You may be surprised, but women and men who are over 35 years old in order to to look 10 or more years younger, it is not at all necessary to resort to plastic surgery or torturing yourself with painful procedures in order to lose weight or rejuvenate the skin of the face (and these are not empty words, but confirmed facts) And yes, it's not a lot of money to pay for it. Everything ingenious is simple!

Currently, scientists identify five main causes of premature aging, both of the body as a whole and of the skin in particular: dehydration, exposure to free radicals, hyperglycemia (sweet tooth problem), violation of the production of enzymes (enzymes are biological catalysts that direct and regulate metabolism, and a high metabolic rate, as you know, is the prerogative of youth), chronic intoxication of the body (intoxication from the Latin in - in, into, inside and from the Greek toxikon - poison, i.e. all factors of influence that lead to poisoning of the body).

So, now let's find out what needs to be done to look younger without surgery and expensive experiments on your body and skin. After all, each of the above factors can be corrected, and therefore, if you follow the recommendations, you can look younger by 10 or even more years. (of course, depends on your current age), budget and without much torture in expensive cosmetology clinics.

Before you continue reading, we can assure you that this is more than just useful information, it will motivate and help many of your friends and acquaintances look much younger than their years and have excellent health. Therefore, do not be stingy and share it, because, as you know, according to the laws of the universe, if you want to get something, then start giving something similar to the world.

People who do not drink enough water not only age faster, but also chronic dehydration is one of the main causes of many chronic diseases, including arthrosis, heart attack, stroke and various forms of cancer. Because a constant lack of water in the body is the cause of a violation of the water-electrolyte balance (shrinking), reducing the functional activity of tissues.

The relationship between premature aging and lack of water in the body is quite simple to explain. The main functions that water performs in the body are dissolution and purification, and the following are derived from them:

• assimilation and digestion of food;
• improved metabolism;
• excretion of waste products (toxins, slags);
• transport function (transportation of nutrients and oxygen);
• maintenance of cell structures;
• regulation of body temperature;
• depreciation of joints and prevention of their friction;
• protection of tissues and internal organs.

From the above, an incomplete list of the functions of water in the body, we can conclude that water is the basis of all life processes in the body, and primarily in metabolic and cleansing, its main functions are the removal of metabolic products, harmful substances, toxins, toxins from the body. (slags - a relatively recently introduced concept regarding our health - according to old definitions - referred only to by-products or waste from metal production, after cleaning from the remains of valuable components, which, in principle, very capaciously characterizes the remains of the body's waste products, as a result of its poisonous). And if you do not drink enough water, then lymph and blood cannot cope with the cleansing of tissues from metabolic products, as a result of which self-poisoning begins. Thus, the aging process of the body in general and the skin in particular is accelerated. As a result of a lack of water, the osmotic pressure in the cells is disturbed, their energy potential decreases, the skin suffers from a lack of moisture, and its turgor is lost. (turgor is the elasticity, fullness of the skin, its ability to resist mechanical influences (pulling, pressure)), elasticity and as a result, wrinkles, creases appear.

If you drink enough water, not only the skin, but also the body as a whole will look younger, and as a bonus, get rid of a few extra pounds.

One of the cases confirming the above information

An English resident, Sarah, after years of suffering from headaches and poor digestion, decided to consult a neurologist and a nutritionist, both experts advised to drink up to three liters of fluid per day in order to feel better. Prior to that, she drank about 1 liter of fluid per day.

Her determination to conduct the experiment was strengthened by reading the results of a social survey that out of 5 women in England, 1 consumes less than the recommended amount of water.

She decided to experiment what would happen if she drank the recommended amount of water for a month.

She provides photographs taken on the first day of the experiment and after, the first of which she says shows what dehydration does to the skin.

She admits that at 42 she looked more like 52. Dark circles under her eyes, an abundance of wrinkles, strange reddish spots created a haggard look on her face. Well, she decided to drink 3 liters of water for 28 days. As she describes her experience, the results were simply amazing. She feels fitter, leaner and healthier, and her husband and friends say she looks 10 years younger. She asks a question. - "Is there anyone who would not want to try drinking a certain daily amount of water to get such wonderful results as I have?".

A reasonable question may arise, what is the rate of water per day? - The rate of water per day depends on many factors and indicators, but the main ones are body weight and gender of the individual. The easiest way to calculate the required amount of water per day (but this is only taking into account only two main indicators: gender and body weight), you can use the following formula:

• Men: body weight x 35 ml. water
• Women: body weight x 31 ml. water

But still, to calculate the required amount of water per day, it is better to use a calculator that takes into account all indicators and factors: online water rate calculator.

If you really want to look younger, then start playing sports. Regularly playing sports, you can look younger by at least 5-7 years, and most often more, everything is individual. If you haven't played sports before, it's never too late to start.

Canadian scientists have found that in addition to the well-known health benefits of sports, sports have another feature - to effectively rid a person of age-related wrinkles. This conclusion was made by scientists from McMaster University in Ontario.

They studied a group of 29 volunteers aged 20 to 84, some of whom went in for sports 3 times a week, and others 1 time.

Studies have shown that regular exercise after the age of 40 helps to get rid of wrinkles, regular physical activity tightens the skin, makes it more elastic and looks younger.

The report indicates that, on average, after 40 years, thinning of the stratum corneum begins. (stratum corneum), the skin becomes saggy, sluggish and develops into age wrinkles. But they found that regular exercise after age 40 helped maintain the thickness of the stratum corneum and the underlying dermis. (the dermis is the main part of the skin, giving it firmness, elasticity and the ability to withstand significant pressure and stretching). In an experiment, skin biopsies of men in their early 40s who exercise regularly showed results similar to those of 20-year-olds. It is noted that this positive effect persists with regular exercise, even in those who are over 65.

In the context of this article, sports for the recovery and rejuvenation of the body means its types and physical exercises available to all age categories, taking into account personal health indicators, i.e. a strictly individual approach is needed, with a ban on competitive elements. Because sports aimed at achieving certain indicators, achieving records are extreme loads on the body and, as a rule, such sports are not always good for health.

Everyone knows about the dangers of free radicals, but this is necessary for a common understanding, and we will briefly, in the simplest terms, explain what the notorious free radicals are.

free radicals- These are molecules or atoms with high activity, which have an unpaired electron, and they tend to fill this vacancy by taking electrons from other atoms. In simple terms, free radicals have a negative effect on the body due to their parsitic properties due to the instability of their structure. The reason for the instability is the presence of a free unpaired electron, which they take away from other tiny particles.

Randomly moving, free radicals attack all the smallest particles (molecules and atoms) that they encounter on their way and suffer from this: cell membranes, proteins, lipids, collagen fibers, etc. Having taken the missing electron, the radical becomes stable, and the attacked molecule becomes unstable and begins to attack like a free radical. Aggressive molecules multiply very quickly: one gives birth to another, another to a third, and such a chain reaction of oxidation can continue indefinitely if there is no stabilizing intervention.

It should be noted that free radicals are formed in the body not only as a result of biochemical oxidation reactions as a result of obtaining oxygen during breathing. (a powerful generator of free radicals is the air saturated with exhaust gases and tobacco smoke), they are also formed as a result of stress, the use of unhealthy foods, excessive UV radiation.

In fact, free radicals, in a certain balance, play an important role in the immune system aimed at combating pathogens, oxidize toxic substances, thereby helping to get rid of them, synthesize vital enzymes, promote blood clotting, serve to transmit information at the intracellular level and etc.

But, if the amount of free radicals exceeds the permissible norm, then their positive effect becomes destructive. For example, they attack the enzymes that keep cells functioning smoothly, damaging the genetic code contained in the cell nuclei, causing DNA mutations and the appearance of cancer cells.

After the necessary introduction for a superficial understanding of the impact that free radicals have on the human body as a whole, we will learn how they affect the aging process of the skin.

