Tremendous strides have been made in the field of anti-aging medicine, The Wrinkle Cure, in 2000. It was there that I first introduced my inflammation–aging theory, which firmly places chronic, low-grade invisible inflammation at the center of aging, age-related diseases, and a host of degenerative conditions. This theory was often dismissed with either ridicule or skepticism— however, science has now recognized its validity, and inflammation has been overwhelmingly recognized as a serious threat to health and longevity.
As you will learn in this book, we do not need elaborate, expensive, and possibly dangerous pharmaceuticals to halt the inflammatory response and its resultant negative effects. Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity will give you all of the tools you need, starting with the single most important—the food we eat.
Every day multiple studies are published linking diet to disease. A recent study reported that diets high in saturated fats increase our risk for Alzheimer’s disease, which is an inflammatory disease. Conversely, the anti-inflammatory diet reduces our risk for this debilitating and growing epidemic. Just as important as choosing the right foods is choosing how they are grown and raised. A new study has clearly linked exposure to pesticides with Parkinson’s disease. As I have always emphasized, buy organic and protect yourself and your loved ones from exposure to proven toxic substances.
But it goes even further than the anti-inflammatory foods. We have also made great technological strides in the development of novel nutritional supplements to complement foods and provide the missing links in health and wellness. For the first time, as outlined in this book, we have proven methodologies to revitalize our tired, worn-out bodies at the cellular level and recharge them with increased energy, improved mood, a greater sense of well-being, and renewed purpose.
These targeted supplements are worlds beyond the original vitamins of past generations. Today we can target the key parts of the cells, such as the mitochondria, to restore energy to the cell. As we age, energy levels decline in the cells—in fact, they eventually lose their ability to repair themselves altogether. With the use of a newly discovered class of mitochondrial rejuvenators, we can recharge the cells in all of our organ systems, including the skin, for total body rejuvenation. Being a dermatologist, I find this particularly exciting. Learning how to restore bone structure and muscle mass to the aging face is one of our greatest strategies in maintaining a youthful face.
However, the good news doesn’t stop there. Science has recently learned that brain cells can also be rejuvenated. It was long and widely believed that we were born with a genetically determined brain of fixed size and potential, for better or worse. This is far from the truth. We now know that the brain is a growing and changing organ. As we will learn in this book, we have many strategies to optimize this growth, including the essential fatty acid phosphatidylserine, which is a powerful prevention for memory loss, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. Other fatty acids, such as the omega-3s and fish oils, dramatically improve brain health, mood, attention span, and more.
We will also learn about forms of exercise that will not only deliver powerful anti-aging benefits to the body but will also increase our powers of focus and concentration while restoring physical and mental equilibrium. As you will learn in Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity, our bodies, minds, and spirits have the potential for tremendous growth, rebirth, and regeneration, given the proper tools. Thank you for accompanying me on this exciting journey.
