The Anti-Aging Powers of

Super Foods

Wine PolyphenolsGrapevines have been cultivated for

over 6,000 years in some of the most chal-lenging environments on earth … where they survive intense sun; long periods of drought; assaults from fungi, parasites, and other diseases. To help cope with these challenges, grapevines produce a host of protective substances … many of which are now finding a place in human health and longevity.

To combat the stresses of harsh envi-ronments, grapevines produce chemi-cals known as phenolic acids, stilbenes, and flavonoids.1,2 When these molecules clump together, they produce potent antifungal and antioxidant substances called polyphenols. Scientists are con-tinually learning more about how these polyphenols and other grapevine chemi-cals are absorbed in the human digestive tract to serve crucial antioxidant and life-preserving functions.

We get these polyphenols in very high concentrations from red wines, which have long been used for medicinal pur-poses. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the true source of their benefits was explored. It turns out that when red wine is made, the juice “rests” in contact with both the grape skins and seeds (a step that’s absent in white wine production). And the resulting benefits are apparent in the “French paradox.”

Despite a high cholesterol diet, the risk of Frenchmen dying from heart disease is nearly 50% less than for Americans and other Europeans.3-5 The predominant reason is that the French drink far more red wine than the rest of us. Wine which contains powerful antioxidants and other factors … quercetin, resveratrol, proan-thocyanidins (from seeds), anthocya-nins (which give purple and red grapes their color) … classified as polyphenols, that protect the heart and vascular system.1,6-8

The super-antioxidants found in grape seeds are particularly powerful … and provide a broad spectrum of protec-tion.9,10 Scientific studies document their multiple benefits which include antibiotic, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer, pro-heart and arteries, and anti-brain aging.9,11,12

All of which is why wine … especially red wine … tops our list of super foods to include!

Blueberry FlavonoidsBlueberries have appropriately been

labeled a “super fruit,” possessing the abil-ity to block and even reverse many of the consequences of aging.

It was first suggested 10 years ago that blueberries protect brain function and cognition. Since then, research has also revealed multiple additional health

Life Extension

Foundation®For more than 32 years, the Life Extension Foundation has sought to help people like you live healthier longer. To that end, we’ve spent over $100 million on innovative anti-aging research, and made it our business to provide our members with products, services, and information to help them make better health decisions.

Based on the research we fund and the information we report, we’ve formulated some 350 different premium-quality, science-based nutritional supplements to help you achieve and maintain optimal health … and assembled an integrative team of Health Advisors to help you in customizing personal regimens of diet, exercise, and nutritional supplements.

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You adhere to the old adage, “you are what you eat.” So you make it a point

to consume lean protein and darkly colored fruits and vegetables. But does

your diet include these super foods? If your goal is to stay younger and healthier longer,

it really should.

disease … and supports skin, joint, dental, and liver health.

Pomegranate’s clinically validated cardio-protective effects are the reason pomegranate juice is referred to as “heart-healthy.” 26 Some of its flavonoids help protect blood vessels against atherosclerosis27 … while other polyphenols have anti-inflammatory effects that further protect blood vessels from damage, prevent thickening of the arterial walls, and lower blood pressure.26

Pomegranate punicalagins, polyphenols unique to the pomegranate, slow prostate cancer cell growth.28 Ellagic acid and other pomegranate polyphenols dis-rupt cancer development at multiple stages29-31 … and inhibit growth of disease-causing bacteria, fungi, and parasites.32-34 The polyphenol pomegranatate35 fights weight gain, high glucose levels, and systemic inflam-mation to provide protection against type 2 diabetes.

Pomegranate flower extract slows the rate at which free sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream by inhib-iting the alpha-glucosidase36 digestive enzyme. And pomegranate seed oil offers potent chemoprevention against breast, prostate, and other common human cancers; facilitates the repair of aging skin; supports immune function, and reduces inflammation.29,37-39

Whew! All that from one funny looking fruit.

Pomegranate’s clinically validated cardio-protective effects are the reason pomegranate juice is referred to as “heart-healthy.” 26

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benefits provided by the flavonoids in blueberries, which have been found to possess potent antioxi-dant, anti-inflammatory, and gene regulating char-acteristics. Consuming blueberries is now associated with living longer and aging slower. See figure 1.

