Longetivity vitamins prolong healthy aging

Adequate consumption of 'longevity' vitamins could prolong healthy aging, nutrition scientist says

longetivity

There are previously unrecognized roles of vitamins and minerals, that worked in promoting longetivity and fended off chronic diseases. A new study suggests that healthy aging can be extended by ingesting optimal levels of 30 known vitamins and essential minerals, along with 11 additional substances not currently classified as vitamins, should be recognized as essential “longevity vitamins” because of their potential to extend a healthy life.

Vitamins and nutritional minerals are key components of a vast number of different enzymes that are necessary for the body’s metabolic health. Researchers claim that even minor vitamin deficiencies could impact long term health.

Nutrition science has long overlooked the fact that most vitamins and minerals are required by dozens to hundreds of different enzymes within our cells. This means that the same nutrients we need to maintain our day-to-day health—such as vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium—are also critical components of enzymes required for our bodies’ long-term maintenance, in roles such as DNA repair, cardiovascular health and prevention of oxidative damage.

As a consequence, when the body is faced with shortages of key nutrients, it must “ration” them, enabling enzymes critical to our immediate survival and reproductive capacity to keep functioning at the expense of longer-term physiological needs.

“This approach is critical for lowering medical costs. It has been estimated that the E.U. would save €4 billion from osteoporosis alone by using vitamin D and calcium supplementation.” writes Ames, Scientist.

When forced to ration scarce vitamin K for its critical role in blood clotting, the body produces fewer enzymes required for keeping arteries clear, which has been linked to higher rates of mortality from cardiovascular disease.

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“Diet is very important for our long-term health and this theoretical framework just reinforces that you should try to do what your mother told you: eat your veggies, eat your fruit, give up sugary soft drinks and empty carbohydrates,” Ames said.

Scientists suggest many more longevity vitamins may remain to be discovered because—unlike so-called survival vitamins, such as vitamin C, that were originally identified because we quickly become sick without them—their identification requires very long-term observation, since the damage caused by deprivation of these vitamins is, by nature, an insidious and slow process into old age.