“Old age ain’t for sissies,” according to a popular saying. And it’s true that the elderly face some tough obstacles: a higher risk of heart disease, circulatory problems, stroke, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, impaired immune function, diabetes, memory loss, hearing loss, poor vision, and fatigue. These common maladies can certainly take the shine off one’s “golden years”.

Fortunately, you can increase your odds of an active vital old age by making smart choices about nutrition and lifestyle. (Practical Guide To Healthy Living Read This, Basic Principles of Good Nutrition helpful article)

One popular theory about aging concerns free radical damage. Free radicals are molecules that are missing one vital electron. Common external sources of these unstable molecules include cigarette smoke, radiation, air pollutants, pesticides, fried foods, and alcohol. (Suggested Reading Environmental health issues)Free radicals may also be generated internally as we breathe, convert food into energy, or battle infection. With age, the accumulated impact of free radical damage starts to take a toll. Free radical disruption of cell metabolism is part of what ages our cells, explains Stopping the Clock by Dr. Ronald Klatz and Dr. Robert Goldman.

The body naturally produces antioxidants to keep free radicals in check. However, when your free radical burden becomes excessive, your antioxidant mechanisms cannot keep up. The result? Free radicals start damaging your healthy cells.

The benefits of antioxidants have been well demonstrated in research literature. (Antioxidants – Useful information with practical application Learn More Here, Discover The Healthier and the most Powerful Antioxidants )Vitamin C, a very powerful antioxidant, has been shown to be essential for the reduction of free radicals as well as the formation of collagen, absorption of iron and biosynthesis of carnitine. (Differences between Types of Vitamin C). Carotenoids, including alpha carotene, beta carotene, lycopene and lutein, also have been shown to reduce the risk of a variety of diseases including cancer and heart disease.
In addition to diet and life-style improvements, appropriate supplementation will provide additional antioxidant “insurance”.

Dietary supplements are particularly important for older people for three reasons.
1.    As people age, they often eat less and miss out on essential nutrients.
2.    Over time, the body has more difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals.
3.    Medications often interfere with nutrient absorption. More than half of all people over 65 take nine or more medications daily.

So can we stop the clock? Definitely not but we can make the time move slowly with a proper diet and a healthy lifestyle.