Health food. For example, people with hyperlipidemia can choose to adjust their blood lipids, people with hypertension can choose to adjust their blood pressure, people with hyperglycemia can choose to adjust their blood sugar, people with poor gastrointestinal function can choose to improve their gastrointestinal function, and people with frequent poor sleep can choose to improve their sleep function. Others, such as anti-aging, anti-fatigue and supplementary nutrition, can be selected according to actual conditions. Here, we will focus on the anti-aging function. For other categories, please refer to the relevant chapters in this book.
There are several theories about aging mechanism, such as programmed cell replication theory, immune system theory and free radical theory, among which free radical theory is the most concerned. According to this theory, the aging process can be influenced by physical, chemical and biological stimuli, including ionization, radiation, infrared, ultraviolet and light radiation, which make cells produce free radicals and attack unsaturated fatty acids to produce lipid peroxidation. Leading to the destruction of biological macromolecules and cells. The body has the ability to resist free radicals, but this ability decreases with age. The increase of free radical reaction and peroxide in the elderly may lead to the aging process and diseases in the elderly. As far as nutrition itself is concerned, no food or nutrient can affect the aging process itself, nor can it play the role of "immortality" or longevity. However, nutrition is the most important factor in various external environments that affect human life.
An important condition for disease prevention and longevity.
1. Food with anti-aging effect
(1) Food with antioxidant function. Soybean contains soybean saponin, fresh corn contains vitamin E, eggs are rich in phospholipids, vitamin A, vitamin B and carotene, and tea contains vitamins E, C, P, tea tannin and manganese, which have antioxidant effect, anti-aging and prevention and treatment of senile diseases. Black-bone chicken has complete nutrients and high content. Among them, vitamin E, carotene, vitamin C and other antioxidant nutrients are higher than ordinary broilers. Studies have proved that black-bone chicken can improve its anti-fatigue, cold-resistance, heat-resistance and hypoxia-resistance, enhance its immune function, and have the functions of nourishing and strengthening the body and prolonging life. Sesame has antioxidant capacity, which is conducive to delaying aging.
(2) Foods with various anti-aging functions such as improving immune function and promoting metabolism.
Bee milk can enhance the immune function of experimental animals. Under the conditions of low pressure, hypoxia, high temperature, poisoning, infection and organ damage, the death time was longer than that of the control group. Bee milk has the ability to promote tissue regeneration, protein synthesis and metabolism, and has many functions in slowing down natural death. Leek contains a certain amount of sulfide, and sulfur ion is the strongest reducing agent among known anions, which has the functions of softening blood vessels, promoting the absorption of blood stasis and dredging microcirculation.
(3) others. The nutrients in yogurt are easily absorbed and utilized. Lactic acid bacteria can maintain the balance of intestinal flora and have a certain effect on delaying aging. Ganoderma lucidum can obviously prolong the average life span of silkworm and fruit fly, and has anti-aging effect.
2. Health food with anti-aging effect.
(1) antioxidant health food. At present, the free radical theory of aging has been generally recognized, so the use of antioxidant nutrients or bioactive substances to delay aging is also widely used. Health food with the main function of delaying aging in the market mostly takes nutrients or active substances with antioxidant function as functional components. It can directly participate in anti-oxidation or improve the effects of superoxide dismutase (sod) and glutathione peroxidase in vivo, scavenge oxygen free radicals, reduce lipid peroxidation in vivo, and alleviate or delay the damage of free radicals to cells, thus playing a role in delaying aging. Commonly used nutrients include vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, carotene, selenium, zinc, metallothionein and so on.
(2) Health food for improving immune function. The decline of immune function in the elderly is easy to get sick and promote aging. People who are weak and easy to catch a cold and have poor resistance can choose this kind of health food to nourish and strengthen their bodies. Ginseng can prolong the life of cells, resist oxidation and improve immunity, and is the first choice in this kind of health food. American ginseng and its products and formic acid products have good health care function.
(3) Multifunctional health food. Aging is a gradual process after the comprehensive action of many factors, so anti-aging is also multifaceted. Anti-fatigue, blood lipid regulation, hypoxia tolerance, anti-oxidation and immune regulation all contribute to delaying aging. Some substances, such as donkey-hide gelatin and formic acid, have the above multiple functions. It can be used to prolong life. Some health foods with the main function of "delaying aging" can improve the physique, nourish the body and prolong life of middle-aged and elderly people by adding some substances with other functions such as improving immunity or anti-fatigue. For example, antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E and vitamin A are combined with lecithin, A- linolenic acid and dietary fiber, or combined with ginsenoside and American ginseng saponin.
(4) others. Oral liquid, health wine, etc. It is made of Chinese herbal medicines or foods that nourish yin and blood, tonify kidney and warm yang, and has certain effects on delaying aging, nourishing and strengthening the body according to different proportions.