Information Wellness Blog

Aging is an inexorable natural process, yet you can slow its progress by eating healthy food or using herbs like ginseng, ashwagandha, and resveratrol to reverse its effects.

Many herbs fall under the category of adaptogens. These medicines help the body adapt to stressors and restore equilibrium within.

1. Ginseng

Ginseng is a nutritional powerhouse known for reducing signs of aging by protecting brain tissue, strengthening immunity systems and helping you remain active. Ginseng supplements have long been used as adaptogens, which means they help users cope with stress. Furthermore, research shows it increases energy levels while protecting against chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes.

Ginseng’s anti-aging benefits can be attributed to several compounds found within it, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and ginsenosides. These act as antioxidants and protect against the damaging effects of oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals; additionally they have also been proven to promote metabolic enhancement and cell regeneration.

Ginseng can combat aging in another way by increasing collagen formation, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Furthermore, ginseng provides antioxidants which boost blood circulation for healthier skin and hair and a youthful complexion.

Ginseng can also help improve circulation, offering men suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) an edge. Poor circulation is often the source of this condition and should be addressed with regular exercise and eating balanced diet. Ginseng provides essential niacin which supports maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Ginseng may also help improve cognitive function and halt Alzheimer’s disease by strengthening neurotransmission between brain areas; improving monoaminergic, cholinergic and dopaminergic transmission; as well as decreasing cell apoptosis which is typically linked to Alzheimer’s. According to research findings, Ginseng can enhance monoaminergic transmission between regions; this helps improve monoaminergic, cholinergic and dopaminergic signals across brain regions as well as decrease cell death associated with Alzheimer’s.

But be wary when purchasing ginseng supplements because some manufacturers can add unnecessary chemicals. To get the best results, look for organic ginseng grown under controlled environments. Choose brands which have been independently verified for potency and purity testing as well as those without sulfur dioxide preservation as it can cause allergic reactions in some people. Before trying any herbal supplement, consult a licensed herbal practitioner first.

2. Cordyceps

Cordyceps, often referred to as the “zombie fungus,” helps improve stamina, metabolism and energy. Furthermore, it has the power to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels while acting as an adaptogen and powerful anti-ageing herb by decreasing oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

Cordyceps contains numerous bioactive compounds, such as b-glucans, cordycepin, and adenosine, that have numerous health benefits. These substances may help increase sirtuin and other signaling pathway production for increased vitality, reduced cell damage, longer lifespan, increased life span. Cordyceps may even help protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels; more research needs to be completed in this regard.

Cordyceps helps reverse aging by increasing your body’s oxygen uptake, helping you perform better in high-intensity exercises and increasing VO2 max. Furthermore, cordyceps has been shown to decrease inflammation while simultaneously increasing immunity responses.

One study reported that combining Cordyceps sinensis mycelium extract and Rhodiola crenulata significantly enhanced aerobic performance during altitude training. Researchers discovered that the extract significantly increased cellular respiration and protein production, likely as a result of multiple factors including increased ATP and ROS scavenging activities.

Studies on Cordyceps reveal its potent antioxidant properties and increase of NAD+ production, helping prevent premature aging by protecting against DNA damage, decreasing oxidative stress levels, and stimulating new cell growth.

Cordyceps is a non-toxic supplement and should only be taken by healthy adults in appropriate quantities. Before beginning treatment with Cordyceps supplements, however, it is advisable to speak to your healthcare provider as Cordyceps may interact with certain medications or cause adverse side effects in people who already have health conditions or medications that affect blood pressure levels.

Cordyceps appears to be safe and well tolerated by most individuals; however, further research needs to be completed before conclusive conclusions can be drawn. Cordyceps may not be recommended for those with compromised immune systems or pregnant or breastfeeding women; also unknown is whether Cordyceps can help those living with autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus; those suffering liver issues should avoid it while Cordyceps may interact with various herbs, supplements and drugs; further research needs to be completed before making definitive recommendations regarding safety or potential interactions.

3. Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea (commonly known by its common name “rhodiola”) has long been used in Russia and Scandinavian countries to increase the body’s resistance to physical and psychological stress, improve mood and decrease depression. Furthermore, rhodiola serves as both mood enhancer and antidepressant medication. Rhodiola contains several active compounds, such as rosavins and salidrosides, thought to possess antioxidant properties to defend against oxidative damage to the body and help foster mental and emotional well-being. Furthermore, Rhodiola may improve athletic performance. Animal and human studies demonstrate the benefits of Rhodiola for relieving mental fatigue, increasing strength, power, and endurance. Rhodiola may also help recover faster from exercise-induced fatigue as well as increase production of beta-endorphin, a chemical found within our bodies that helps alleviate stress and tension.

