SRINU- KRIYA - SUPER- CENTENARIANS - 3

SRINU KRIYA – SUPER CENTENARIANS  - 3

Hai Friends,

                        As the brain ages, the graymatter shrinks and the white matter starts to breakup.  Shrinkage is particularly evident in the prefrontal cortex, where high-level thinking and reasoning takes place, and the Hippo-campus, which place center role memory.   There are fewer receptors and other protein too, but most dramatic fall in the amount of dopamine a neuro transmitter, whose many functions include movement control, general motivation and learning.  From early adult hood onwards, Dopamine levels drops by about 10% per decade, making it a powerful marker of brain aging 

                        Aerobic exercise can slow cognitive decline by stimulating production of BDNF, which help the growth of new blood vessels, not only in the muscles being exercised but in the brain as well.   Several studies have shown that people of all ages can improve their performance on specific computer tasks in which they train.   Grand child wins short runs – Grandfa’s wins marathon runs.  Low metabolic rate is also important.

                        Shortening of telomeres (DNA caps on the tips of the chromosomes) disturbs stem cells.  With a ready supply of active stem cells, older muscles might be made stronger, falling brains could become less prone to cognitive lapses, and aged bone marrow could be better able to produce the infection fighting T-and B-Cells.   If stem cells in older people could be made to retain their effectiveness, perhaps broken bones and skin wounds could be made to heal faster and, with time, we might be able to treat the conditions of oldage such as dementia and heart disease.   A landmark experiment showed the dramatic effect that external factors could have on stem cells.  Stem cells in old tissue enliven their environment and the signal can carry. 

                        The Gut Microbiota appears to be driven by what people eat.  Elder people olfactory lobe losses it’s efficiency, so they typically cannot taste or smell as well as they used to, decreasing the appeal of some foods.  Older people tend to have a much more balanced diet, which more fiber, protein chicken and only fish.  Telomerase reverse transcriptse (TERT) resulted in 24% extension of longevity without increasing the risk of cancers.(Contd... 4-9) 1st November.

With courtesy of nature, scientific America, national Geographic, Benarus Hindu University, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama and Google images.