Harman D
J Am Coll Nutr. 1982;1(1):27-34. doi: 10.1080/07315724.1982.10718090.
Aging is the progressive accumulation of changes with time associated with and/or responsible for the ever-increasing susceptibility to disease and death. These time-related changes are attributed to the aging process. This process may be due in part to free radical reactions, largely those involving oxygen, going on continuously throughout the cells and tissues. Dietary manipulations expected to lower the rate of production of free-radical reaction damage have been shown to 1) increase the life span of mice, rats, fruit flies, nematodes, and rotifers, as well as the life span of neurospora, 2) inhibit development of some forms of cancer, 3) enhance humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, and 4) slow development of amyloidosis and the autoimmune disorders of NZB mice. Free-radical reactions may also play a significant role in the deterioration of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems with age. It is reasonable to expect, on the basis of present data, that the healthy life span can be increased by five or more years by keeping body weight down, at a level compatible with a sense of well-being, while ingesting diets adequate in essential nutrients but designed to minimize random free-radical reactions in the body.
衰老指的是随着时间推移，与疾病易感性和死亡风险不断增加相关联及/或导致这些情况的变化逐渐积累。这些与时间相关的变化归因于衰老过程。这个过程可能部分归因于自由基反应，主要是那些在细胞和组织中持续进行的涉及氧气的反应。据显示，预期能降低自由基反应损伤产生速率的饮食调控可：1）延长小鼠、大鼠、果蝇、线虫和轮虫的寿命，以及脉孢菌的寿命；2）抑制某些形式癌症的发展；3）增强体液免疫和细胞介导免疫反应；4）减缓淀粉样变性和新西兰黑小鼠自身免疫性疾病的发展。自由基反应在心血管系统和中枢神经系统随年龄的退化中可能也起着重要作用。基于目前的数据，有理由预计，通过将体重保持在与良好感觉相适应的水平，同时摄入富含必需营养素但旨在尽量减少体内随机自由基反应的饮食，健康寿命可延长五年或更久。
