The Banana Stages of Aging
Inside our cells is an entire lifecycle that converts the food we eat into the energy we need for every activity inside our bodies we need to survive. That includes all the chemical cycles, enzymatic processes, nutrient absorption and digestion, autonomic activity such as our heartbeat, the firing of brain neurons, utilization of sugars, conversion into ATP molecules and so forth.
There are 11 systems that collectively make up the human body; within those systems are numerous different organs, and these organs are made up of cells. Our bodies are made up of more than 37 trillion cells, and each one contains energy-producing organelles called mitochondria. It is the mitochondria inside our cells that provide us with energy we need to perform tasks, and our overall health and well-being are dependent upon the success of them to make energy.
This is why when a person suffers from health issues that are affecting any of the systems in the body, whether digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, etc., the problem needs to be diagnosed at the cellular level as an “energy” issue.
When our mitochondria become weakened and die off prematurely, that’s what causes aging, which is actually the loss of mitochondria. Think of it as the advancing stages of a banana—the continuum from being underripe through becoming overripe. When a banana is green, it has the lowest amount of sugar and the highest amount of fiber, antioxidants and prebiotics This when the banana’s mitochondria are strong and healthy. But once a banana starts reaching the point where it turns yellow, develops brown spots and then becomes dark, the vitamin and fiber content becomes depleted and the sugar content goes up. In these stages, the banana’s mitochondria have degenerated and are dying.
These last stages reflect the Standard American Diet, which is high in sugar and low in fiber; and demonstrates how a diet high in sugar and low in fiber ages people prematurely as we accumulate more damaged mitochondria and oxidative stress is advanced beyond our years.
Even though we can’t prevent aging and we naturally lose mitochondria over our lifespan, we can prevent premature loss and actually build mitochondria with the right activations and stimulation through lifestyle changes. This is where the concept of chronological age versus biological age comes in. It’s rare that these two ages are equal; a person whose chronological age is in their 30s can have cells that are at a biological age of over 60. This is determined through the testing of cardiac output, which reveals arterial health and elasticity.
Proactive lifestyle changes and nutritional interventions can reverse this problem. Lowering the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates in the diet, while increasing the amount of fiber, nutrients and antioxidants, can help reverse premature aging and cell damage, thereby lowering the biological age of cells. A functional medicine doctor can evaluate some of the factors that affect mitochondria, such as toxic overload, oxidative stress and inflammation.
To view a free, three-minute blood sugar quiz, visit DrPucciBloodSugarQuiz. To learn about Dr. Doug Pucci’s Root Cause Solution to chronic health concerns, call 201-261-5430 or register at GetWell-Now.com/webinar.
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