Free radicals have an extremely negative effect on the condition and functioning of the epidermal layer, aggressive particles cause damage to ceramides (lipid molecules), which are the main building component of the outer structure of the skin, creating a protective lipid barrier. Their oxidation leads to moisture deficiency, inflammatory reactions, penetration of bacteria, pollution that damages the cell membranes of the epidermis and dermis, thereby weakening their protective function.

As a result of oxidative reactions, collagen and elastin fibers are damaged, inhibiting (suppressing physiological or physico-chemical processes) their synthesis (connection of various elements), which leads to a decrease in the firmness and elasticity of the epidermal layer, accelerates the formation of deep wrinkles and sagging of the skin. The destructive effects of free radicals lead to the destruction of proteoglycans and hyaluronic acid, causing the activation of aging enzymes. The protective mechanisms of the skin weaken, the processes of regeneration and cell renewal worsen.

To prolong the youth of the body in general and the skin in particular, you need to use antioxidants., because Antioxidants are unique free radical scavengers. Antioxidants- These are substances that block the oxidative process, neutralize the effects of free radicals, through the safe "borrowing" of their electron to aggressors. Of course, antioxidants, after giving up their electron, also become free radicals, but less dangerous, because. do not harm the body.

Main Sources of Antioxidants- These are products of plant origin, vegetables, fruits and berries. The following is a small list of the best antioxidants: lemon, grapefruit, strawberries, nuts, broccoli, red grapes, chicken and especially quail eggs, fish, brown rice, cranberries, beans, watermelon, red wine, ripe bananas, oatmeal, coffee, green tea .

Eat less sugary foods

If the influence of free radicals on the aging process is covered sufficiently, then the harmful effects of sugar-containing products on the skin have received much less attention. And in vain, because. Excessive consumption of sweets is actually almost the main cause of premature skin aging.

The skin, due to excess sugar in the body, loses its firmness and elasticity, since due to the process of glycation collagen and elastin proteins become less effective. In addition, the abuse of various sweets, refined carbohydrates (sweet pastries, canned juices, jams, marmalade, sweets, ice cream), lead to hyperglycemia, sharp jumps in blood glucose and an increase in insulin, having an effect on the skin similar to chronic inflammatory processes and leading to premature aging of the skin.

hyperglycemia is an increase in glucose (Sahara) in the blood, which is provoked by the abuse of sugar-containing foods and easily digestible carbohydrates. And with hyperglycemia, the synthesis of hyaluronic acid slows down (hyaluronic acid is a molecular natural "sponge" with super-moisturizing properties, the main function of which is to bind, retain water in the connective tissues of the dermis, and also prevent the destruction of collagen) and formation of collagen fibers (collagen is a protein that forms the basis of the connective tissues of the body, including the dermis, and ensures its firmness and elasticity).

Two anti-aging diets for facial rejuvenation

There are two diets that act as "antidotes to aging", one of them is not just a diet, but a model of a balanced diet.

Face lift diet

At the end of the last century, a diet for facial skin rejuvenation was developed by Nicholas Perricone, a dermatologist, professor of the Faculty of Human Body Studies at the University of Michigan, who devoted almost 40 years to medicine, of which 20 devoted to studying the problem of premature skin aging. Perricone was one of the first to voice the version that free radicals in the body cause premature aging, as well as health problems.

He not unreasonably assures that the true cause of skin problems in the form of age wrinkles or acne depends on what we eat.

The diet that the professor developed is called the “face lift diet”, which means “face lift diet”, with this diet, people can stay young and beautiful longer without resorting to the services of plastic surgeons.

The face lift diet is based on fatty varieties of fish from cold sea waters. (particularly salmon). Salmon contains the famous Omega-3 fatty acids, which smooth the skin and maintain water balance, and the B vitamins contained in it improve blood circulation and facilitate the absorption of oxygen by skin, nail and hair cells.

Salmon should be eaten about 10 servings a week, i.e. once or twice a day. It is recommended to cook it for a couple, grill or bake, thus preserving all the vitamins, but in no case fry.

The purpose of the antioxidant anti-inflammatory diet to nourish the skin "face lift diet", stop inflammation and promote moisture retention in the dermis by eliminating hyperglycemic foods from the diet and enriching it with foods with high antioxidant activity.

A secondary effect of the face lift diet is weight normalization. The low-carb "face lift diet" has both many adherents who have proven its effectiveness, and many critics who are skeptical of the as-yet scientifically unfounded diet for rapid rejuvenation.

Following the recommendations of the "face lift diet", every meal should contain fatty acids (preferably olive oil or fresh unsalted nuts), lean proteins, carbohydrates (vegetables fruits).

Unlike many other diets, list of allowed products The face lift diet is quite extensive: fish (salmon, trout, tuna, flounder), seafood, turkey, cottage cheese, tofu, low-fat yogurt, eggs, mushrooms, olives, green leafy vegetables, asparagus, cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers, berries (especially cherries, raspberries and blueberries), apples, pears, avocados, melon, nuts, legumes, barley, oats, green tea, spices (ginger, basil, cayenne pepper).

In addition to salmon, Nicholas Perricon considers the best foods to prevent skin aging: avocados, sweet peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, blueberries, raspberries, melons, apples, pears, spinach and greens. Since these products have powerful antioxidant properties and contain many vitamins necessary for the skin.

It didn't go without list of prohibited products: alcohol, fast food, flour products, (confectionery, pastries) various sweets, coffee, soft drinks, fruit juices, marinades, beef, hard cheese, mayonnaise, duck meat, rice, pasta, spaghetti, some vegetables and fruits (potatoes, carrots, corn, pumpkin, grapes, bananas, mangoes, oranges, papaya, watermelon, raisins).

Following the recommendations of the face lift diet, you need to eat foods in a certain sequence: eat protein foods first (meat, fish, mushrooms, dairy products, legumes) followed by fiber-rich foods (cereals, vegetables), and then you can eat carbohydrate foods (fruit).

Due to the observance of this sequence, the absorption of sugar by the body slows down and the level of sugar in the blood does not rise abruptly. Nicholas Perricon also recommends drinking plenty of non-carbonated mineral water, green tea and exercising for 20-30 minutes a day during the diet.

There are two diet options, 3 and 28 day cycles, these cycles can be alternated throughout life. The professor recommends five meals a day - three full meals and two snacks.

This diet has proven to be effective in rejuvenating the skin of the face, but according to dietary experts, this is a very expensive rejuvenation technique and not without flaws. Because like most diets, it is not distinguished by its balance due to the fact that it excludes a significant number of food items necessary for the normal functioning of the body, which entails some health risks. But there is an alternative!

Diet "OmniHeart"

A less strict, more balanced and scientifically based diet as an alternative to the face lift diet can be the OmniHeart nutritional model developed by scientists at Harvard University. The OmniHeart diet is positioned under the slogan “More than just for the heart” and this slogan was not invented by chance, because. its goal is to prevent inflammatory processes that underlie the aging of the body and skin, as well as to prevent the development of chronic diseases, primarily cardiovascular, which develop under the influence of oxidative stress.

This diet excludes sharp jumps in blood sugar levels and is a kind of “antidote to aging”, although it was originally developed for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but during the experiments its effectiveness against chronic inflammation and aging was confirmed.

Below is a diagram of the OmniHeart Nutrition Model with approximate serving sizes.

The recommendations presented below are designed for an adult with an average energy expenditure, whose daily diet is 2000 kilocalories. To cover smaller or larger energy costs, you should reduce proportionally or vice versa increase the size of the servings.

One important, practical advice from diet developers: in order not to bother yourself with determining the exact proportions of recommended foods every time before eating, you should fill most of the plate with greens, vegetables and fruits.

The developers of the OmniHeart nutrition model, using modern medical information processing equipment, taking into account all aspects of a complete, balanced diet for skin rejuvenation, offer the following optimal daily diet.

