Aging

Aging

As I write this, I'm entering the latter half of my sixties, and I confess that aging frightens me.

I watched uncomfortably as my 101-year-old grandmother languished almost immobilized in the last decade of her life. I went through the same anguish with my 98-year-old mother. I do not want to spend my last decade bedridden!

Age Factors

Being a botanist, I have a particular interest in herbs that can hold back the aging process. But I'm forced to admit that I think lifestyle changes are a whole lot more important than herbs--and even more important than hormone supplementation--in helping you stay youthful. So before I discuss the most helpful herbs, I want to be really specific about those lifestyle changes. They should form the foundation of any anti-aging herbal treatments that you decide to try.

Not being a doctor, I don't prescribe, but I would not hesitate to suggest the following to my 30-year-old daughter so she could hold on more tenaciously to her vibrant youth. Come to think of it, this is good advice for men and women of any age who are trying to hold back the clock.

Drink two antioxidant herb teas a day. Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals, naturally occurring oxygen molecules that damage the body and are thought to play a significant role in the aging process. Most fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of Antioxidants, as do many herbs. If you're a heavy coffee drinker, you might consider replacing two cups of coffee a day with herb tea. Good research suggests that oregano, rosemary, bee balm, lemon balm (also known as melissa), peppermint, sage, spearmint, savory and thyme contain significant levels of Antioxidants.

Eat at least one big salad a day. You can use both wild greens--things like purslane, if you have access to them--and a variety of domestic salad vegetables, such as spinach and chicory. Green leaves are chock-full of antioxidant nutrients that help protect you from heart disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases that tend to come on as we age. Usually, the greener the leaf, the more Antioxidants it contains, so fill up on those dark, leafy greens.

Eat one or two Brazil nuts a day. The average Brazil nut contains more than the Daily Value of the antioxidant mineral selenium--70 micrograms.

Eat a handful of sunflower seeds a day, along with a sprinkling of other nuts. Among nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds are one of the better sources of vitamin E. They're also cheap.

One caution, however: If you're watching your waistline, don't eat more than an ounce of nuts a day. Nuts are high in fat.

Eat at least one broccoli spear, carrot and celery stalk a day. They're all high in fiber. Broccoli and carrots are also high in beta-carotene, the powerful antioxidant that the body transforms into vitamin A. Celery is high in apigenin, a chemical that expands (dilates) the blood vessels and may help prevent high blood pressure.

Drink a fruit smoothie every day. Take any fruits that appeal to you--apples, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, melons or berries--and run them through a blender. Don't use a juicer, which extracts just the juice by separating it from the fiber. Leave the fiber in there; it's great for the digestive tract. If you like, add some nonfat yogurt and cinnamon. Or make my Strive-for-Fiveade by blending one diced apple, two diced carrots and diced sections of one lime and one grapefruit with some water and a little stevia. (Stevia is available in many health food stores. You can open a tea bag and use a pinch of the herb in place of artificial sweetener.)

Replace one meat course a day with a vegetarian dish. One of my favorites is guacamole--mashed avocado. You can lace your guacamole with onion, hot chili peppers, garlic and lemon juice and sprinkle it with chopped nuts such as hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, peanuts or Brazil nuts. All of these nuts are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, beneficial fats that are good for your heart, among other things. (Anyone who is carrying extra pounds, however, should forgo the nuts, which are high in calories.)

Use olive oil. Corn oil and other vegetable oils are polyunsaturated oils. Olive oil is a monounsaturated oil. There is a complex chemical explanation for how these differ, but all you really need to know is that there's good reason to believe that monounsaturated oils are a lot better for you. In salad dressings, replace polyunsaturated oils with olive oil.

Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Also eat a good selection of herbs, legumes, nuts and spices. These are the foods that our ancestors consumed back in the days before the invention of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream and all the junk we eat today. They ate more nutritiously than we do.

Make love regularly with someone you love. There's no explanation needed here except that it's good for you.

Go for a walk every day. Weather permitting, get outdoors and take a vigorous half-hour walk, well-protected from sunlight (ultraviolet radiation). Use the time to unwind and commune with the natural world. Contemplate the miraculous ecosystem around you and consider what it is that makes you--and it--tick. Respect, don't fear, the mystery of it all.

I also recommend some lifestyle don'ts to go with the do's.

Don't smoke. This goes without saying.

Don't drink alcohol. If you do imbibe, don't have more than two drinks a day, and don't drink every day. Give your liver a sabbatical every now and then. A few weeks out of every year, don't drink any alcohol or take any medications (other than those your doctor tells you are absolutely necessary). Your liver has to work hard to clear alcohol, medications and environmental pollutants from your body; it will appreciate getting a breather.

Don't sunbathe--ever. You probably get enough sun to produce a healthy amount of vitamin D with moderate outdoor activities that don't involve actively seeking the sun.

Don't take life or death too seriously. That can age or kill you.

Don't be a dietary faddist. It's never a good idea to base your diet on just a couple of foods, even fruits or carrots. Vary your diet, your food sources, your mode of preparation and even the company you keep when you dine.

Don't let industry outvote the environmentalists. If you do, we'll all pay the price eventually.

