Before I left for my long trip to Africa, Malaysia and Bali, I made time to have lunch with an old friend. We met in medical school, but haven’t seen each other in years. I told him that after medical school I became certified in anti-aging medicine.
He said, “I hate to be the one to break the news to you Al, but anti-aging is pure hype. Aging is part of life, and there’s just no evidence that any of us can do anything about it.”
I explained to him that my goal wasn’t to extend life. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a worthwhile pursuit. But it’s never been my goal for anti-aging.
You see, aging may be a normal part of life, but that doesn’t make it desirable. The aging process is the root of serious health problems. We die because we get sick. And we get sick because we get old. And there are many ways you can avoid serious health problems as you get older. So, my goal as an anti-aging doctor has always been to help you live better, starting right now, so you can enjoy the benefits of youth for life.
This is why I talk to you a lot about telomeres, the tiny timekeepers inside your cells. Keeping them longer is the key to living younger. Because when your cells act younger, so does your body.
Today, I want to tell you about a “breakthrough” you can use, starting right now, to begin maintaining the length of your telomeres. It will make a huge difference in how disease-resistant your body is as you age. Just watch this short video and I’ll show you what I’m talking about.
For example, an important thing you can do to maintain telomeres at any age is to get more of a mostly overlooked nutrient, but one that we now know your body relies on to keep your telomeres longer.
I’m talking about magnesium.
Did you know that 60% of Americans don’t get even the minimum your body needs?
That means almost no one is getting the amount you need for optimal health. And nowhere near enough to promote youthful telomere length and help fight off the diseases that go along with aging.
You used to be able to get lots of it by eating nuts, seeds, dairy products and dark green, leafy vegetables. And it used to be in your drinking water, too. But not anymore. If you watch the video, I’ll tell you why this is happening and what you can do about it.
But if you can’t get enough magnesium through food, you can take a supplement. I recommend between 600 and 1000 mg a day. Take it with vitamin B6. It will increase the amount of magnesium that accumulates in your cells.
1. Rowe W. “Correcting magnesium deficiencies may prolong life.” Clin Interv Aging. 2012;7:51-4.