Daily diet "OmniHeart"

50% of calories come from carbohydrates, 23% from proteins and 27% from fats (6% saturated fat, 12% monounsaturated fat, 9% polyunsaturated fat), such proportions of fats are optimal in terms of the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6.

Vegetables and fruits: 11 servings per day (½ cup raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup green salad greens, 1 fruit, ½ cup fresh berries, ¼ cup dried fruit).

Cereal crops (prefer whole grains): 4 servings per day (1 slice of bread, ½ cup of pasta or cereals in finished form).

Dairy (fat-free or low-fat): 2 servings a day (1 glass of milk, kefir, yogurt, about 40 g of cheese).

Nuts, beans and beans: 2 servings per day (¼ cup nuts, ½ cup boiled beans).

Meat, poultry, fish: 1 portion per day (115 g. finished).

Dessert, sweets: 2 servings per day (1 tsp sugar, 1 small cookie).

Fats and oils: 2 servings per day (1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp spread).

Additionally(of your choice): 1 serving of meat, or fish, or poultry, or 1 serving of fats or oils, or 1 serving of whole grains, or 1 serving of dessert, sweets.

Duration: long-term eating pattern, can be followed for life.

Therefore, a balanced diet, the right choice of carbohydrate sources in favor of whole foods (rich in fiber and nutrients - vegetables, fruits and whole grains), the rejection of refined foods will help minimize the harm caused to the body by hyperglycemia.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 must be in the diet in the recommended amount

Omega-3 and Omega-6 enter our body with food, and their independent synthesis by the body is impossible, therefore, with a lack of fatty acids in the diet, the likelihood of developing various diseases increases, and deterioration in health is noted.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 improve the appearance of skin, hair and nails, have a rejuvenating effect on the skin, and under their influence on the skin, inflammation in eczema is relieved, irritation heals faster, symptoms of the disease become less noticeable. The presence of these fatty acids in the diet in sufficient quantities is especially important for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, arrhythmia, arthritis and obesity, these acids contribute to the normalization of weight. They also reduce cravings for strong alcoholic beverages and smoking.

Omega 3

Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely beneficial for skin rejuvenation and repair- they make it elastic, increase elasticity, restore the protective barrier, relieve all skin inflammation and irritation. You will learn how Omega-3s are beneficial for the skin below, but for now, briefly about the benefits of Omega-3s for health and the body as a whole.

In addition to the rejuvenating effect on the skin, Omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect on the entire body, heal and rejuvenate it. These fatty acids do not allow blood to thicken, and joints become inflamed, normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, improve the functioning of internal organs, velvety skin depends on them, beauty of hair, strength of nails, visual acuity. Omega-3s have powerful antioxidant properties, are a preventive measure of premature aging, oncology, depression, but due to its ability to regulate fat metabolism help fight excess weight. Omega-3s restore hormonal balance, improve the functioning of the immune system, help in the treatment of migraines, diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, arthrosis, bronchial asthma and many other diseases. They are very efficient eliminate chronic fatigue syndrome, emotional disorders, level menstrual pain, suppress allergic reactions.

Omega-3 deficiency and oversaturation

With a lack of Omega-3 in the body, the skin begins to peel off, acne and dandruff appear, their lack is accompanied by a depressed emotional state, memory impairment, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the joints, liver, mammary glands, and an acute shortage can even lead to the development of schizophrenia.

But oversaturation of the body with Omega-3 is just as harmful as their lack. An excessive excess of Omega-3 can cause the development of hypertension, be the cause of irritability, increased anxiety, weak muscle tone, lethargy, increased bleeding of cuts, and cause malfunctions of the pancreas.

List of foods rich in Omega-3 per 100 gr. product

Omega-3s are found in the following foods:

• fatty varieties of fish living in cold sea waters: salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, sardines, mackerel, halibut, as well as trout and eel;
• red, black caviar;
• fish fat;
• seafood: shrimp, shellfish, scallops;
• flax-seed;
• linseed, soybean, sesame, canola, rapeseed unrefined vegetable oils;
• soybeans, tofu;
• germinated wheat;
• beans, broccoli, cauliflower, melon, spinach;
• raw soaked walnuts, almonds;
• domestic eggs, especially quail.

Omega-3 intake for adults- 1-2 g per day: up to 2 g for men and up to 1.6 g for women (approximately 1-2% of daily caloric intake).

• To improve health and normalize cholesterol levels, it is enough to take 1-2 g of Omega-3 per day. But it all depends on the state of health of the body. For problems with the cardiovascular system, disorders of the brain (frequent depression, Alzheimer's disease) doctors recommend increasing omega-3 containing foods in the diet;
• When doing bodybuilding to increase muscle mass, doses of 2-3 g daily are required;
• When reducing body weight, take 3-4 g of Omega-3.

The body's daily need for Omega-3 can be replenished by adding 1 tbsp to food. a spoonful of rapeseed oil or a teaspoon of flaxseed. And you can eat 5-10 walnuts a day, or eat a small piece (about 100 grams) of freshly cooked salmon or sardines.

Omega 6

With a sufficient amount in the diet, Omega-6 maintains skin elasticity, nail strength, hair health, helps in the treatment of skin diseases, can reduce the negative manifestations of PMS, help in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis.

Omega-6 deficiency and oversaturation

With a lack of Omega-6 in the body, hair can begin to fall out, as well as more serious problems in the form of infertility, developmental delay, mental disorders, liver dysfunction, eczema.

Oversaturation of Omega-6 leads to a weakened immune system, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, the development of inflammatory processes and even oncology.

List of foods rich in Omega-6 per 100 gr. product

Omega-6 is found in the following foods:

• walnut oil, sunflower, corn, soybean, pumpkin, safrole oils;
• lard;
• sesame, poppy;
• raw sunflower seeds;
• pumpkin seeds;
• germinated wheat;
• eggs;
• butter;
• pistachios, pine nuts.

Omega-6 intake for adults- 8-10 g per day (approximately 5-8% of daily caloric intake).

The body's need for Omega-6 depends on many factors, so the daily rate is individual for each person. It is also necessary to observe the ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in the daily diet - the ratio varies from 1:2 to 1:4. Unfortunately, most of the inhabitants of the post-Soviet space are 10 times higher than the norm of consumption of Omega-6!

Why are polyunsaturated fatty acids important for the skin?

All cosmetologists recommend using anti-aging creams to eliminate wrinkles, but cosmetologists and dermatologists also warn that the skin can be healthy, young and beautiful only if you eliminate the internal problems of the body and put your health in order, because. The skin is a kind of indicator, it reflects the state of the whole organism. And polyunsaturated fatty acids have been scientifically proven to have a positive effect on all vital processes in the body. Without polyunsaturated fatty acids, the skin will not be completely healthy, firm and elastic. They can be called a cult vitamin for all skin types, they heal the skin and the skin literally glows from the inside.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for beautiful skin for the following reasons

1. Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit the overactivity of the immune system, preventing the development of skin allergies.

2. Omega-3 fatty acids preserve collagen - the elastic basis of our skin, which is responsible for elasticity and the absence of wrinkles.

3. Omega-3 fatty acids - very effective against chronic inflammation. This is an effective remedy for wrinkles, acne and pimples, they accelerate wound healing, and serve as an important component in the treatment of chronic dermatitis.

4. Skin problems are directly related to various stresses. Through clinical trials, it has been established that hormonal changes are at the heart of the problem. (the hormonal background affects the body in such a way that any problem immediately affects the appearance and general health). During stress, cortisol levels (cortisol is a stress hormone that breaks down proteins, promotes fat storage, and also raises blood glucose levels) rises sharply, destroying collagen and causing inflammation of the skin. As a result, small wrinkles appear, and in case of exacerbation, acne, psoriasis, rosacea may appear. And omega-3 fatty acids prevent bursts of stress hormones, thereby protecting against depression and mood changes during PMS. They help the nervous system to respond more easily to difficult situations and various problems, reduce nervous excitability, eliminate headaches and sleep disturbances, help restore optimism and remain calm and unperturbed in difficult situations. As soon as the deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids is replenished in the body, depression disappears, the body begins to recover, and the skin experiences a “second youth”.

