The following article outlines four components of a diet for longevity: antioxidants, under-eating, Human Growth Hormone, and superfoods/super herbs.
The quest for longevity has brought forth a plethora of ideas and practices. The Taoists in China sought to create a magical pill that when ingested would lead to immortality. Yogis in India created various practices with herbs, meditation, and rest to rejuvenate the body to a youthful state. In our modern age, we have found scientific principles that can lead to longevity and be incorporated into a diet for longevity.
This topic is too vast to cover all the nutritional aspects that might help in extending life, but we will look at four major modern discoveries that can assist us in living healthy long lives.[private]
Antioxidants and Free Radicals
Modern science has detected that atoms have the ability to lose an electron and thus become unstable. These atoms are called free radicals. Once an atom is unstable it searches for the nearest atom in order to take an electron from it, and this once again stabilizes the atom.
However, free radicals produce a chain reaction where atoms keep stealing an electron from each other, which eventually leads to the disruption of a living cell.
Researchers on free radicals have concluded that free radical damage may be one the major factors in aging and degeneration of the body (1)(2)(3). The good news is that modern science has also been able to detect certain elements in food which counteract free radical damage. These elements are known as antioxidants.
Antioxidants lend an electron to these unstable atoms, while not becoming a free radical. They are stable in either state. Some of the major antioxidants are vitamins C and E, and the minerals zinc and selenium.
The key discovery here is that by eating a diet high in antioxidants we can prevent free radical damage and cellular damage, which then leads to increased longevity.
Two of the highest antioxidant foods, and which are powerful additions to any diet for longevity, just so happen to be two of my favorite superfoods: cacao and acai. Their potency as antioxidant rich foods are overwhelmingly more than most foods studied thus far.
Consider the numbers below (4), called orac units, which is the scientific standard for showing which foods have high antioxidant value.
Food Orac Units
1. Raw cacao powder = 955
2. Raw cacao nibs = 621
3. Acai powder = 536
4. Bee pollen = 287
5. Acai (whole) = 185
6. Goji berries = 133
7. Wild blueberry = 61
Notice that blueberries, often touted as a high antioxidant food (which it is), is still so much lower than cacao or acai. Fruits and vegetables in general are also high in antioxidants and are a vital component of a high antioxidant, increased longevity diet.
The evidence from this is clear. In order to prevent free radical damage, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and consider adding superfoods like cacao and acai berries into your diet for longevity as well. These foods realign and regenerate our cells and contribute to life long health.
Under-eating
The next modern discovery that can be applied to a diet for longevity is the principle of under-eating. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. in his book Spiritual Nutrition outlines much of research related to this field.
The basic principle that has been found with this is that your lifespan can be drastically extended if you eat about 2/3 of what you normally eat (5).
I realize this concept may sound strange and new to you since we are constantly bombarded with the idea that we need an excessive amount of calories through a massive amount of food. Has anyone ever tried to eat all the recommended servings of food listed in the food pyramid? That’s a lot of food!
Opposite to that trend, which has created an alarming number of people considered overweight, is the idea of eating super nutritious food in small amounts. It is important to point out that under-eating of non-nutritious foods is not a healthy path and is not part of a diet for longevity. They must be foods that are nutrient-dense, otherwise you will suffer from malnutrition.
It is clear that many people in this country do not absorb or digest their food as well as is possible. This is partially because of heavy food processing, food allergies, and intestinal inflammation. Another major factor is that people eat too much food.
Vitamin and mineral deficient foods eaten in excessive quantities put a great strain on the body. After years of this type of diet the body loses more and more life-force and shows this visibly through the various signs of aging.
Many modern progressive nutritionists are presenting another path. This path involves eating foods that are rich in nutrients, such as superfoods, wild foods, herbs, organically grown plants, and ethically raised, 100% grass-fed animal foods. Meals with these type of foods make it virtually impossible to overeat because they are so nutrient dense and create a visceral sense of being full. Not an expanded belly full, but a nourished full, which helps us feel vital, energized, and light.
Gabriel Cousens also points out in Spiritual Nutrition that under-eating nutritious foods produces less strain on the digestive system, and dramatically increases longevity. He cites personal experience, the experience of his clients, and many experiments that were done to prove that eating a small amount of nutritious foods increases longevity (6).
Human Growth Hormone
The third modern discovery we will explore in relation to a diet for longevity is Human Growth Hormone (HGH). HGH is a protein hormone that is released in the body from the pituitary gland. Its main functions are to promote growth, cell reproduction, stimulate the immune system, and keep us youthful (7).
When we are young this hormone is produced in abundance. Generally, the older we get the less human growth hormone we release into the body. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. The amazing discovery that has been made is that there are ways to stimulate the pituitary gland to release more HGH and thus increase longevity.
At this point I want to stress that synthetic unnatural ways of stimulating HGH, such as the many products you can find on the internet, have not been thoroughly researched or scientifically validated. Your safest bet, as with most, if not all forms of healing, is to go as natural as possible.
There are several natural ways to stimulate the release of HGH such as exercise, sleep, fasting, and nutrition (8). An interesting study was even done that showed an increase in HGH release through regular meditation practice (9).
In terms of food, one of the most remarkable discoveries was that the superfood goji berry is able to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more HGH (10). No other food thus far has been shown to do this! This makes goji berries perhaps the top longevity food on the planet.
The Chinese have long used goji berry in their diet for longevity and have classified it as a longevity food for millennium. Often modern knowledge is simply catching up with the past. We would do well to listen to the wisdom of ancient healing systems.
More research is being done on HGH each day. So far we have found HGH to have a direct correlation to aging. Therefore, we would do well to assist our bodies in its production and release if we wish to live long.
Superfoods and Super Herbs
Here is a list of ten top longevity foods:
1. Goji Berry
2. Astragalus
3. Honey, Bee Pollen, and Royal Jelly
4. Gotu Kola
5. Holy Basil
6. Chaga
7. Reishi
8. Ginseng
9. Gingko Biloba
10. Deer Antler
Conclusion
Consuming superfoods and super herbs, stimulating HGH production and secretion, eating high antioxidant foods, and under-eating with super nutritious foods, are just some of components of a diet for longevity.
David Wolfe, longevity expert, reminds us in Eating For Beauty, “The miraculous thing about us is that we are dynamic beings. We rebuild ourselves constantly. General wisdom holds that 98% of the atoms in our body are replaced in two years. Studies have shown that 100% of our atomic structure is replaced within seven years!” (11)
Who we become in the future is dependent on our choices now. You will have an entirely new body in seven years, so choose wisely what you want to use to build that new body, and of course, enjoy the process!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Diet for Longevity references:
1. http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=19990303172533 Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
2. http://www.antiaging-systems.com/extract/freeradical.htm Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
3. http://www.healthy.net/scr/Interview.asp?Id=174 Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
4. http://www.sunfood.com/MyPages/understanding-antioxidants.aspx Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
5. Cousens, Gabriel. Spiritual Nutrition pgs. 329-335
6. Ibid.
7. http://www.hgh-humangrowthhormone.info/ Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
8. http://www.youngnhappy.com/anti-aging-articles/hgh-supplement.htm Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9226731 Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
10. http://www.benefitsofgojiberries.com/human-growth-hormones/ Retrieved May. 17th, 2009.
11. Wolfe, David. Eating for Beauty pg. 89
Return from Diet for Longevity to Integral Health Guide Home Page[/private]
About Tristan Anderson
