The Chemistry of the Aging Process

This week my post had been about Aging and Senior Citizens Issues. Yesterday, I wrote about Senior Citizens boosting the US economy and the Super Seniors Here at THD. Today I'm posting on the chemistry of Aging. Tomorrow I plan on writing about age reversal or at least retardation of the aging process. Keep in tune!     

My professional knowledge was Analytical Chemistry when I was employed by three private companies here in the US (1965-1989). Later when I moved to the Food and Drug Administration ( 1990-2002) my expertise(GS-14) was in the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control( CMC) for the approval of New Drugs  in the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products.  So my knowledge of the Chemisty of aging is zero. 

However,  The Chemistry of Aging had always aroused my curiosity and I have the thirst for additional knowledge on this subject.  If you are not into chemistry my apology, but please keep reading.    Here's what I learned.  

💚💚Why Do We Age?:  Scientists are investigating how our biology changes as the years add up, and whether there are ways to stop it or at least slow down or retard the aging process( Details in my blog tomorrow). 

"Accumulating evidence now indicates that the sum of the deleterious free radical reactions going on con- tinuously throughout the cells and tissues constitutes the aging process or is a major contributor to it. In mammalian systems the free radical reactions are largely those involving oxygen. The accumulation of molecular damage together with modifications in the epigenetic landscape, dysregulation of gene expression, and altered endocrine communication, drive the aging process and establish age as the main risk factor for age-associated diseases and multimorbidity.

There is much debate among researchers about the mechanisms that contribute to the ageing process. However, it is widely accepted that damage to genetic material, cells and tissues that accumulates with age and cannot be repaired by the body is the cause of the loss of function associated with ageing.

• By Dana G. Smith

  Read the Link Below from New York Times for complete details.
  
  

A Guide to Aging Well

Looking to grow old gracefully? We can help.

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• You need more than strength to age well — you also need power. Here’s how to measure how much power you have and here’s how to increase yours.

• Ignore the hyperbaric chambers and infrared light: These are the evidence-backed secrets to aging well.

• Your body’s need for fuel shifts as you get older. Your eating habits should shift, too.

• Older people are using cannabis more than ever. Here’s what to know about the potential medicinal benefits and the side effects.

• People who think positively about getting older often live longer, healthier lives. These tips can help you reconsider your perspective.

• The sun’s rays cause the majority of skin changes as you grow older. Here’s how sunscreen helps prevent the damage.

  
  
  

  
  

  💚💚https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/well/live/aging-biology-dna.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20240323&instance_id=118344&nl=the-morning&regi_id=98912391&segment_id=161569&te=1&user_id=6a2b65514e3273feff667ab0f9467718

  Lastly, this Poem from My Face Book Page: 

  I Bet This Will Blow Your Mind  · 

  Sanuli Gunarathna  ·   · 

  AGING....

  You grow old, they told me, you are no longer you, you become distant, sad and lonely.

  I didn't answer...

  I don't get old, I get wise.

  I stopped being what others like me to become, but what I like to be.

  I stopped seeking the acceptance of others and accepted myself.

  I have left behind the lying mirrors that deceive mercilessly.

  - No, I'm not getting old.

  I just become more selective with places, people, customs and ideologies.

  I have let go of attachments, unnecessary pain, toxic people, sick souls and rotten hearts... bitterness and unhappiness are not for me, I release them for my health.

  I'm ditching party nights for learning and embracing insomnia.

  I stopped living stories and started writing them, I threw aside the imposed stereotypes.

  I no longer carry eyeshadow in my bag, now I have a book that beautifies my mind.

  I exchanged wine glasses for coffee cups, forgot to idealize life and started living it.

  - No, I'm not getting old.

  I carry freshness in my soul, innocence in my heart, and it discovers me daily.

  I have in my hands the tenderness of a cocoon that, when opened, will spread its wings to other places unreachable for those who seek only the frivolity of the material.

  I have that charming smile on my face when I observe the simplicity of nature.

  I carry in my ears the chirping of the birds that delight me and accompany the walk.

  - No, I'm not getting old.

  I become selective, betting my time on the intangible, rewriting the story I've been told, rediscovering worlds, saving those old books I've forgotten half open.

  I'm becoming more cautious, I've stopped the outbursts that teach me nothing, I'm learning to talk about transcendent things, I'm learning to cultivate knowledge, plant ideals and falsify my destiny.

  - No, I'm not getting old.

  I begin to live who I really am......