Blueberry flavonoids have been shown to improve: weight loss,17 high blood pressure,18 high triglyc-erides,19 high blood sugar levels.20-22 They also lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke, cancer, and loss of cognitive function. That’s a lot of benefit!

And, like cranberries, blueberries also contain com-pounds that promote urinary tract health by pre-venting E. coli bacteria, responsible for most urinary tract infections, from attaching to the bladder wall.23

Most scientists now agree that while the antioxi-dant function of blueberries is extremely important, it doesn’t even begin to stack up to the more complex effects of blueberry flavonoids on overall cell and tissue survival.24,25

Pomegranate Punicalagins and moreThere are a number of reasons to include pome-

granate in your diet. For starters, an abundance of clinical data has established that pomegranate pro-vides unrivalled protection against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s

Broccoli Glucosinolates Cruciferous vegetables are powerful anti-cancer

agents … especially broccoli, which contains so many life-extending nutrients. An average serving of cooked broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange, as much calcium as an eight-ounce glass of milk, and a broccoli spear has three times the fiber of a slice of wheat bread. Broccoli also includes generous amounts of manga-nese, beta carotene, and vitamin K. And broccoli’s health benefits are not diminished by steaming.40 Surprisingly, heat actually appears to increase its benefits!

Glucosinolates are the phyto-chemicals in broccoli shown to protect the human body against various types of cancer. In fact, people who eat four servings of broccoli a week slash their risk of colorectal cancer by more than 50%41 and may cut the risk of bladder cancer by 50%,42 compared to people who never eat it. And that’s not all.

Broccoli also helps prevent gastritis, stomach ulcers and stomach cancer (the second most common form of cancer)43 by killing helicobacter pylori, a tenacious bacteria that can infect stomach cells. When it does, it produces a toxin that can take two or three antibiot-ics to kill.

Researchers who learned that eating broccoli sprouts helped heal stomach ulcers began to explore

Cruciferous vegetables are powerful anti-cancer agents … especially broccoli, which contains so many life-extending nutrients.

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the antibiotic potential of the sulforaphane glucosino-late, a well known antioxidant in broccoli. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It seems that sulforaphane extracted from broccoli seeds wiped out strains of H. pylori from 45 people … and that included strains resistant to antibiotics.44 So now sulforaphane is being tested at several universities for its ability to stop the growth of human cancers.

In addition to killing cancer cells outright, these natural, organic cancer-fighters in broccoli discour-age cancer by stopping DNA damage. They enhance cellular defenses and prevent cancer from getting a toe-hold by detoxifying cancer-causing chemicals so they don’t turn carcinogenic in the body.

Because most cases of cancer can be prevented through diet and lifestyle, and because anything that kills pre-cancer and cancer cells is essential for cancer prevention, the science of broccoli is getting a lot of attention from cancer researchers and oncologists.

But be aware that if you decide to take broccoli in supplement form, more is not better. The phyto-compounds in broccoli and other cruciferous veg-etables are quite powerful. These substances can induce cancer cells to die within hours. So stick to the recommended dose.

Tissue Impact of Aging Effect of BlueberriesBrain Slows response to sounds Restores responses to youthful speeds13

Skin Wrinkling, thinning, roughness, saggingImproves overall appearance, restores skin thickness, smoothness, radiance, and firmness; reduces wrinkling14

Eye

Retinal cell death from light-induced damage, abnormal increase in blood vessels leading to macular degeneration and loss of vision

Improves cell survival, reduces damage from light, reduces new blood vessel formation15

Bone Increases bone loss More active bone-reproducing cells, reduces post-menopausal bone loss16

Tissue Impact of Aging Effect of Blueberries

Figure 1.

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So take the next step. Call a Life Extension Health Advisor now at 1-800-226-2370 toll-free. Find out what you need to be doing!

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And keep in mind that broccoli sprouts provide a more concentrated amount of these phyto-nutrients than the mature plant you buy at the grocery store. That’s why high-quality supplements are made from sprouts. And the only way to be sure of a consistent dose of their cancer-fighting compounds is to take a standardized supplement.

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