Rhodinoids, the main active constituents found in rhodiola, may help adapt to stress and promote mental and emotional stability. One study demonstrated its efficacy by improving mice’s long-distance running ability while simultaneously decreasing cortisol levels and increasing production of an enzyme that regulates stress hormones called Cyp3A4. Additional research indicates salidroside can kill cancer cells such as those found in glioblastoma, colorectal, lung cancer cell lines; additionally it may help increase oxygen uptake during aerobic exercise while simultaneously decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.

However, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Rhodiola shows only limited evidence for its purported health benefits. For instance, it does not appear to alter oxygen uptake or muscle performance for people who engage in intensive physical activity, nor improve immune systems in marathon runners. Furthermore, Rhodiola appears to have little impact on insulin or glucose levels among diabetics.

Rhodiola should only be taken for short-term use and in conjunction with other herbs and supplements proven safe in studies. Furthermore, pregnant and breastfeeding women, those taking medications to treat depression or diabetes as well as medications to lower blood pressure or thin the blood should avoid taking Rhodiola; similarly those taking anti-autoimmune drugs or suppressing immune systems for autoimmune disorders should also avoid it.

4. Angelica Acutiloba

Angelica acutiloba (Dang Gui), is an herb from the umbelliferous family commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to reverse signs of aging by reducing inflammation and increasing energy levels, as well as protecting against brain injury and stress relief. Furthermore, this treatment may also help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Dang Gui is a plant commonly found throughout Asia. Growing to about 0.3-1 meters in height and featuring upright stems with glabrous surfaces. Its leaves usually feature one to three pinnatifid pinnae with deep green colors; other names for it include American angelica, fen-shaoyao san, dang gui-shaoyao san and qing gan zi shen Tang ().

Traditional medical practitioners have used the root of this plant in traditional medicine to treat heartburn, intestinal gas, loss of appetite and arthritis. It may also treat circulation problems, runny nose and nervousness; people also use it to increase urine production and enhance sexual drive as well as treat sexual problems in men or treat premature ejaculation; it works in this case by raising threshold vibrations received by the penis.

An extract of root was tested for its insecticidal activity against Drosophila melanogaster and found to possess high activity against all strains tested, both sensitive and resistant strains alike. Multiple active components were isolated from this extract such as (Z)-butylidene phthalide 228 and isopimpinellin 239. Furthermore, Tanshinol inhibits Acetylcholinesterase activity while showing strong insecticidal properties against Drosophila melanogaster.

There isn’t enough data available to judge how effective this herb is for various applications. While it should be safe when consumed in food amounts, its medicinal use raises some concerns; pregnancy or breast-feeding women shouldn’t take it, as it might cause uterine contractions; there could also be interactions with certain medications; therefore it’s wise to consult your physician prior to trying this herb for any purpose; additionally be sure to use sunblock when outdoors as this could increase sunlight sensitivity.

Pregnancy adds years to a woman’s biological age; but don’t fret: this process can be reversed!

Cell Metabolism conducted a new study that analyzed blood samples taken from 120 women during various points during gestation and three months post delivery, to analyze DNA methylation patterns.

More often a woman had been pregnant, the higher her biological age would have been; however, after giving birth this reverses itself.

Biological Age

Pregnancy has long been known to speed up biological aging by up to two years; however, according to research published this year in Cell Metabolism it may reverse this effect. Researchers gathered blood samples from 120 women during various stages of their pregnancies and three months postpartum to measure epigenetic changes; they discovered that those pregnant experienced higher biological ages, but these effects reversed completely post-birth for exclusively breastfeeding women.

Biological age, which is determined using DNA methylation patterns, measures how old you are at the molecular level. It provides more accurate results than chronological age calculations which take into account factors like your birthday and number of chromosomes you possess. Your biological age can be affected by diet, exercise, stress levels and lifestyle choices as well as health conditions like cancer or heart disease.

Researchers use methylation patterns to estimate a woman’s biological age, then compare this number with her chronological age to understand how quickly her body is aging. Yale researchers concluded that pregnancy speeded up biological aging; however, their study only collected blood samples during and after one pregnancy – making it impossible to know if multiple pregnancies can reverse biological aging at once or other factors like weight, exercise and diet are involved.

Dena Dubal at the University of California, San Francisco used a different approach to determine whether biological age could be reversed. She gave nine healthy volunteers growth hormone and two diabetes medications over one year and saw their biological ages drop an average of 2.5 years, though her results may have been more complex than Ryan team’s findings but still hopeful.

