Stop Aging Now!: The Ultimate Plan for Staying Young and Reversing the Aging Process

Arguing that aging is preventable and even reversible, a guide to counteracting the effects of aging reveals how body deficiencies that contribute to aging can be replaced with vitamins, antioxidants, and food chemicals

Nationally syndicated columnist Carper (Food: Your Medical Miracle, HarperCollins, 1994) proposes that aging is a disease process that is correctable, preventable, and reversible. This premise, which is supported by current, nationally acclaimed biomolecular research, is based on the free-radical theory of aging. After discussing the biological mystery of aging in terms of free radicals and antioxidants, Carper formulates an "attack plan" that emphasizes the importance of vitamins, minerals, and appropriate foods. Accurate facts regarding the major vitamins and minerals are stated, with leading researchers revealing the prescribed "diet" of supplements they take daily. The effective use of subheadings enables the reader to focus quickly on pertinent facts, vitamins, etc. References are listed according to subject matter. Carper provides a wealth of informative tips for the lay reader serious about slowing down the aging process.
Linda Malone, DePaul Medical Ctr., Norfolk, Va.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Popular nutrition writer Carper offers a quick, readable guide that focuses on stopping (and even reversing) the effects of aging on our bodies. Research suggests that aging happens after cells have been bombarded with "free radicals" for so long that they cease to function. Free radicals come in many forms (fats, pollutants, and even oxygen are included), and in a perfect world, they would be neutralized by natural antioxidants (such as vitamins E and C and garlic). However, when we neglect to feed our bodies these antioxidants, the free radicals do more damage--and hence we age. Carper, therefore, argues for an antioxidant-rich diet supplemented by megadoses of vitamins, thereby keeping our cells healthy and major diseases such as cancer and heart disease at bay. The first half of the book discusses the most important "antiaging" vitamins, and Carper details the types and doses of supplements we should take. The second half of the book recommends specific foods to eat and beverages to drink. Filled with illuminating facts about the American diet ("More than half of Americans do not eat a single serving of fruit, vegetables or fruit juice on any given day" ), Carper also shares which vitamin supplements (and how much) researchers in the field take. However, dietary needs of growing children and pregnant women are covered only superficially. The book concludes with a list of medical and scientific writings that Carper referenced in researching this book. Kathy Broderick