By the way, it will be said that in the late eighties, Omega-3 fatty acids won the recognition of cosmetologists and dermatologists, they stated that healthy and beautiful skin is unthinkable without a sufficient amount of Omega-3.

Thesis on the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on the condition of the skin:

• are the prevention of wrinkles, as they stimulate the synthesis of neocollagen and counteract the destruction of the existing skin framework;
• help get rid of acne and acne, as they inhibit inflammation and normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands;
• prevent dehydration, as they contain vitamin F;
• fight skin diseases: eczema, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis;
• offset the negative effects of sunlight.

Zinc has long been considered a "beauty mineral", and is known for its properties that have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nail plates.

Zinc is one of the most important minerals for the normal functioning of all systems of the human body. it participates in all important biochemical processes. First of all, it is a very powerful antioxidant that prevents the formation of free radicals, strengthens the immune system and is necessary for growth, restoration, and hence rejuvenation of cells! It stimulates the entire hormonal system, regulates the work of the most important glands responsible for longevity: the pituitary and gonads, as well as the pancreas. Zinc provides the process of cell rejuvenation by stimulating the synthesis of three main anabolic hormones: growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor and testosterone. (growth hormone is produced as a complex zinc compound).

Zinc deficiency can lead to various disorders in the body, similar to those that develop with aging! Experiments were carried out on animals with different daily portions of zinc in the diet, in those animals that received zinc in sufficient quantities, life expectancy increased.

The foods richest in zinc are primarily seafood. (the highest content of zinc in oysters, up to 25 mg., 50 to 100 grams of oysters is enough to fill the body with the daily norm of zinc for an adult) and products of animal origin. Zinc is also found in nuts, grains, seeds, legumes, milk and eggs, but plant foods contain this trace element in small amounts.

In this regard, vegetarians may be deficient in this trace element in the body, so it is recommended to supplement it with zinc supplements. Also, excessively salty foods and the abuse of sweets can be the causes of a lack of zinc in the body.

List of foods rich in zinc in mg. per 100 gr. product

The following is a list of foods richest in zinc in milligrams per 100 grams, in descending order: oysters from 10 to 25, sesame seeds - 7.75, pumpkin seeds - 7.44, boiled chicken hearts - 7.30, peanuts - 6.68, sunflower seeds - 5.29, liver from 4 to 6.6, soy raw materials - 5, hard cheeses 4.7, pine nuts - 4.28, grilled turkey meat - 4.28, processed cheeses - 3.5, beef - 3.24, beans - 3.21, peas 3.18, lamb - 3, pork - 3, natural sausages 3.0, wheat - 2.8, buckwheat - 2.77, barley groats - 2.71, duck - 2.47, turkey - 2.45, chicken - 2, peas boiled - 1.00, canned salmon - 0.92, tuna in oil - 0.90, boiled mushrooms - 0.87, tofu - 0.80, boiled spinach - 0.76, dried apricots - 0.74, boiled brown rice - 0.63, vermicelli - 0.53, oatmeal - 0.49, boiled white rice - 0.45, 1% fat milk - 0.39, green onions - 0.39, boiled broccoli - 0.38, avocado - 0.31, boiled cauliflower - 0.31, radish - 0.30, boiled carrot - 0.30.

The daily norm of zinc for an adult, depending on gender, is 10-15 mg. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for zinc is 25 mg. per day. The need for zinc increases with: sports, profuse sweating.

Enzymes (enzymes)- catalysts having a protein structure are synthesized in cells and many times accelerate the reactions occurring in them, carrying out metabolism, and are the basis for the existence of any organism.

With age, the body's ability to independently produce enzymes, including digestive enzymes, deteriorates, so you should try to eat more foods rich in enzymes and refuse or minimize the consumption of foods that are devoid of enzymes, because. for their digestion, the body has to produce enzymes on its own, “stealing” them from other organs.

But it is enzymes that are responsible for removing dead cells and removing toxins and poisons from the body. They are the ubiquitous catalysts of all vital processes. And in case of their shortage or low activity, the waste products of the body begin to accumulate, which leads to a deterioration in appearance. (skin, hair, nails, obesity) and dysfunction (disruption of activity) internal organs with the development of various chronic diseases, up to cancer.

Where do enzymes come from? - Our body inherits a certain enzymatic potential at birth and it is different for everyone, so we need to protect and save this limited supply of energy designed for a lifetime. It is not in vain that in the East a person is compared with a candle. The brighter and stronger the candle burns, the faster it burns out. And eating everything (foods that consume the genetically incorporated supply of enzymes), leading a chaotic or passive lifestyle, consuming alcohol, not to mention drugs, a person is likened to a candle that burns from two ends! I think the result is understandable, the candle burns out even faster.

That is, the duration of your life depends on the duration of the body's possession of the factors of enzymatic activity that form new enzymes. When your body is no longer able to produce enzymes, life ends. Therefore, the faster you use up the energy reserve of enzymes allotted to you by nature, the faster you will age, therefore, the faster you will approach the logical outcome, and on the way along the road of life you will look much worse than you could.

And the supply of enzymes, among other things, is wasted when a person eats thermally processed food, because. when food is cooked at 100°C, then all the enzymes in it are destroyed with 100% probability. One of the founders of the natural healing system, Dr. Edward Howell, concluded that enzymes are the main component that distinguishes thermally processed food from “live”, raw food. He determined that these "units of vital energy" are destroyed at temperatures above 50 ° C. Unfortunately, in our time, almost everyone consumes food that has mainly undergone heat treatment and therefore does not contain enzymes. Back in the 30s of the 20th century, Dr. Howell tried to prove to his contemporaries that thermally processed food causes irreparable harm to health.

If our diet were dominated by raw foods, then enzymes would be present in the food we eat in relatively sufficient quantities, and they themselves would do a significant part of the work of digesting food, thereby preserving the precious supply of enzymes. And if you eat heat-treated food devoid of enzymes, then the body is forced to independently produce enzymes for its digestion, which greatly reduces the already limited enzymatic potential.

You should be aware that the load caused by thermally processed food on the enzyme stores is very high. It is one of the main causes of premature aging and early death, as well as the cause of almost all diseases. This is explained by the fact that if the body is forced to supply a lot of enzymes in saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice and intestinal juice, then it reduces the production of enzymes for other purposes. It cannot produce enough enzymes for the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and other organs and tissues. This “stealing” of enzymes for the digestive tract from other parts of the body leads to a struggle for enzymes between all organs and tissues, which can be the main cause of cancer, diabetes, coronary disease and many other chronic or even incurable diseases. As already mentioned, enzyme deficiency is the scourge of our modern society, following a civilized diet devoid of enzymes.

Nowadays, taking advantage of the benefits of civilization, people eat such a huge amount of thermally processed food that enzymes are only busy digesting it. As a result, there is an acute shortage of enzymes to maintain the internal organs and tissues in a healthy state. And few people know that one of the best ways to rejuvenate, heal and restore diseased organs is long-term therapeutic starvation. During prolonged therapeutic starvation, the production of enzymes for digestion is suspended, the amount of enzymes in saliva, gastric and pancreatic juices is reduced. Thus, the enzymes that used to work for the digestion of food are released and work for healing, restoring damaged organs and tissues. During prolonged therapeutic fasting, enzymes change unhealthy body structures, they fight pathological tissues and destroy unprocessed and undigested substances, after which they are excreted from the body in a natural way.

5 tips to promote the production of enzymes in the body

1. Eat predominantly raw thermally unprocessed food. For example, raw foods are rich in enzymes, and after heat treatment they are destroyed. Ideally, your diet should be at least 75% raw.

2. Minimize the consumption of meat and animal fats, as their excess leads to disruption of metabolic processes.

3. Thoroughly chew food. Since the digestive process begins with chewing, as a result of which the food consumed is easier to digest in the stomach and intestines.

