Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 1)

I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenationexperiments that confirm the theory, at least
possible and how to approach it? This is just my ownpartially. Many big trials and experiments are published
opinion about possible procedures. I used certainin leading journals - Science, Nature, PNAS, New
techniques based on a theory. As strange as itEngland JM, JAMA, etc.One bias for caloric restriction
sounds some of those techniques and proceduresexperiment in my opinion is following. Rats live in cage
might actually worked.There are several hundreds30cmX60cm for their whole life. There are at least
theories of aging. New and old ones. Differentfive rats or 20 mice. They live couple years and die.
authors classify them differently.I would divide allDuring the experiments they are celebrities when
those theories into 2 groups :1. Theories ofthey live 5 years - some lucky ones. The Food is a
Deterioration from external cause. "Wear and tear".balanced mixture of nutrition. Caloric restriction is -
Theory of free radicals damage is most fashionable60% of their regular meal. They practically don't
at present time. Antioxidants are considered a cure.move - there is no space in cage. Mostly they sleep
Benefits of caloric restriction are often explained bywhole day. Sometime they fight and mate. They live
that theory. The theory has good objective supportin those conditions at Yale, at Med U of South
in scientific literature. Other theories of this groupCarolina, at Russian State Medical University and I
included changes of bacteria in the gut, radiation andthink everywhere else. To compare our fellow
accumulation of mutations during life of an individual,humans we would place 10 people on area of 20
etc. - many more of those theories were discussedsquare metres (200 sq. feet) for 50 years in a row,
in the XX century. 2. Internal clock - theories.I wouldfeeding them with what they want but all the same -
divide the "internal clock" theories into 2 morelet say junk food from McDonalds.I remember my
subgroups: 1. Internal clock on the level of cell.cat (who was partially wild) stole meat and ate until it
Telomeres shortening is the most discussed instarted to vomit. He repeated it many times when
literature at present. 2. Internal clock on the level ofhe was able to steal some steak or whatever. The
organism. Growth hormone changes was a recentsame happens in wild - lions have maybe one
example of discussion.Authors are usually verysuccessful hunt out of ten. When they catch a prey,
cautious and objective in scientific literature.they eat like crazy. Much more than they can digest
Telomeres are usually discussed in connection withat the moment. So it looks like there is an instinct.
"immortal" cancer cells. Caloric restriction is discussedEat as much as possible. This is not a joke - 60% of
as a mean of longevity (not rejuvenation per se).people in western countries are overweight.
Level of growth hormone (GH) or insulin-like growthAbundant high calorie food and lack of activity. It
factor drops in aged persons.Mass media speculatesdoes not seem that for these people any internal
wider: telomeres restoration - possible immortal life,mechanism restricts food consumption. Applying this
growth hormone will rejuvenate you, etc.Originalback to rats, we can see that what is considered
scientific studies usually do not speculate about this.normal consumption - "ad lib" - maybe actually big
In no way for example drop of GH level in elderlyoverfeeding of the animals in these cages.In this case
means that just giving it back will make you young60% of caloric restriction would be just what rats
again.Scientific literature rarely discuss "Rejuvenation"need, just what the calories they spend in lazy,
as it is. Authors mostly talk about "longevity". This isuneventful daily life. So called "control", "normal" rats -
very different story. Longevity in a wheelchair is verythat fed as they usually fed might be compared for
distinct from a youth playing soccer. One provenfat overweight humans. They consume junk food.
method to reach longevity is caloric restriction. OftenThey prone to the bunch of diseases of obesity and
they say it is the only proven technique. Usinglow activity. Heart diseases, strokes, variety of
antioxidants as a method to prolong life is in thecancers, arthritis, etc.In this case all the hype about
same category. To put simple, the Theory says:caloric restriction would just be brought to the
nutrition produce products of oxidation - peroxides,business of mere balancing diet and activity in so
etc. These products damage DNA, proteins, etc. Cellcalled "calorie-restricted animals". I haven't seen any
ages. Caloric restriction switches metabolic pathways.discussion of this problem. I might be wrong. This is
There are less free radicals. Hence longevity.why I use caloric restriction for myself. I did not
Antioxidants work in similar way - they remove freework with worms and spiders. But my guess would
radicals. Another speculation is that caloric restrictionbe that they all are also in artificial standardized
starting at young age delays reproductive age inconditions. "Control" worms might be also overfed. To
animals and this slows down biological clocks andput rats into bigger cages (to increase activity in
prolongs life until an environment with high nutritioncontrol group and balance calories and catabolism)
supply is found. Animals look small andwould be incredibly expensive.Even at present
undeveloped.Caloric restriction significantlyconditions because of "animal lovers" and bunch of
(25%-100% and more) prolonged life in worms, flies,other regulations and considerations (e.g. sterile
spiders, rats, mice, etc. Experiments on monkeys andconditions), the price of animal housing is sky-high.You
humans are under way and will take decades.Well, itwould say animals in wild would live longer because
is all good in experiments and theories. Some argue:they balance activity and consumption. Well, recently
why in this case prisoners of concentration camps doI read that life span of animals in wild is shorter than
not live longer. Another example came fromanimals in captivity. Correct me if I am wrong: pandas
"Scientific American" - a person had caloric restrictionlive 15-20 years in nature and 20-30 in zoos, bears
of something 20 years or more - no effect - he just20-25 in nature and 30-40 in captivity. Civilization has
looks like very thin undernourished person of 50certain benefits - vaccinations, good medical care,
years. Examples of opposite opinion also exist (tribesmore or less good hygiene. So just moving into wild
or groups with low food consumption or highconditions wouldn't make you younger or allow to live
antioxidants consumption have more centenarianslonger.Now, to discuss rejuvenation procedures, I
than general population). Maybe you really need towould need to talk about aging first. In this case
start at 10 years of age, look malnourished and weakRejuvenation could be considered as reversal of aging
for the whole life and live to 100 years, getting to(deterioration). Longevity is different story - it is
your puberty at 25. Antioxidants also bring manyprolonged life span. Rejuvenation supposedly should
controversy. Vitamin E did not show many benefitslead to longevity. But longevity is not equal to
though it was a big hope for prevention of manyRejuvenation. Aging leads to Death eventually. It is
diseases of old age. And so on. Today there are bigeasier to discuss from that end.All written here is just
trials that disprove the theory. Tomorrow - greatplain speculation, take it with a grain of salt.