Both studies should be understood as early investigations; further scientific investigation may take years for scientists to fully grasp how pregnancy influences cellular aging. But they provide important clues that could enable researchers to devise treatments to slow or even reverse pregnancy-associated accelerated aging.

Epigenetic Age

Pregnancy can be an incredible source of stress for our bodies and causes them to age more rapidly than usual. This process is measured through epigenetics – chemical markers on DNA which open or close certain genes so they can be translated into RNA by cells for execution by cells; epigenetics can be affected by factors like diet, sleep quality, exercise regimes, smoking and alcohol intake among others.

Cell Metabolism published a study showing that pregnancy increases women’s epigenetic age by roughly two years. But upon revisiting blood samples three months post delivery, researchers saw their epigenetic age had returned to its initial state – even more markedly among breastfeeding mothers! These results add further evidence of molecular aging being nonlinear and not always going in one direction.

Scientists can analyze a person’s epigenetic age by looking at specific chemical groups attached to our DNA that determine how accessible our genes are. These epigenetic markers, called methyl groups, do not alter genetic code itself but influence which parts are turned on or off; environmental factors including diet, sleep and exercise habits as well as neighborhood/zip codes all play a part in how many methyl groups exist within an individual’s system.

Researchers conducted a new study analyzing methyl groups on DNA of people who had multiple pregnancies and found that each pregnany caused her epigenetic clock to tick faster. Scientists hypothesize this may be because pregnancy causes our cells to work harder to support both its own development as well as immune defense mechanisms in its support of its offspring.

The team also investigated factors that may influence epigenetics, such as body weight and breastfeeding. Their researchers discovered that pregnancy did not significantly increase epigenetic age acceleration for mothers of any weight; instead, duration of breastfeeding had more of an effect on it than weight did. They intend to conduct follow-up studies comparing biological age before and after pregnancy to chronological age for more clarity.

Body Weight

Many women believe pregnancy ages them, and although some research does support the claim that one pregnancy accelerates biological aging in some women, other studies provide conflicting conclusions. According to Ryan’s paper and another recent research paper from Yale School of Medicine’s Cell Metabolism study published last November, pregnancy may hasten biological aging for some women; however, much of this accelerated aging appears to reverse itself at least three months post delivery.

Researchers from Yale conducted an experiment where they examined blood samples taken from 125 women before, during, and post pregnancy from these same 125 women to analyze signs of cellular aging in women who had become pregnant multiple times over. It was discovered that women whose pregnancies exceeded three showed faster signs of cellular aging; with each pregnancy cycle being associated with shorter telomere length which indicates greater cell degeneration.

Researchers were stunned to find that pregnancy does not cause permanent biological aging effects, after analyzing blood samples of pregnant women again three months postpartum and finding their biological age had actually decreased significantly; particularly evident among those who breastfed.

Researchers still aren’t certain why some women’s cells appear to age more rapidly after pregnancy than others’, though stress and environmental factors could play a part in it. Yet the reversal of aging seen postpartum suggests it may be possible to “turn back time”, providing valuable lessons for future pregnancies.

Breastfeeding

Scientists conducted a new study which discovered that breastfeeding may help reverse some of the aging effects associated with pregnancy. When they compared blood samples from pregnant and breastfeeding women, scientists discovered that brains of those who breastfed on average five years younger than non-breastfeeding counterparts postpartum; this phenomenon was even noticeable late postpartum! Scientists believe this result may be due to an immediate rejuvenation effect post-birth but are unclear on its long-term longevity or permanent nature.

This research, published in Cell Metabolism, follows on previous studies showing pregnancy accelerated cellular aging. But researchers were surprised to find that much of it reversed postpartum for women who breastfed. This indicates molecular aging doesn’t progress linearly but may actually be reversible like other stressors such as Covid-19 or infections have demonstrated.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from 108 887 premenopausal women. They studied factors such as parity, age at first birth, breastfeeding status and duration to attempt to explain any correlations between children a woman has and early natural menopause risk. It turned out that both birthing age and duration played key roles in explaining this relationship; both had major impactful results when looking at maternal parity in relation to early natural menopause risk.

However, this research can only tell part of the tale; more work needs to be done to understand its full significance. Yet its results are encouraging as they indicate that much of the aging experienced during pregnancy and childbirth appears to reverse itself after giving birth – an exciting finding with potential implications for early menopause risk reduction and family planning decisions. It will be intriguing to see whether further studies that compare molecular age pre and post pregnancy, or between types of childbirth can confirm or refute it.