Anti-aging secrets have been unfolding over the last 70 years. That is how long ago that the scientific community concluded that there is a connection between a calorie-restricted diet and living longer. If you stay thinner, you  will live longer. A group heeding this knowledge is the Calorie Restricted  Society whose members eat only one meal per day. You can meet some of its members on the 60 Minutes segment on “Wine Rx”.

The major push in understanding health and disease came when the first human genome project was initiated in 1990—only 20 years ago–by the US Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. This project proposed to identify the chromosomal location of every human gene, to determine each gene’s precise chemical structure in order to show its function in health and disease, and to determine the precise sequence of DNA and RNA units. With foresight its focus also included several non-human organisms as well as the ethical, legal and social implications arising from the information that these studies produced.

This project—which was to run for 15 years—was stopped after 10 years with 90% of its objectives met, waiting for technology to catch up. As the first
sequence of the human genome arrived in 2000, the use of this information had already begun. Its cost was 4 billion dollars, and this study remains one of the largest single investigational projects in modern science. Because of the rapid advance in genome science and its projected future development,
observers have predicted that biology will be the foremost science in the
21st century.

The technology is fast catching up. The goal is a full genome scan in less  than 30 minutes for $1000 by 2011, if not before; and there are several rival  research groups racing to arrive there first. It is not surprising that the  market for full genome sequencing could be worth billions.

You will probably first connect the benefits of this research to you in the  field of molecular medicine. There will be improved diagnoses of diseases and early detection of genetic predispositions to diseases. Already detailed  genome maps have aided researchers seeking genes associated with dozens of genetic conditions, including inherited colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and familial breast cancer. But the field of medicine is only the beginning of the arenas to be affected. Other current and potential applications are vast and may include: (1) Energy and environmental applications, (2) Risk assessment for toxic exposures, (3) Bioarchaeology, (4) Forensic identifications, and (5) Agriculture. Mentioned here–but a subject of future articles–is the concern about the dangers to you from the food you eat when genetic engineering applies this science.

Anti-aging secrets were expanded upon in the field of biology as the  knowledge of antioxidants by chemists was applied. Most antioxidants,  including Vitamin C and Vitamin E, were discovered by the damage that  occurred when they were lacking. But now that antioxidants are closely tied  to your health and longevity, you will find the amount of scientific  literature extolling their benefits to be quite overwhelming. The past ten  years have seen a health craze in the consumption of juices of exotic fruits  from around the world. Health-conscious people are eager to get their quota  of antioxidants. Between 2002 and 2006 there was a 300% increase in new  products making antioxidant claims. At this time there are about 80,000 known antioxidants—most of these have not been named but are grouped by classes.  The antioxidant “resveratrol” is proving to have extra ordinary benefits—more anti-aging secrets to be revealed. So several antioxidants, their sources, and how they work will be explored in future articles to further
understanding of their use.