4. Conduct long-term therapeutic fasting, for 7, 14 or 30 days. Since during prolonged therapeutic starvation, the production of enzymes for digestion is suspended and the enzymes that used to work for the digestion of food are released and work for healing, restoring damaged organs and tissues.

5. Avoid stress. Chronic stress adversely affects the functioning of the entire body, including its ability to effectively digest food and produce enzymes.

It is also possible to restore enzymatic activity with the help of special nutritional supplements that compensate for the deficiency of digestive enzymes (enzymes). These food additives have a high specific selectivity and catalytic activity, similar to the actions of natural enzymes.

But digestive enzymes cannot be taken indefinitely, only in courses prescribed by a doctor, as they disrupt the natural secretion of enzymes. (the body may gradually stop producing enzymes on its own), and can also cause a decrease in the absorption of certain trace elements (e.g. iron).

Therefore, the treatment of enzyme deficiency is strongly recommended under the supervision of a gastroenterologist.

Help your body work in a natural way: by adjusting your diet, physical activity, giving up bad habits and managing stress.

Reduce the toxic load on the body

There are two ways to reduce the toxic load on the body - to minimize the penetration of harmful substances from the outside and to strengthen the detoxification system of your body.

First way reducing the toxic load on the body lies in the fact that in order to significantly reduce the flow of toxins into the body, you need to be very careful in choosing food and drinking water. Try to buy groceries (especially meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, because these products can accumulate especially a lot of toxins and heavy metals) labeled to indicate that the product is environmentally friendly. A few words about vegetables and fruits, when buying which you need to pay attention to their environmental friendliness, because. they are especially prone to the accumulation of pesticides: potatoes, apples, watermelons, melons, zucchini, peppers, peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries.

Try to buy only organic products to reduce the intake of heavy metals, pesticides and fertilizers in the body and get rid of things in the house that contain toxins and volatile organic compounds (varnishes, solvents). Buy products without flavor and odor enhancers, try not to use deodorants, air fresheners with an overly saturated smell.

Second way- this is the strengthening of the detoxification system of your body, due to the use of foods rich in methionine (Methionine is an essential sulfur-containing amino acid found in proteins). For detoxification, foods rich in methionine are needed because the processes of blood purification in the liver are complicated by insufficient intake of sulfur-containing components in food. And detoxification occurs due to the methylation of toxins as a result of their combination with the sulfur-containing amino acid methionine. Products rich in methionine include: meat of animals and birds grown in the wild, fish, cheeses, cottage cheese, eggs, to a lesser extent - nuts, legumes, rice, millet, oats, lentils, seeds.

Sulfur is also found in abundance in bulbous plants. (garlic, raw onion) and in various varieties of cabbage, especially broccoli. But it should be borne in mind that prolonged heat treatment leads to a significant destruction of valuable organic compounds.

Also, for detoxification, you should include in your diet fermented foods that have detoxifying properties, such as sauerkraut, kefir and yogurt.

Some herbs and spices also have detoxifying properties, such as turmeric, cloves, and cilantro top the list of natural foods for neutralizing heavy metals in the body.

P.S. The article that you have read is the contours of the direction of your rejuvenation actions, the basic basis for building confidence in you in the reality of achieving the results described in this article. We tried to be as concise as possible, without water, covering difficult-to-understand topics in simple-to-understand words, and so that you could immediately apply the information received in practice. But nevertheless, in this article there are 8 paragraphs, for each of which one could write at least 10 more articles. Therefore, this article cannot claim to be exhaustive, fully revealing each of the topics, and if you were inspired by the 8 tips given in this article, then it would not be out of place to understand in more detail the nuances of each of the topics. Having mastered the nuances and applied in practice, you will receive a personal rejuvenation program. No wonder they say that details and nuances are crucial!

What woman does not dream of always being young and beautiful, cheerful and cheerful. But, is it possible? Is it possible to preserve or restore youth? After all, modern women already at the age of 30 begin to experience discomfort associated with age-related changes. And they have been trying to invent the elixir of eternal youth for many centuries, but to no avail, so hoping for such a miracle is too much of a luxury for women who want to look and feel younger.

As long as the body remains a source of experiences, there will simply be no energy and strength left for the return of youth. Therefore, the first step in the return of youth will be the restoration of health and the awakening of healing vital energy. Here are 5 basic rules for restoring physical strength.

1. The main, and the longest part is the improvement of the body. Comprehensive diagnosis and complex treatment - this is where the return of youth should begin. Make a list of all ailments. Consult with good specialists, and, without delay, proceed to restore health. Most importantly, do not forget that treatment is not a goal, but only a step that brings us closer to the main goal - rejuvenation.
2. Do not rely solely on pills and potions. As you know, the human body is capable of self-restoration, the main thing is to provide it with the necessary conditions. One of the most important conditions is proper nutrition. Review your diet. The daily menu should contain raw vegetables and fruits, which contain substances that promote cell rejuvenation and restoration. And to improve the appearance of facial skin, it is recommended to use green tea and bananas.
3. Saturation of the body with oxygen is one of the important steps to rejuvenation. Oxygen promotes cell regeneration, improves immunity, and also helps with excess weight. If it is not possible to take daily walks, then breathing exercises based on deep diaphragmatic breathing will help. For example, the well-known Bodyflex technique, designed to cleanse the body, saturate cells with oxygen and fight excess weight.
4. Daily gymnastics is an indispensable condition for maintaining muscles and ligaments in good shape. Exercises need to be selected, focusing on your needs and capabilities. It is not worth starting with labor-intensive and complex complexes, otherwise the desire to quit classes will appear very soon. It is better to introduce exercises gradually, so that after their implementation you feel lightness. It is necessary to learn to feel your body, and first of all to develop the most problematic places.
5. You can not do without special rejuvenating gymnastics. Qigong, yoga, Tibetan and Taoist practices for women - there are many ancient techniques, and each has its own history and philosophy. Choosing such gymnastics is based on the inner worldview. Why is additional gymnastics necessary to achieve the goal? Because it is the ancient practices that restore not only the body, but also the correct flow of energy. When a woman has no strength left, then the desire for rejuvenation goes out, and dreams come down only to rest and peace. Are such dreams inherent in youth? Therefore, gymnastics is so necessary, restoring the harmony of the body and spirit.

And then, when every morning you begin to wake up cheerful and full of strength, when diseases are defeated, when your body delights you more and more every day, then it will be possible to proceed to the next stage of the return of youth. The following 5 rules will help restore the youthfulness of the spirit, because we want not only to look, but also to feel younger.

In order to regain youth, you have to go a long way. Perhaps there will be moments when you want to quit everything, perhaps there will be disappointments. And at such moments you need to remember your goal, remember the image of a young and happy woman that you want to match. And then the day will surely come when youth, carelessness and lightness will return.

Fedor Grigorievich Uglov

Chapter 1

On June 1, 1889, a report was read at the Paris Scientific Society, which made a sensation all over the world and attracted the attention of both scientists and the general public for a long time.

Brown-Séquard, an eminent physiologist and successor of the famous Claude Bernard at the College de France, reported in his report that in recent years, as soon as he was over seventy, he felt that his physical and mental powers were significantly weakened. However, after a long experiment on animals, he found a way by which you can regain strength and youth. He gave himself six injections of extracts from fresh testicles of dogs and rabbits and as a result felt that he was thirty years younger. And in front of the astonished audience, he ran up the stairs. But that's not all. He further reported that not only his physical but also his mental energy and strength had returned to him, and he was now working as hard and hard as he had not worked for many years!

Brown-Séquard's message caused great excitement throughout the civilized world. It seemed that the key to resolving the issue, over which the best minds of mankind have puzzled for many centuries, has been found: how to prolong a person's life, how to restore his lost youth?

