Soil degradation is one of the growing problems that affects all living beings on the planet. The UPV professor refers not only to the use of certain agricultural practices, but also to the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
María Dolores Raigón, professor of Soil Science: “there is research that collects changes in the composition of foods during historical series going back 120 years. The results are conclusive: foods lose the concentrations of minerals and vitamin principles over the years."
According to data collected by the pharmaceutical laboratory Ciba Geigy (Switzerland), broccoli has seen its calcium percentage decrease by 73% between 1985 and 2002, as well as folic acid by 62% and magnesium by 55%. In the case of spinach, they have lost 78% of calcium and 65% of vitamin C in this period, while bananas have lost up to 92% of vitamin B6. When it comes to healthy phenolic compounds in foods, organic clearly beat conventional.
The researchers attributed the higher levels of phenols in organic crops to the soil.
Aging affects cognition and all types of chronic and degenerative diseases. Telomere length is epigenetically regulated by DNA and histone methylation. Telomere length shortens with normal aging, life stress, infections, and chronic diseases. . Multivitamin supplements contain large amounts of many vitamins and minerals and therefore represent an important source of micronutrient intake. Studies provide evidence linking multivitamin use with longer leukocyte telomeres. Intake of vitamin C and E, whether through diet or multivitamins, is positively associated with longer telomeres. In multivitamin users, approximately 63% of vitamin C and 84% of vitamin E came from supplemental sources.
An association between plasma folate concentration and telomere length has been reported. Vitamin B12 derived from supplements can reduce inflammation, support energy metabolism, and maintain proper epigenetic characteristics that may explain longer telomeres. Vitamin B 12 deficiency exacerbates age-related cognitive decline, inflammation, and reduced regenerative capacity and potential for cellular reprogramming.
Nicotinamide influences telomere length due to the role of PARP. The anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties of vitamin D limit cell turnover, potentially reducing telomere length attrition. Magnesium influences telomere length by affecting DNA integrity and repair, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Zinc may affect telomere length by influencing telomerase activity, DNA integrity, oxidative stress, and susceptibility to infections. Curcumin decreases DNA damage and shows a tendency to have longer telomeres. Polyphenols are also effective. In figure 1 of the first link, potential mechanisms behind the influence of nutrients on telomere length. In general, a multivitamin mixture containing vitamins and a combination of polyphenolic compounds is advisable to reduce telomere shortening.
Soil degradation is one of the growing problems that affects all living beings on the planet. The UPV professor refers not only to the use of certain agricultural practices, but also to the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
María Dolores Raigón, professor of Soil Science: “there is research that collects changes in the composition of foods during historical series going back 120 years. The results are conclusive: foods lose the concentrations of minerals and vitamin principles over the years."
According to data collected by the pharmaceutical laboratory Ciba Geigy (Switzerland), broccoli has seen its calcium percentage decrease by 73% between 1985 and 2002, as well as folic acid by 62% and magnesium by 55%. In the case of spinach, they have lost 78% of calcium and 65% of vitamin C in this period, while bananas have lost up to 92% of vitamin B6. When it comes to healthy phenolic compounds in foods, organic clearly beat conventional.
The researchers attributed the higher levels of phenols in organic crops to the soil.
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/4/3870 (2014).--
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540105.2021.1874885 (2021).--
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10341-022-00723-5 (2023).--
Aging affects cognition and all types of chronic and degenerative diseases. Telomere length is epigenetically regulated by DNA and histone methylation. Telomere length shortens with normal aging, life stress, infections, and chronic diseases. . Multivitamin supplements contain large amounts of many vitamins and minerals and therefore represent an important source of micronutrient intake. Studies provide evidence linking multivitamin use with longer leukocyte telomeres. Intake of vitamin C and E, whether through diet or multivitamins, is positively associated with longer telomeres. In multivitamin users, approximately 63% of vitamin C and 84% of vitamin E came from supplemental sources.
An association between plasma folate concentration and telomere length has been reported. Vitamin B12 derived from supplements can reduce inflammation, support energy metabolism, and maintain proper epigenetic characteristics that may explain longer telomeres. Vitamin B 12 deficiency exacerbates age-related cognitive decline, inflammation, and reduced regenerative capacity and potential for cellular reprogramming.
Nicotinamide influences telomere length due to the role of PARP. The anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties of vitamin D limit cell turnover, potentially reducing telomere length attrition. Magnesium influences telomere length by affecting DNA integrity and repair, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Zinc may affect telomere length by influencing telomerase activity, DNA integrity, oxidative stress, and susceptibility to infections. Curcumin decreases DNA damage and shows a tendency to have longer telomeres. Polyphenols are also effective. In figure 1 of the first link, potential mechanisms behind the influence of nutrients on telomere length. In general, a multivitamin mixture containing vitamins and a combination of polyphenolic compounds is advisable to reduce telomere shortening.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286311000052 (2011).--
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128092521000146 (2018).-
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19390211.2023.2179153 (2023).--
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fragi.2024.1339317/full (2024).--
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/9/5044 (2024).--
In TABLE 1 natural compounds of plant origin that promote life extension by increasing one or more characteristics of aging.—
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fft2.350