Complexity Digest 2005.19 - 13

09-May-2005

Mouse Research Bolsters Controversial Theory Of Aging, Scientific American Bookmark and Share

Excerpts:
Aging is a process we humans tend to fight every step of the way. The results of a mouse study underscore the potential of antioxidants as a tool in that battle: animals genetically modified to produce more antioxidant enzymes lived longer than control animals did. They also exhibited fewer age-related health problems overall.

The free radical theory of aging posits that substances with unpaired electrons attack the body's molecules and cause the functional decline of organs over time. Thus, antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals, should slow this deterioration.