For thousands of years, people have sought to comprehend the secrets of aging. Three hundred years before our era, Aristotle, in his work On Youth and Old Age, tried to give scientific explanations for the causes of aging. He believed that aging is caused by the gradual consumption of natural heat, which is in every living being from the day of his birth. The center of this warmth is the heart. Blood vessels carry this heat throughout the body and thus give life to all tissues and organs, Aristotle believed. A similar idea was expressed a hundred years earlier by Hippocrates, who explained aging by the loss of natural heat.

The opinions of Hippocrates and Aristotle were based on their correct observations that the release of heat in old age is less vigorous than in youth. From the standpoint of our current knowledge, this is a consequence of a gradual slowdown in metabolic processes.

Why does a person grow old?

For many centuries, scientists from all countries have been creating theories of aging, which were based on "vital force", "vital energy", "natural heat", the gradual consumption of which allegedly leads the body to old age. Meanwhile, activity, as a rule, leads to the growth of both the living tissue itself and its functional capabilities. Conversely, lack of activity leads to atrophy. But in the end, scientists came to the conclusion that aging cannot be viewed only as a loss of something. It may also depend on an excess of a harmful substance that accumulates over the years and leads to intoxication of the body. The original hypothesis was put forward by the outstanding Russian biologist, director of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, I. I. Mechnikov. His book "Etudes of Optimism", in which he sets out his perspective on the causes of aging, created a sensation in the early decades of the twentieth century.

According to the views of Mechnikov, aging is caused by chronic poisoning of the body with special poisons-toxins secreted by bacteria that inhabit the human large intestine in large numbers. Constant poisoning leads to old age and death.

Mechnikov did not consider aging to be a necessary physiological process for the body. He said that active measures against intestinal poisoning could prevent the onset of old age. He suggested introducing into the digestive tract such bacteria that would displace putrefactive microbes and eliminate the occurrence of toxins. He considered such microbes to be "Bulgarian" bacillus and other microbes of lactic acid fermentation. The so-called "Mechnikov yogurt" created by him was widely used all over the world.

Developing his theory further, I. I. Mechnikov, in order to prevent old age, proposed to surgically remove the human large intestine, in which toxins arise that lead to aging. Some surgeons, his followers, performed operations to remove the intestines. Mechnikov himself, before his death (and he died at the age of 71), told his attending physician that, unfortunately, he began to put his teaching into practice late and therefore did not succeed, that the prevention of old age should be started from a young age.

It is hardly necessary to list all the hypotheses, theories and teachings that have been created over the millennia. There are hundreds of such theories. All they say is that man never put up with the fact that such a short age fell to his lot, and was looking for ways to extend life for a longer period, and perhaps to immortality.

But it is not enough for a person to simply prolong life. How to regain youth and strength of youth?

In ancient Egyptian papyri and throughout Greek mythology, we find numerous recipes for turning old people into youths - like the recipe of the sorceress Medea, who restored youth to old people by cutting them into pieces and boiling them in a cauldron of magical herbs.

Alchemists, locked in their offices, tried to create a philosopher's stone that would not only turn base metals into gold and silver, but could also serve as a powerful elixir that prolongs life and restores youth. Paracelsus (1493-1541) promoted his six elixirs to rejuvenate and prolong life, but he himself died at 48, proving the uselessness of his potions by his own example.

Many scientists of the Middle Ages were of the opinion that the breath of girls restores youth to old people and prolongs life. This is mentioned in the Bible with reference to King David. The basis of this point of view was the theory that breath is allegedly a transmitter of vital heat.

However, blood was considered more often as a carrier of "internal" heat and a source of vital activity. It is not surprising, therefore, that among primitive peoples blood was used for the purpose of rejuvenation. In ancient Rome, old men and women sometimes rushed to the circus and drank the fresh blood of slain gladiators. Medical scientists of the Middle Ages considered vampirism - sucking blood from young people - as an effective, but from a moral point of view, unacceptable way of rejuvenation.

According to legend, Pope Innocent VIII (XV century) in order to protect himself from diseases and rejuvenate, drank the blood of three boys at one time [Lindenbaum J. History of Medicine, 9, p. 459, 1954 (in English)].

Subsequently, there were attempts to use the blood transfusion of a young ram to rejuvenate an old man, but, of course, with disastrous consequences. Opponents of this method joked that three rams are needed for rejuvenation: blood is taken from one of them, the second is transfused, and the third performs the entire operation.

Belief in the rejuvenating effect of blood dominated for a very long time. It is said that the Hungarian Countess Bartok took baths in the fresh blood of Slovak serf women. .

I have mentioned only a few of the many methods of human rejuvenation that have been proposed throughout the history of mankind and which, of course, never gave encouraging results. It is not surprising, therefore, that the message of Brown-Séquard aroused great interest from all who learned about his experiment.

Brown-Séquard's message was made at the same time that the first industrial exhibition was taking place in Paris. Exhibitors, having dispersed to their countries, spread this message all over the world. Scientists from different countries repeated the experiment of the French scientist and many of them confirmed the effectiveness of the "Brown-Sekar Extract". The majority of scientists, however, perceived these data with a certain degree of skepticism: they could not reproduce such striking results in their experiments. Soon, Brown-Séquard himself had to admit that the rejuvenating effect of his drug was very short-lived, which was followed by an even faster withering of the body. He died five years later. However, the rejuvenating effect of hormonal drugs was widely advertised in the non-medical press for a long time. Nevertheless, the report of Brown-Séquard was followed by a period of numerous attempts at rejuvenation with the help of hormonal drugs, both in the experiment and in the clinic.

The rejuvenation attempts carried out in Paris in 1919 by the Russian surgeon S. A. Voronov, who transplanted the testes of great apes, rams, etc., into men, gained immense popularity. Interest in such operations increased by leaps and bounds. Voronov was literally besieged by elderly people with requests to perform operations. He made a lot of them and became not only popular, but also a rich man. In a short time he published several books on the subject. And if the first of them was imbued with enthusiasm and enthusiasm, was full of hope that a way had been found to restore youth to old people, then in subsequent books there was restraint, and then complete disappointment. In the end, summing up the results of several years of work, he, full of pessimism, said that all his work was in vain, that all this time he had been on the wrong path.

But even during the period of excitement about such operations, a lot of objections appeared in the press, both from a scientific and moral point of view, especially after some surgeons began to transplant testicles bought from poor young people into old men. And pretty soon interest in these experiments on humans cooled down. It turned out that with the help of the methods known to us it is impossible to perform a transplant with complete success, since in a foreign body the necrosis of the tissue of the testicles occurs, it is destroyed and ceases to produce hormones, for which this operation was carried out. The short-term success obtained during the operation is explained by the fact that some part of these hormones, being absorbed, produced a stimulating effect on individual tissues and on the whole organism as a whole. Besides, what can be done, say, in rats, is not always applicable to man with his higher and finer organization.

Further experiments, including on humans, showed that the transplantation of any tissue, one way or another processed, has a stimulating effect on the body, including the endocrine system. The transplantation of the testicles has not a specific, but a general biological effect, like the replanting of any other foreign tissue.

Despite the fact that the issue of testicular transplantation was removed from scientific discussion and these operations ceased, interest in the effects of hormonal drugs on the body has not disappeared. Attempts began to stimulate the activity of the old people's own testicles.

In this regard, Steinakh attracted the attention, who first in the experiment, and then in the clinic, proved that if the production of the testes is delayed in the body, then it, being absorbed, has a significant rejuvenating effect on the body, giving it youthful freshness and energy. To this end, he used the operation of dissecting the testicles, hoping that, entering the tissues, their products would be absorbed into the blood more vigorously and thus would have a more powerful effect. Later, he proposed a relatively minor operation - ligation of the vas deferens. Its purpose was that the products of the testicles, completely lingering in the body, were absorbed and had a stimulating effect.

Steinach's widely publicized operations also soon brought disappointment. Their positive consequences, if they took place, were far from being as great as the advertising promised. This great scientist was turned away by both his followers and the public, and he died in old age in poverty, abandoned by everyone.

