Debunking the NYT Article; “Is Delaying Menopause the Key to Longevity”?
Debunking the NYT Article; “Is Delaying Menopause the Key to Longevity”? It’s an eye catching title and a semi interesting read that discusses how scientists are trying to figure out how to keep the ovaries working longer, and if they can, are we able to prevent the progression of age related diseases? In March, Jill Biden announced a new women’s initiative that is highlighting this question among scientists and researchers. “The ovaries are the only organ in humans that we just accept will fail one day,” said Renee Wegrzyn, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a government agency tasked with steering Dr. Biden’s mission. “It’s actually kind of wild that we all just accept that.” Most think of the ovaries as just a “baby maker”, but as the article states the ovaries act as a control center and have a lot to do with influencing every organ in a woman’s body. It says that scientists don’t exactly understand how this happens but I believe it’s simply a part of the HPO Axis; the hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian axis. This axis is a highway of constant communication between the ovaries and the brain and vice versa through a feedback loop. There are many ‘loops’ in the body, for example right now a very hot topic is the gut brain connection. On an elementary level, the article says when women’s eggs are depleted the ovaries seem to go quiet, which corresponds to of course an increased risk in age related diseases. The phrase ‘women’s eggs are depleted’, couldn’t be more inaccurate. Doctors say most of us are born with millions of eggs (40,000 – 3 million to be exact), even that is an inaccurate way of describing the beauty that unfolds in a woman’s ovaries. What women are actually born with are millions of opportunities! By way of folliculogenesis, these opportunities rise to the surface and become expressed! Folliculogenesis is a maturing ovarian follicle that will in most cases rear a good quality egg. At any given time, women have many, many follicles that are in varying stages; from primordial, primary, secondary, tertiary to antral follicles. Not all of these are follicles yet, most are flat cells waiting to grow up to be a follicle, for example it takes about 180 days for the primordial stage to reach it’s full potential as a follicle with a good quality egg. So, the idea proposed is that if a woman loses fewer eggs, she can hold on to her ovarian reserves and functionality for longer is slightly preposterous. The article mentions a clinical trial at Columbia University which is attempting to slow the rate at which women lose their eggs with the immunosuppressive drug called rapamycin. Researchers leading the study claim there are two patterns that are already emerging; one that women are appearing to have a normal decline of ovarian reserve, which is measured by ultrasounds and AMH. Ultrasounds cannot detect ovarian reserve only antral follicle counts, which are the follicles that are in the race for ovulation, they are expressed when they are about the ovulate, ultrasounds cannot detect anything else. Most gynecologists and reproductive endocrinologists, do not test AMH because of its unreliability. But in truth, nothing is reliable and there is no possible way to calculate ovarian reserve. It seems to me, that if we look at this through a Chinese medicine lens, the ovaries are the tree trunk, the follicles and eggs are the branches/leaves, so then what feeds the ovaries to be robust and plentiful? The soil! And that soil is lifestyle and genetics. We can’t alter our genes (yet!) but if we want better functionality and longer sustainability we must look to lifestyle and environmental factors, things like pollution, toxins, nutrition, or lack thereof, too much or too little exercise, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, (basically anything that creates free radicals in the body) not enough sleep and the biggest ones; emotional wellness and the management of stress. These are the things that overtime can exhaust ovarian function and cause aging and disease, whether you are approaching menopause or trying to get pregnant at 30 years old, it all looks the same. In the realm of enhancing lifespan and quality of life, we could also talk about telomeres. Telomeres are caps on the ends of our DNA, they are similar to the caps that are on the end of shoelaces. As the plastic ends shred, and the shoelace becomes frayed and damaged, so too the shortening of our telomeres can leave our cells and chromosomes vulnerable to damage. Telomere shortening means the cell’s lifespan is shortening. Recent research shows that telomere shortening plays an important role in human disease and mortality. So how do we support robust ovarian function and lengthen telomeres? Sleep, regular exercise, stress management, a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, namely D, meditation, yoga and acupuncture. (You knew the last one was coming!) There have been endless acupuncture studies and trials over the last two decades, everything from pain management to pregnancy rates to digestive disorders to stroke recovery. Research also shows that acupuncture can actually lengthen your telomeres and, for the purposes of this article, acupuncture plays a major role in Stage 4 follicular recruitment. How does it do that? The magnificence of acupuncture is the fact that it is self regulating, so whatever the body needs, whether it’s a decrease in inflammation, moving emotional stagnation thereby relieving stress, harmonizing an organ system, bringing energy to an organ, clearing away meridian debris, acupuncture and the body work together. You don’t have to believe in it or do anything to facilitate it, it just happens, very much in the same way your heart beats or how minerals like sodium and potassium can enter and exit a cell effortlessly. It just happens. In conclusion, we all want to preserve what we have and no one wants to age. Post menopause brings some risk to diseases, but if it’s not ‘that’ disease then it will
The NYT says, “Sleep is the new status symbol.”
