The Life expectancy for both men and women in the U.S. has been steadily on the rise. Current estimates are that women are expected to live to the age of 79.1 and men to 73.1. The older population itself is getting older. Today, America is home to approximately 100,000 centenarians, people age 100+. In the year 2000, there were nearly 35 million Americans in the age 65+ bracket. By the year 2030, there will be a total of 70 million older Americans, representing 20% of the nation’s population at that time. And if all goes well, America could boast a population of nearly two million centenarians.

TIPS FOR EXTENDING YOUR LIFE SPAN

1.   Prevent cardiovascular disease

　　　Keep your total cholesterol below 180

　　　　　your LDL cholesterol below 100

                    your HDL cholesterol above 60

                    you triglyceride below 180

Do a half-hour of aerobic exercise 3 to 4 times per week and 15 minutes of strength training.

Have yearly cardiovascular screening tests after age 40 to detect heart disease before it kills you, reduce your risk of heart attack to near zero.

Result: a gain of 13 years to your potential life span.

Good Supplements for Heart Diseases

Garlic

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1996: After taking 7.2g of garlic extract everyday for 12 months, all of the 41 participating patients of high cholesterol (220-290mg%) has significant improvement of cholesterol level.  Total cholesterol decreased 7% and LDL decreased 4.6%, and systolic blood pressure lowered 5.5%.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1997: 50 patients with high cholesterol took 900mg of Omega 3 fatty acid and garlic extract combination each day.  After 12 weeks their total cholesterol decreased 12.2%, LDL decreased 9.5% and triglyceride decreased 34.4%.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid

Current Opinion in Lipidology, 1996: A study with 260 cardiovascular patients indicates after they had taken 3.4 g of Omega 3 fatty acid per day for 6-9 months, their triglyceride dropped dramatically.  The study also suggests antioxidants (b-carotene, Vitamin A, C, E and Selenium) can enhance the efficiency of Omega 3 to decrease the oxidation of LDL.

Angiology, 1994: After taking 10 g of Omega 3 fatty acid per day for 3 months, the occurrence of angina attack of all 39 participating coronary patients lowered 41%.   Also, their exercise tolerance time prolonged and triglyceride level decreased 22%.

Antioxidants

Vitamin C and E inhibit oxidation of LDL.         J. Clin, Invest 1991

LDL uptake by macrophages suppressed 93% by Vitamin C and 49% by Vitamin E.    Atherosclerosis 1990

Co-enzyme-Q10

Surgery 1996: Co-enzyme-Q10 is a strong antioxidant. It can enhance the function of mitochondria and bring oxygen to damaged cells to protect hearts from ischemia repurfusion.

Vitamin B6, B12 & Folic Acid
JAMA, 1998: Harvard University conducted a study with 80,082 healthy mid-age women for 14 years.  The women who took 700 mcg of folic acid and 4.6 mg of vitamin B6 per day has 50% less chance to have cardiovascular diseases.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1998:

-150 female volunteers of childbearing age underwent a clinical trial.  Each person took placebo or folic acid (400mcg) and Vitamin B12 (400mcg) daily for 4 weeks.

-Results show that taking 400mcg folic acid and 400mcg Vitamin B12 combination results in a better reduction in blood homocysteine levels than taking folic acid and vitamin B12 along.

Time Table to Detect Cardiovascular Diseases

Method                           Initial Test Age        Frequency              Related Disease
Homocysteine Index       20 years old                 Every 5 years         Coronary Heart Disease
Cholesterol                      30 years old                 Every other year     Cardiovascular Disease 
Treadmill Exercise Test  50 years old                Every year              Coronary Heart Disease
 

2. Prevent Cancer Death

Prevent cancer death through early detection tests since 90% of cancer is curable by catching it at the earliest stage.

Result: add 3 more years to your life.