Green Pharmacy for Aging

I think that all of these lifestyle changes are a lot more important than herbs. There are, however, several herbs that you should know about for holding back the ravages of age.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). This is the most intriguing herb for counteracting the neurological slings and arrows of aging. There's good European research showing that it helps improve blood flow to the brain. Some studies suggest that ginkgo helps people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia become more alert and sociable, think more clearly, feel better and remember more. In Europe, many older people regularly take a standardized extract of this herb to help keep them mentally fit.

Ginkgo's ability to increase blood flow to the brain has been shown to offer a number of benefits to people who are aging. It improves alertness, memory and the ability to concentrate, it elevates mood, and it relieves tinnitus (ringing in the ears), dizziness and anxiety.

Huge, stately ginkgo trees grow all over the United States, but it takes barrels of leaves to produce a few days' worth of usable extract. The best way to use this herb is to buy a standardized extract or capsules at a health food store or herb outlet. Still, I confess to blending a few leaves into my fruit smoothies with no obvious ill effects. You can try 60 to 240 milligrams of standardized extracts a day, but don't go any higher than that. In large amounts, ginkgo may cause diarrhea, irritability and restlessness.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian ginseng (P. ginseng). The Chinese and Koreans revere ginseng as the Fountain of Youth. They regard this herb as a tonic for the elderly because it tones the skin and muscles, helps improve appetite and digestion and restores depleted sexual energy.

While on a trip to China in 1978 for the express purpose of investigating ginseng, I had one elderly Chinese man tell me not to waste this herb on young people. He said I should save it for old age, when it would make me feel young again. I'm almost ready. The house is paid off, and I have five species of ginseng growing on my six-acre farmette.

Ginseng is slowly gaining supporters among American physicians. One big booster is Andrew Weil, M.D., herb advocate, professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine. He frequently recommends ginseng to help strengthen people who are weakened by old age or chronic illness.

Ginkgo For medicinal purposes, the leaves of the ginkgo tree are made into standardized extracts.

Echinacea (Echinacea, various species). This herb is native to our own Great Plains, and it's America's best herbal immune booster. I've been very impressed with German research showing that its antimicrobial action helps prevent and treat colds, flu and all sorts of other viral, bacterial and fungal infections.

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). The seeds of this lovely night-flowering blossom contain an oil rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a substance that has excited a great deal of research interest in the past few years. GLA seems to help alleviate several conditions: premenstrual syndrome (PMS); eczema, a chronic skin condition that causes itchy, red, scaly patches; diabetic polyneuropathy, a type of nerve damage associated with diabetes; and perhaps even alcoholism and obesity. It also shows promise against America's biggest killers, heart disease and cancer.

Garlic (Allium sativum). Besides being a potent antibiotic and
antiviral herb, garlic reduces high cholesterol levels and lowers high blood pressure.

I also read a fascinating Japanese study suggesting that garlic helped slow physiological aging and age-related memory loss in experimental animals. I don't hang my hat on a single study--especially not an animal study--but since I'm recommending garlic anyway, I thought I'd mention this one.

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). Gotu kola is widely used in India to improve memory and extend longevity. If you want to use it, add a fresh leaf or two or a teaspoon or so of dried herb to beverage teas. You can also add a few fresh leaves to salads.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum). This is my favorite liver
protector. The liver processes drugs and environmental toxins, so it's under constant assault in the modern world. Anyone who drinks alcohol, takes drugs (legal or illicit) or comes in contact with any pollutants might benefit from this herb.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Thank goodness for peppermint's ability to relieve indigestion and gastrointestinal distress. It also contains Antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart disease and other diseases associated with aging.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). Exceptionally rich in Antioxidants, purslane is the top herb that pops up in my database when I'm looking for combinations of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. It's also rich in the compound glutathione, which is both a powerful antioxidant and an immune system booster.

Speaking of glutathione, other vegetables rich in this anti-aging compound include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes and tomatoes. Fruits with this antioxidant include avocados, grapefruit, oranges, peaches and watermelon.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Thyme is another good source of beneficial anti-aging chemicals. You can even benefit from soaking in it. I would regularly add a handful of the dried herb to hot baths if I were a tub type instead of a shower type. Thyme's aromatic oil helps soothe my back spasms.

Thyme Best known as a food flavoring, thyme contains chemicals with healing properties.

Willow (Salix, various species). The bark of this tree was the original source of aspirin. It can be made into a tea that relieves headache, toothache, arthritis and other painful conditions. It also helps prevent heart attack, stroke and colorectal cancer.

Camomile (Matricaria recutita). This popular herb is a mild tranquilizer with anti-inflammatory constituents that might help relieve arthritis.

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense). With age and declining hormonal activity, levels of the mineral silicon decrease in the arteries and skin. Silicon also plays a role in the repair of bone, cartilage and connective tissues. Horsetail, a good herbal source of silicon, is a longtime folk remedy for fractures, torn ligaments and related injuries. I'm intrigued by this herb, but since I'm not yet convinced that it has all the anti-aging value that some sources suggest, I take it only rarely. If you want to try it, you can do so in consultation with a holistic practitioner.