Why We Can't Live Forever, Despite Having A Young Body

[tex]

Hi All,

It's well known that our body is continually replacing cells with new ones, in order to maintain optimum function. The various types of epithelia in and on the body, seem to be the tissues most frequently replaced. The skin, for example, is replaced about every 2 weeks, whereas the lining of the stomach and intestines are replaced about every 5 days, (due to the tough job that they have to perform). Other than the epithelial cells, most cells in the body appear to be replaced about every 16 years. Our skeleton, for example, is replaced about every 10 years or so.

When you consider that all of the epithelial cells in our GI tract, from stomach to anus, are renewed on about a 5-day schedule, it really becomes clear just how devastating the inflammation caused by an IBD, must actually be. I can't help but wonder if an IBD might actually interfere with the normal cell replacement routine, in addition to damaging existing cells. I can remember looking in the mirror, when my MC was active, and noticing how much older I looked, with each passing week. Whatever the case, the net result of an IBD is a huge waste of energy, as the body struggles to repair the damage, while the damage continues to accumulate at an increasing rate. No wonder we feel exhausted when MC is active.

So why do we age? Well, apparently, certain cells are never replaced. Some, (not all), cells in the brain, for example, and in the eye, have to last for a lifetime. Probably the most important, though, is our DNA - it may be altered, (degraded), over time, but it is never renewed, and accumulated defects, (much like the accumulated problems in the registry of a computer operating system, that tend to bog it down, and may eventually result in the "blue screen of death", so well known to users of Microsoft Windows, for example), may eventually lead to our demise. Maybe some day, someone will figure out how to "reprogram" our DNA, to get rid of the defects, and longevity will surge. Here's an interesting article on the subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/02/scien ... .html?_r=1

Tex

[MBombardier]

There is evidence that meditation can change the physical structure of the brain. http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/pub/a ... ity_05.pdf. I found this to be tremendously encouraging, as my experience with gluten- and thyroid-related brain fog had not endeared to me the thought of my brain going mushy during my golden years.

Our initial results suggest that meditation may be associated with structural changes in areas of the brain that are important for sensory, cognitive and emotional processing. The data further suggest that meditation may impact age-related declines in cortical structure.

[Gloria]

Tex,

Fascinating article. I was impressed with his method of using carbon 14 to test the age of the cells. He was definitely thinking outside the box.

I can't help but wonder if an IBD might actually interfere with the normal cell replacement routine, in addition to damaging existing cells.

It does make one wonder why it takes so long for the gut to heal if it the cells are replaced every 5 days.

Gloria

[grannyh]

The last thing our government wants is for us to live longer.. LOL
grannyh