Method                Initial Test Age      Frequency           Related Disease
Breast Exam       20 years old              Every year             Breast Cancer 
Pap smear           14 years old              Once a year           Endometrial Cancer
Mammography  45-50 years old         Every other year   Breast Cancer
PSA                       40 years old              Once a year           Prostate Cancer
Rectal Exam       40 years old              Once a year           Colon, Prostate & Rectal Cancer
Colonoscopy       50 years old              Every 2-5 years     Colon & Prostate Cancer

Good Supplements for Cancer Prevention
 

Organic Germanium

Organic Germanium can increase immune system function, rejuvenate the natural killing cells, and kill cancer cells directly. It also can increase interferon. (Experientia, 1996)

Head and neck 1994’s journal reported 56 cancer Patients Received traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, 78 cancer patients received additional oral or IV Germanium (Ge-132) 50mg/kg for 6 months, result indicated the group received immunotherapy with germanium were easier to be cured, lower relapsing rate, lower metastasis rate and have longer survival rate.

Selenium Yeast

JAMA, 1996 clinical study at university of Arizona proved if you only take selenium yeast 200ug per day, you may decrease your chance to get lung cancer 46%, colon cancer 58%, prostate Cancer 63%.

Co-enzyme Q10

Co-enzyme Q10 can bring oxygen into cancer cells, and they can’t survive if there is a lot of oxygen in them. CoQ-10 can increase immune system and IgG, which can help kill cancer cells.

Phytochemicals

Lycopene, Lutein or plants in cruciferous family can reduce lung cancer.

     International Journal of Cancer, 1992:50:876-80

Tomato, orange, broccoli can increase the lung cancer patients´ survival rate.

     European of Journal Cancer, 1992;28:495-501

Orange and citrus fruit can reduce pancreatic cancer.

     Cancer Control Journal:1991;2(5)291-297

3.  Prevent Stroke

Prevent stroke by keeping your arteries unclogged and you blood pressure down through proper diet, weight control, and stress reduction. Keep your blood vessels strong and flexible with antioxidants and magnesium. Keep homocysteine levels in check by adding folic acid, B6 and B12 vitamins, panothenic acid, and vitamin C to your cardiovascular disease prevention program.

Result: add 2 years.

Good Supplements for Stroke Prevention

Omega 3 Fatty Acid

Clinical trials indicate Omega-3 fatty acid can effectively reduce the diastolic blood pressure. (-0.66 mm/Hg per gram of Omega-3 acid)

   Circulation 1993,88(2):523-533

Calcium

A large scale clinical trial of 2412 patients indicates taking 1000-2000 mg of calcium each day for 4 to 14 weeks could lower the systolic blood pressure (-1.27 mm/Hg). Journal of American Medical Association, 1996, 275(1): 1016-1022

4. Prevent Diabetes

Prevent adult-onset diabetes by maintaining ideal body weight, exercising, and avoiding overly sugary, nutritionally empty, fatty, and starchy foods.

Result: add 1.4 years.

                                           Blood Sugar Comparison

                                   Normal                                     Diabetes

(Whole Blood)                                                

Fasting                        <126                                         >=126

2 hours after meal       <140                                         >=200

Good Supplements for Diabetes Prevention

Chromium

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1995,61:614-7

Biological Signals, 1994, 3:271-277

Diabetes, 1997, 46(11):1786-1791

• Chromium compound is important for normal glucose metabolism.
• Well controlled studies involving human subjects have demonstrated beneficial effects of supplemental chromium on fasting glucose, glucose tolerance, blood lipid, insulin binding and hypoglycemic blood glucose values and symptoms.

Green Barley

Annual Nutrition Metabolic, 1991(35):61-64

• Green Barley contains 500 – 700 enzymes which is rich of chromium.
• It can balance insulin concentration.
• It can decrease blood sugar.

Ginkgo Biloba can lower blood sugar and improve neuropathy due to diabetes.

Antioxidants: vitamin C and E can enhance insulin function in pancreas.  Vitamin C can decrease sorbitol in tissue cells which can lower fragility of blood vessels and improve circulation.