The NYT says, “Sleep is the new status symbol.” “Sleep today is a measure of success, a skill to be cultivated and nourished.” -says Tim Robinson in a new article in The New York Times. This is New York City, no more late nights? No more drinking until 5am? No more late night greasy burgers after a show? No, sleep is where it’s at, it’s the new status symbol and I LOVE IT! I’ve always been serious about my sleep– in Chinese medicine it is believed that sleep is the one of the main ways to regenerate the Qi of the body and 8 hours the correct amount. Think of it like your daily checking account, let’s say you start out with a 100 units, you spend 30 exercising, 50 at work, 20 at play, you’ll need to regenerate and put more units in for tomorrow– that’s where sleep comes in. ESPECIALLY like some of us who spend 30 exercising, 80 at work, 80 at play, you know who you are! Without sleep over a number of days you face potential damage to your adrenals, to brain chemistry, joint health, hormone regulation, aging inside and out, etc. Keep in mind, we aren’t just referring to those insomniacs who don’t sleep at all, damage also occurs for people that sleep only 4-6 hours a night, there is a deficit overtime which is a huge contributor to all the ailments above. A few things that can assist your sleep: A great mattress and the right pillows! I’ve been coined the pillow queen and I don’t mind it one bit. Positioning– back and side sleepers require different pillows heights, so be sure you have the right pillow! I’ve told my patients over the years, if you are a side sleeper, be sure your nose and the top of your shoulder is in a 90 degree angle. Stomach sleeping is pretty much a no-no, since it wreaks havoc on the neck… No screens, I know so many people that fall asleep with the TV on, first of all, you shouldn’t have a TV in your bedroom at all, but if you do the blue light spectrum can cause sleep disturbances or an inability to go deep. Cell phones on airplane mode! When you keep your cell phone on and since most of us use it as an alarm clock, we tend to have it close… consider that that phone is looking for a tower to connect to all night long (insert Lionel Ritchie hit, “All Night Long”). So please airplane mode it, we still don’t know the long term harm that cell phones can do. If you absolutely must have it on for emergencies, keep it 10 feet away from you. Having some real issues? Maybe a little melatonin can help? Melatonin is something your body already makes, so you are not adding a foreign substance to your flesh and bones. You can try 3mg or go up to as high as 10mg with time release. A simple upgrade to your ritual! Dark and quiet– get some black out shades or a cute little snooze kit, complete with blind fold and ear plugs. Take a hot bath before bed to relax your muscles and mind. Magnesium– especially if you have some restless legs! Magnesium is a necessary mineral for 300 systems in the body. Take some before bed, it can help you relax deeper during sleep, helps tight muscles and also constipation, just don’t take too much or your stools may be a little loose in the morning. If all else fails, acupuncture and a custom herbal formula (custom, made by an herbalist, not off the shelf) is guaranteed for improving the quality of your sleep. Let us know if we can help! Here’s the article from the New York Times including a few sleep programs and new Apps, even one called “Dreaming with Jeff”, yes, it’s Jeff Bridges! Here’s to California Dreaming… Christina Martin
