Scribd
Upload
16 views

B 02172012

The document discusses several popular theories of aging, including the activity theory of aging which links social engagement with longevity, the free-radical theory which ties cellular damage from free radicals to aging effects, and the immunologic theory proposed by Roy Walford that encompasses factors like caloric restriction and immunosenescence. It suggests these theories do not fully explain the aging process and that understanding molecular mechanisms is key to further insights, paving the way for approaches like resveratrol supplements or stem cell therapy.

Uploaded by

Gemiliano Aligui
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
16 views

B 02172012

The document discusses several popular theories of aging, including the activity theory of aging which links social engagement with longevity, the free-radical theory which ties cellular damage from free radicals to aging effects, and the immunologic theory proposed by Roy Walford that encompasses factors like caloric restriction and immunosenescence. It suggests these theories do not fully explain the aging process and that understanding molecular mechanisms is key to further insights, paving the way for approaches like resveratrol supplements or stem cell therapy.

Uploaded by

Gemiliano Aligui
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Resveratrol Delays Aging. Part 1. Understanding the Theories of Aging.

Currently aging as a complex biological process that is still being studied and many aspects of aging are still unknown. Having been trained at Brown University in Gerontology way back in the 1990s, we have often referred to diet and lifestyle as the determinants of the aging process. While these factors remain true today, the advances in molecular medicine give us the insights that it is at the molecular level and by neurophysiologic mechanisms that many of these aging events are explained. These mechanisms have yet to be pursued by gerontologists and molecular biologists. There are several popular beliefs or thinking about aging from socio-biological to pure biological pathways. The Activity Theory of Aging by Lemon, Bengstron and Peterson (1972) relates to the fact that the more socially active people are the more they are satisfied and the longer they live. In other words, people who continue to engage in social and physical activities tend to live longer. The other theory is the Free-Radical Theory of Aging which states that the many changes in the body or so-called cellular damage are caused by free radicals. The damage accumulates over time which accounts for why the body age. However, this theory does not explain all of what occurs in aging and is thought to be just part of the process of aging. This is where diet plays a big role in protecting the body against biological damage. The next is the Immunologic Theory of Aging which was contributed by Roy Walford, a pathobiologist (1924-2004). This theory has a diversity of issues such as caloric restriction, genetics, immunosenescence, DNA repair and replicative senescence. By far these ideas are the most dynamic and far reaching of all. From Walford s work we can explore many ideas from molecules that mimic caloric restriction such Resveratrol to the more advanced molecular mechanisms involved in Stem Cell Therapy.

You might also like