Meanwhile, his ideas about the rejuvenating effect of such operations as ligation of the testes have a deep meaning and great general biological significance.

Operations carried out on experimental animals gave pronounced positive results; when applied to humans, these results are almost imperceptible. The fact is that the animal undergoes a gradual physiological aging and “wearing out” of all body functions. Against this background, stimulation from the testicles can have a positive effect on the entire body and for a long time revive and strengthen its functions. In humans, as a rule, premature, pathological aging takes place. Withering of the body occurs not due to a decrease in the functions of relatively healthy organs, but due to a painful change in organs and tissues. In addition, in humans, unlike animals, all age-related changes occur against the background of deep pathological changes in the nervous system. This explains the contradictions between the reports of individual scientists: while some confirmed the positive impact of the Steinach operation, others completely denied its significance.

In Kirensk, a 72-year-old Siberian peasant came to my hospital with a large neglected hernia. He said that he had never been ill with anything, except for a hernia, which appeared several years ago after he lifted a heavy log. She did not really bother him, but he was saddened by the fact that his male capabilities had sharply weakened in recent years - he attributed this to his hernia. After his first wife died, he married a young woman and was afraid that she would leave him.

You cut out this hernia for me. I think all my weakness is because of her, damn it.

By that time, I was well acquainted with the experiments and operations of Steinach and clearly understood that in this case the aging of the organism occurs according to the type of physiological old age with a relatively normal nervous system, and here such an operation can bring a certain effect. During the operation, which took place near the spermatic cord, I bandaged his spermatic duct on one side. The operation went smoothly, and the patient was discharged from the hospital in good spirits. A year later, he again came to the hospital and asked to be operated on for a hernia that had appeared on the other side. He said that after the first operation he felt a sharp improvement in his health. He had new strength, energy, increased interest in everything. And most importantly, what he was especially struck and pleased with was his masculine abilities.

This year we lived with my young wife as newlyweds. If you perform an operation on my hernia on the other side, then I will probably feel even better.

On this Siberian peasant, with his normal nervous organization and, consequently, his normal physiological old age, Steinach's operation had a literally magical effect. At the same time, in urban residents, in persons with premature pathological aging, the same operation gave a relatively weak and short-lived effect.

Thus, it can be considered undoubted that sex hormones have a stimulating effect on the body. However, such operations have now lost their meaning. Advances in organic chemistry have rendered surgical methods of testicular stimulation obsolete. It became obvious that it is easier and safer to use synthetic, chemically pure sex hormone testosterone for these purposes. Currently, not only doctors know that sex hormones introduced into the body of an elderly person increase energy, increase libido, and in some cases gradually enliven mental activity. It can be considered generally accepted that the moderate use of such hormones has a beneficial effect on the senile organism. However, this action is very uneven and short-lived. This is not a rejuvenation in the literal sense of the word, but rather a kind of exciting action. The uncontrolled use of hormones can be dangerous, as it upsets the balance of the senile body and is like applying a whip to a tired old horse.

Even Mechnikov at one time was looking for a biological agent, that is, a specific serum that would stimulate the activity of cells and thus rejuvenate the body. His work was continued by other Russian scientists, especially Bogomolets, who came to the conclusion that aging actually begins with the connective tissue. He made a special serum, which, in his opinion, enhances the production of antibodies, increases the body's resistance to various diseases and has a rejuvenating effect.

Of the modern methods of rejuvenation, the experiments and clinical observations of the Romanian scientist K.I. Parkhon deserve attention. Intramuscular injections of a 2% solution of novocaine had pronounced favorable, objectively detectable effects on the trophism of the elderly, revealing at the same time their positive effect on the course of various senile diseases. Novocain, eliminating side pathological influences, normalizes the physiological course of aging, causing the elderly to have a biological state that corresponds to their normal age.

The action of novocaine can now be considered as an important factor in the normalization of the body's nervous reactions. Meanwhile, at the heart of many diseases of our time, and especially the most common heart diseases, lies perverse reaction to external stimulus. This fact is still subject to in-depth study, but on the basis of even what is known, as well as on the basis of personal experience, it can be considered firmly established that the introduction of novocaine in combination with other therapeutic factors significantly enhances the effect of these factors used without novocaine.

None of these hypotheses, taken in isolation, can explain the cause of aging.

One thing is certain: aging is a natural process of development, and return impossible for youth. At the same time, all scientists agree that aging can be normal, physiological, that is, a slowly and gradually developing process, or vice versa, it can come on unnaturally quickly, that is, be pathological, premature. If in the first case they talk about physiological old age, ending in natural death, then in the second, they talk about pathological, premature old age, ending in premature death. Therefore, all the attention of scientists is currently directed to the study of the conditions that allow a person to live long, as well as the reasons that shorten his life, the reasons for his early aging. To answer these questions, there is a whole science - gerontology - with its own institutes, laboratories and a whole army of scientists.

Of course, it is difficult to count on the fact that such a complex issue, which has interested humanity for thousands of years and has not received an answer, will be resolved in a short time. Nevertheless, the scientific data already obtained make it possible to outline the paths that humanity should follow in order to make its life long and happy.

First of all, it is necessary to answer this question: is it necessary to live long? This question was not invented by me.

L. N. Tolstoy, the great Russian writer and thinker, at the age of 82 wrote in his notebook: “In extreme old age they think that they are living out their lives, but on the contrary, this is where the most precious and necessary work of life and for oneself goes , and for others. The value of life is inversely proportional to the squares of the distance from death.”

It is known that people in extreme old age showed an example of inspired work, which brought great joy and happiness to both the creators themselves and the people around them. So, Goethe wrote Faust at the age of 82, Verdi created one of his best operas Falstaff at the age of 79, and King Lear at the age of 81, I. P. Pavlov at the age of 85 performed a number of remarkable works on studying higher nervous activity and until the end of his days he continued to work as the head of one of the largest teams of scientists and his students. Bernard Shaw wrote brilliant articles at the age of 90. Therefore, old age does not necessarily mean weakness and helplessness. Everything depends, on the one hand, on the person himself, on his intellect, on his desire and ability to preserve his vitality, not to waste it on excesses and dissolute life, and on the other hand, on the culture and humanity of a society that takes care of those who once worked for him.

An analysis of the life of a modern person convinces us that our life is unacceptably short and we most often shorten it ourselves. If a person wants to do something useful for society, he must study long and hard. Studying in secondary and higher schools takes 15-16 years. Then a person works for three years after graduation. Then, if he is a scientist, he enters graduate school and writes his Ph.D. thesis for five years, and then, along with practical work, takes him ten years to write his doctoral dissertation. All these years the person continues to learn. A well-formed specialist who can teach others himself, he becomes, on average, by the age of 45, having studied for 38 years. Based on common sense, he should also teach others for at least 38 years. But very often a doctoral dissertation is defended at 50 and even at 55! How much time will be left that they will give to the people for their many years of study?! I say this because the lifespan of modern man must be significantly increased in comparison with previous periods in the life of mankind.

When does old age start? It turns out that this is not such a simple question, and the answers to it were given and are being given by various different scientists - not only at different times, but even at the same time.

In ancient times, human life was divided into two periods - youth and old age, and the turning point of human life was considered 35 years. Hippocrates considered such a point 42 years, and Avicenna - 40 years. Aristotle and Galen divided human life into three periods: youth, maturity, old age. The descending phase according to Galen begins at the age of 56. Many scientists of antiquity divided old age into two periods: old age and extreme old age. The first period according to Hippocrates began at 42 years old, the second - at 63 years old. At a later time, the beginning of real old age was attributed to 65 and even to 70 years. Since ancient times, the symptoms of old age have also been described. In an ancient Egyptian legend, an old man says: “Old age has come to me. My eyes are blind, there is no strength in my hands, my legs refuse to serve, my heart is tired” [M. D. Griman. Gerontology. M. 1964, p. 32.]. Hippocrates writes that old people have a cold, sluggish temperament, that the blood in old age is diluted and its quantity is reduced, that the skin and muscles are atrophied, the youthful elasticity of the body has disappeared.

