Save the Telomeres, don't be frayed....

You are probably saying.......what in the world???

If you are interested in aging gracefully or slowing down that process, here is some exciting news for you. Have you ever heard of telomeres?  If you haven't heard of them, here it is in a nutshell.

To start off with, a little 7th grade science.

Each of our cells has a nucleus. Inside the nucleus are our chromosomes, which contain our DNA. The ends of our chromosomes are called telomers. They are what cap off the ends of the chromosomes. Essential to the telomeres function is a special enzyme called telomerase, which replenishes the telomeres as cells divide.
But the body has a limited supply of telomerase, which restricts cells' ability to replenish their telomeres.

In this picture you can see the red caps at the end of the chromosomes, which are the telemeres.  Modern science has made a connection between telomeres and aging.
Whenever your cells replicate, (millions reproduce every day) your telomeres shrink and begin to fray and unravel like a shoestring. After so many replications the shortened stubby telomeres reach a critical place where they are no longer usable and that is an indicator to our body that life is over. So if we want to slow down the aging process, the telomeres need to be replenished with the enzyme telomerase.  Just think what this means for our skin and organs.
But where do we find something like that?

It's called Astragalus root! Astragalus causes the body to "turn on" the enzyme telomerase, this maintains and lengthen  the teleomeres. It also protects the telomeres in the same way a plastic cap protects shoestrings so they don't fray. This herb is in a class of herbs found in northern Asia and has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries.

And that is not the only thing Astragalus does. It reduces the amount of nitric oxide released from cells, which reduces inflammation. It has been used to treat ulcers, wounds and reduce hemorrhaging. It stimulates the immune system and strengthens the digestive system and increases energy levels.

I don't like to take tons of supplements. I would rather eat really clean, juice and drink smoothies, but this is one herb I will take from here on out. I bought mine from Amazon, Astragalus Supreme,

 I know other people that purchase theirs from Dragon Herbs, www.dragonherbs.com

Not all brands are the same, I started out with another company's brand and switched over to Gaia. It makes you feel wonderful on top of all the health benefits you get. So my new catch phrase is " Save the telomeres, don't be frayed".

www.realrawbeauty.com


Until next time,
Jan