But what is the American medical way?
More than 22,000 healthy American Doctors were involved in the "Physicians Health study" at Harvard university. The results of the study were published in 1989 and revealed that 1 Aspirin a day reduces the incidence of heart attack by half, and that the drug can also help prevent thrombosis or stroke. AcetylSalicylic acid was first synthesized in 1899 in Germany.
The American Aspirin study, the American cholesterol study, the American drugs for lowering cholesterol and labelling food with its cholesterol content, all participated in making heart diseases are by far more amendable than other chronic serious disease.
Herbs are present in the world for 1000's of years, and some of them are present in Europe for 100 years, but the impetus of the international interest in herbs was intensified after the American way of medicine had adopted herbs to be submitted to heavy, organized, multi-center investigation.
The American medical way when adopted herbal support of liver was contradictory to the predominant classic medical way adopting the adage" Don't whip the exhausted horse", yet it proved to be better than leaving the liver to its miserable fate.
The American way of medicine is now directed to study aging, all and every aspect that can help fight aging. How can we hurry in implementing the new findings to fight aging?
For one to advice others about how to improve their health, he should put safety in the first place. So, apart from the debatable items like hormones which should be prescribed by a physician after lab investigation as a replacement therapy, or to treat life threatening disease ( e.g.cancer), I prefer to only discuss nutrition( macro- and micro-nutrients) in view of the new findings elucidated by the American medical way.
Macro-nutrients are those macromolecules (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) needed by the body more than one time every day in gross amounts calculated by grams. Micro-nutrients are those elements or compounds needed by the body.Some are calculated in milli-grams and others are calculated in micro-grams.They need to be present whether taken daily with food or supplied at intervals.
The question arising here -which is logic- aren't all these nutrients present in our food? and as long as there is no deficiency of a certain nutrient, what is the point of recommending this or that nutrient, moreover, why it is supplied in a fabricated form?
The answer is: Any nutrient should be absorbed, transported and metabolised, and all these processes involve protein molecules, these molecules act at their maximal activities at young age and upon aging they are submitted to glycation, cross-linking...etc. with an altered response to endogenous hormones.
An example is Sarcopenia ( amino acid and muscle loss with aging) in which there is age associated alteration in the muscle anabolic response to nutritional stimuli and a decline in protein intake. It responds to supply of essential amino acids and branched chain amino acids (Leucine- IsoLeucine- Valine), Leucine was found to have a direct effect on initiation of mRNA translation.
Now, how can you start fight aging the American way?
CELL VOLUME:
Cell fullness has a positive effect on metabolism, and cell shrinkage has a negative one. Presence of water inside the cell (which limits its volume is governed by the presence of Potassium which is the predominant element (ion) inside. presence of Potassium in the cell is determined by intake of fruits, vegetables and unprocessed food (processing causes potassium to leak out of the cells), as well as water intake. The best procedure you can do is to take a lot of juices(veg.& fruits).
CARBOHYDRATES:
you should reduce the EXTRA carbohydrates, specially the sugar and starchy stuff in order to :
1- Reduce weight.
2- Reduce fat production.
3- Reduce cholesterol production.
4- Reduce the abundance of sugars that causes glycation of proteins.
5- Increase Growth Hormone secretion.
A special mention is to increasing fiber and essential sugars intake. Avoid carbohydrates intake 2 hours after exercise.
FATS :
The same old known story of reducing cholesterol and saturated fats (both come from one source i.e.the animal fat) and hydrogenated fats, as well as increasing intake of polyunsaturated acids containing fats (corn, sunflower, canula, soy..etc).I am biased to Soy oil as it contains:
1- Good % of polyunsaturated fatty acids( 61%).
2- good % of Lecithin which has positive effects on bad cholesterol (LDL) and liver cell membranes.
3- Good % of LINOLENIC acid(%7) which produces unmatched pair of prostaglandins, these are, the 3 series of prostaglandins(PG3) which are potent inhibitors of platelet aggregation, and Thromboxane3 (TX3) which are weak aggregators, instead of the 2 series (PG2&TX2) with the net result of thinning blood and making it less sticky. Other good sources of Linolenic acid include Flax seed and Primrose oils.
PROTEINS :
It should receive a special attention as proteins are the closest macro-molecule to the governing body control regulators; nerves, hormones and DNA. The bottom-line of utilizing proteins to fight aging is to increase its intake with a special care of the essential amino acids.Yet the American medical categorized them into some groups:
1- Neurotransmitters precursors group and includes; Tyrosine - PhenylAlanine - Methionine - Cysteine.
2- Growth hormone secretory activators and includes; Lysine-Arginine(or L-Arginine pyroglutamate if combined with Lysine) Ornithine - Glycine.
3- Muscle weakness (Sarcopenia) group and includes; Primarily the branched chain amino acids(Valine-Leucine-IsoLeucine) besides other essential amino acids.
4- Healing group and includes; Cysteine-Glycine-Threonine.
Some individuals with inborn-error metabolism can't take some amino acids(those with phenylketoneuria can't take phenylalanine), but for the normal persons amino acids have v. important role in the body (Arginine is the precursor of Nitric oxide (NO) which causes relaxation of smooth muscles of blood vessels and is the end product of coronary vasodilators and drugs for impotence like Viagra).
VITAMINS :
They are classified according to their solubility in water to:-
1-FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS :
They include Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. Therapeutic doses of these vitamins are kept for therapeutic indications as their lipid-solubility infers some risks;
1- They can be accumulated over a long period of administration of high doses and stored in the nuclei of the cells.
2- They act mostly like a hormone, their over dose can produce undesirable side effects.
The anti-oxidant properties of some of them make them to be incorporated in some antioxidant preparations, yet the use of these preparation should include some periods of rest. Other alternatives with similar structure and antioxidant effect include:
* Beta-Carotene; the vitamin A precursor of plant origin. It has no effect of vitamin A effects and should be converted in the body into vitamin A, but it is a potent antioxidant and can be used for this purpose. It is present in the orange, yellow and green vegetables and fruits( Carrots-Sweet potatoes-Cantaloupe-Apricot-Pink Grape fruit..).
* Wheat-Germ oil is a rich source of vitamin E,as well as some other fruit oils. It is of great value to the skin.
2- WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS :
One of the most widely distributed group of nutrients in nature and in the body. There is no problem of its use in amounts many times higher than its recommended dosage and for any period of time, as long as it is economic, since the surplus amounts are excreted in the urine.
As a group they represent the most important accessories of metabolism. Some of them in high doses are used to treat some disease (vitamin B6 in morning sickness in pregnant women is just one example).
MINERALS :
The best source is the pharmaceutical preparations which include them with vitamins.
To summarize the American medical way, here are the 7 basic dietary guidelines presented to the US citizens by their Dept.of Agriculture and Dept.of Health & Human Resources:
1- Eat a variety of foods.
2- Maintain desirable weight.
3- Avoid too much fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
4- Eat food with adequate starch and fibers.
5- Avoid too much sodium.
6- Avoid too much sugar.
7- If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
I can add: Avoid unnecessary food extras.
Waheed Elqalatawy writes simple scientific articles on health topics for any one who wants to expand his reading horizons about health. Publish articles but please don't change them and don't forget to include my Url:
http://www.waheedelqalatawy.blogspot.com
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