At a later time, works appeared on the description of the psyche and anatomy of the elderly. At the same time, it was found that anatomical changes depend not only on age, but also on diseases that often accompany old age.

One thing is certain: the concept of old age is very individual and depends on the climate, national characteristics, lifestyle, intelligence, addiction to bad habits, the nature of this or that individual, etc. And at the same time, hardly anyone is currently aged 40- 42 years will be considered the beginning of old age, and 56 or even 63 years - the beginning of old age. If at this age someone looks like a deep old man, then a closer examination of such an "old man" necessarily reveals a long and severe abuse of alcohol or nicotine, or a severe debilitating illness under adverse social conditions. But the higher the intellect, the longer a person retains the features characteristic of youth. Some character traits can also age prematurely. So, according to the observations of scientists, evil, unfriendly people grow old ahead of time, while kind, open people retain youth and energy much longer. In the same way, people who do ungodly, vile deeds, slander honest people, engage in squabbles and deceit, people who constantly hide their own face and live in an atmosphere of deceit, misanthropy, selfish people who think only about their own gain - in short, people evil and loafers - do not live long. They age much faster than honest, noble people who strive to do good to others and work selflessly. And this, from the point of view of the teachings of IP Pavlov, finds its explanation. In fact, no matter how rooted in meanness a person is, every time he commits an evil deed, which, if revealed, can bring him punishment, fear involuntarily, somewhere in the depths, latently nests. And from this, all vessels are compressed, including those that feed the heart and brain. There is a vasospasm - that is, lack of blood supply and hence premature wear. People who do good deeds, honest and noble, feel joy; their organs and tissues are normally supplied with blood, and premature wear does not occur.

At present, the concept of old age has moved many years. If under Hippocrates the initial period of old age was 40 years, now it is referred to 61 years. The second period - extreme old age - refers to the age of 76 years.

What is the limit of human life? What is the duration of life assigned to man by God? This question is not easy to answer. The vast majority of representatives of the animal world do not live long. Rats - 30 months, mice - 3.5 years, cats - 9-10 years, wolves and dogs - 10-15 years, moles and horses - up to 40 years, some birds (eagles, swans, crows, parrots) - up to 100 years, whales - an average of 32 years, elephants - 69 years (although some representatives live up to 100 years). Among mammals, humans live the longest. However, what is the limit of his life, it is impossible to say. According to the Bible, Adam lived 930 years, Noah - 950 years, Methuselah - 969 years. Modern theologians doubt the validity of such records.

Nevertheless, in scientific, popular science and socio-political literature, many cases of long life of people are described, which are perceived as reliable. So it is reported that in Pakistan, at the age of 180, the leader of the tribe, Mahammed Afzia, died; his father died at over 200 years of age. Ossetian Tense Abzive lived 180 years. Khazitev Arsigiri, a resident of the Grozny region, lived the same amount of time. A resident of Hungary Zoltan Petrazh died at the age of 186 years. English fisherman Henry Jennicke died at the age of 169 in Yorkshire. Another Englishman, Thomas Parr, came from Yorkshire to London in 1635 to appear before King Charles I as a miracle of longevity. This English peasant claimed to be 152 years 9 months old, outlived nine kings and lived from the 15th to the 17th century. Parr died suddenly in London. To open it, the court physician William Harvey was invited, who discovered blood circulation. He wrote a treatise on the autopsy results that did not question Parr's age. Death was due to sudden overeating.

From modern cases, the example of the Turk Zaro Agha (1778-1934), who lived for 156 years, is described. In total, he had 25 children and 34 grandchildren, being married 13 times. A photograph of the Azerbaijani collective farmer Mukhamed Eyvazov at the age of 148, as the oldest inhabitant of the USSR, was placed on a postage stamp.

Paracelsus believed that a person can live up to 600 years. According to H. V. Hufeland, A. F. Haller and E. F. Promoger, the natural limit of human life is 200 years. II Mechnikov, Zh. Orina and A. Bogomolets believe that this limit does not exceed 150-160 years.

Analyzing the life of animals, some scientists put forward the following theory: if a horse needs 3-4 years to grow and become an adult, but it lives 30-40 years; if a dog needs 1.5-2 years to grow up and become an adult, and it lives 15-20 years, that is, 7-10 times more, then, based on this ratio, a person who becomes an adult by the age of 20 , should live more than 100 years (150-200).

All famous centenarians, including Thomas Parr at 152 or Zaro Aga, died of disease, not age. The first is from sudden overeating at the royal table, and the second is from a uremic coma caused by prostate hypertrophy. Autopsies performed on older people have confirmed that none of them died of old age Everyone died from one disease or another.

Many scientists believe that outstanding longevity is predominantly hereditary.

Isn't it time for us to conduct a thorough analysis of our life and establish whether we are living our age, and if not, what are the reasons that shorten it?

Man throws thousands of billions on the invention of weapons that destroy people. Is it possible to spend a small share of these funds on something that, if not lengthen, then at least not shorten our life. Therefore, along with what we will try to tell here about how to make our life longer, we must definitely say what needs to be done so as not to shorten our lives and the lives of other people.

Life is inevitably accompanied by aging. Changes in the human body occur after the age of 20, that is, having barely reached maturity, our body begins to slowly lean towards old age. But only after 60 years new signs are discovered that turn an adult into an old man. Mechnikov said best and simply: “General old age is such a stage in the existence of an organism when forces weaken and decrease so as not to return.”

It is impossible to precisely specify the age limit at which old age begins. In different people, aging occurs in different ways and depends on so many reasons: from socio-economic, hereditary to, let's say, not yet studied.

The cause of old age should be sought not in changes in a single organ or system of organs, but in changes in the whole organism, the activity of which regulated by the nervous system. A particularly important role in the premature aging of the body is played by its higher sections - the cerebral cortex. That organism is healthy, in which the nervous system functions correctly and provides all its functions.

In confirmation of this view, experiments were carried out on dogs, which were given a long-term nervous load that was unbearable for them, causing a systematic overstrain of the nervous system. This led to an overstrain of the cerebral cortex. Dogs quickly grew decrepit, became sullen and died from various diseases. At the same time, control dogs, developing under normal conditions, did not get sick and lived much longer than the experimental ones. Violation of the activity of the central nervous system, and mainly the cerebral cortex, can cause premature aging as a kind of disease. An upset nervous system changes the normal functioning of the heart, the respiratory and digestive apparatus, metabolism and other vital functions, changes the physiological processes that provide the body's protective abilities and the state of equilibrium with the external environment. Experiments show that when higher nervous activity is disrupted, the work of internal organs is sharply disrupted, which creates conditions for early wear and tear of the body, and, consequently, premature death.

But, on the other hand, complete inaction, relaxation, the complete absence of irritating and exciting factors does not lead to a long life.

It turns out that the group of dogs that live the longest in Pavlov's experiments is that which is not subjected to excessive irritations, but also not placed in conditions of complete rest, absence of irritations and inactivity, that is, is in normal "dog" conditions. The same can be said about a person.

In short, if for a long life of a dog not special, human, but normal canine conditions are needed, then it is also necessary for a person that he should live in human, and not in "dog" conditions, in which he often lives only because in these conditions set by his society. Often (most often) a person lives in "dog" conditions created by himself (drinks, smokes, violates the regime of work, rest, sleep, etc.) or society - in connection with extreme events (war, earthquake, flood) or social upheavals.

But you need to understand: no matter how early a person grows old, no matter what reasons lead to this, it is already impossible to return youth. Lost youth cannot be regained. But it can be saved... Save. And save for a very long time!

I say this with full responsibility for my words, because at the age of 95 I drive a car, give lectures and perform (without glasses) the most difficult operations.