The Secret Key to Rejuvenation

Background on Longevity and Optimal Well-Being

Since I was a kid, it had been my innate interest to study the factors that might have helped promote long, disease-free life and sense of youthfulness in long-living people. This interest turned into a passion after I became a qualified Medical Herbalist and Naturopathic Doctor.

Studies on longevity found that those who live to a healthy old age is not caused by any particular genes, diet, smoking or even exercise but the ability to adapt to all kinds of stresses and restoration of balance. Having a strong body’s resistance to physical, biological, emotional and environmental stressors, fatigue, trauma and the ability to restore the balance of endocrine hormones, modulate immune system and allowing the body to maintain optimal homeostasis.

For example, if you go for a job interview and perceived it as a stressful experience, your blood pressure level may rise. If your adaptive energy is high, then your blood pressure level should restore to normal after you relax. If not, it shows that your body has lost its homeostasis and lifetime medications may be required (unless we work on our lifestyle, diet and use of certain herbs) to restore homeostasis.

With poor adaptive energy, we cannot cope with stresses and inflammation arises as a result.

Modern research on aging has confirmed that aging takes place because of the presence of 3 components, i.e.

• Inflammation
• Oxidative stress
• Wear and tear

With our lifetime exposure to stress, chronic inflammation results in degenerative diseases such as:

• Cancer (strongly linked to chronic inflammation)
• Atherosclerosis and heart diseases
• Neurodegeneration such as Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Diabetes
• Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass)
• Arthritis
• Auto-immune diseases such as Lupus, Celiac Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Asthma
• Poor skin, hair and eye health
• Stroke and heart attack
• Poor immunity

Therefore, all chronic aging conditions have a strong and persistent link with chronic inflammation. Inflammation promotes the production of free radicals, which is a strong contributing factor to the onset of all common chronic diseases mentioned above.

Modern scientific and medical research confirms that reducing or modulating inflammation and reducing cardiovascular risk factors can impact human longevity and general well-being.

My Herbal Research

As a Medical Herbalist, I am particularly interested to know which herb(s) or food(s) are most required for the prevention of chronic diseases, promotion of our overall well-being and longevity. I have listed 10 criteria for my evaluation.

1. The herb must be suitable for all body types. This is one area that is often overlooked by many, both practitioners and marketers. Every herb has an innate energy of ‘cold’, ‘cool’, ‘warm’ and ‘hot’ properties. For example, ginseng may be a good tonic but is not suitable for consumption for those with a ‘fire’ constitution.
2. The herb must be revered for thousands of years as a longevity herb. Human experiences are one of the best indicators. We have to respect our ancestors and past healers for passing on the knowledge.
3. The herb must be acknowledged by modern research to be a powerful adaptogen i.e. a herb that has the ability to help the body adapt to stress, support metabolic functions and help restore balance.
4. As Hippocrates said – ‘Let Thy Food Be Medicine, Thy Medicine Be Food’. The herb concerned must be used traditionally both as food and medicine.
5. The herb has the ability to promote good skin, eye and hair health.
6. The herb is known to protect cells from the damaging effects of inflammation and free radicals, which may lead to illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
7. The herb must be proven safe to be taken long-term without any toxicity. It must be confirmed by scientific research and traditional medicine tests.
8. The herb must be empirically found to be successful in treating and preventing diseases; not only reported in some scientific papers but more importantly in clinical setting. For example, in our and other natural health clinics.
9. Almost all diseases start from our digestive system. The herb must be known to promote good digestive health.
10. The herb is revered as a tonic for the mind, preserving youth and preventing senility. After spending almost 4 years in my research ‘library’ and clinical practice, I found one that certain herbs do fit the criteria as anti-aging medicine. 

Sebastian Liew, ND, MNHAA (Australia) Doctor of naturopathy, Medical herbalist
Tel: 6538 9978, www.slnaturopath.com
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