes proteins and fats, metabolizes carbohydrates and drugs, and regulates calcium levels.
The findings indicate that the diet + CoQ10 offers a superior prevention and therapeutic punch against interior cell activity leading to a rise in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress involved in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as aging itself. The researchers from the University of Cordoba felt that the combination would be particularly beneficial for the elderly.
One of the intriguing revelations of the study was improved function of a critical protein unfoldment process, a basic cellular sequence of amino acid mergers that produces mature individual proteins. Proteins are regarded as the most important molecules present in living organisms. They are used to build structure, control the senses and process emotions, move muscles, digest food, and combat infections.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress has been emerging as a focus of research because of the potential cause of damage to protein production as well as a contributing factor to inflammatory and free radical activity.
In their study, the researchers used 200 mg daily of CoQ10 to supplement a Mediterranean Diet. Such a diet, as you probably know, emphasizes fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grain pastas and bread, fish, olive oil, and organic flavorings such as basil, oregano, lemon, garlic, mint, and rosemary. Meat and sweets are minimized.
The results are not at all surprising to me. I’ve used CoQ10 for patients for thirty years and I’ve rarely been disappointed. CoQ10 does everything right. If I had to choose only one antioxidant supplement and energy booster to take, it would be CoQ10. That’s my baby!
If you can also take a good multi-vitamin and mineral formula, I would recommend adding that as well to the mix. That’s a pretty minimal amount of pills to take…for a maximum bang!
Learn More:
Aren’t sure where to start when it comes to healthy eating? Tune into my Healthy Cooking video series… My son, Step, and I show you how to prepare quick, easy, heart-healthy and tasty meals, while telling you about the health benefits associated with regularly consuming them.
For more in-depth information about, and recipes for, healing foods, check out my book, The Healing Kitchen.
Are you at risk for heart disease? Take this simple questionnaire to find out!
Reference:
Yubero-Serrano EM, et al. Mediterranean Diet supplemented with Coenzyme Q10 modifies the expression of proinflammatory and endoplasmic reticulum stress–related genes in elderly men and women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci,2011; published online ahead of print at http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/10/19/gerona.glr167.short?rss=1.
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