Have we found the solution to ageing?

From old age to middle age
After a month on the supplements, elderly and lethargic rats had more energy, did better on memory tests and their mitochondria worked better. The decline in overall activity typical of aged rats was reversed to that of a middle-aged to young adult rat seven to ten months of age. This is equivalent to making a 75- to 80-year-old person act middle-aged.

'The animals seem to have much more vigour and are much more active than animals not on this diet, signalling massive improvement to these animals' health and well-being,' said Dr. Tory Hagen, a colleague of Ames who is now at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

Professor Ames and Dr. Hagen have formed a company, Juvenon, to patent the combination and are currently carrying out human clinical trials of the treatment. But their experiments with rats are only the first step and other scientists warn against rushing into health shops and self-dosing on the supplements before they have been shown to work in humans or the proper dose is established.

Alpha-lipoic acid
The mitochondria in the cells normally make enough of this chemical compound for energy production purposes. It is only when in excess and circulating in a 'free' state in our cells that alpha-lipoic acid acts as an antioxidant, and the only way to achieve an excess is through supplementation. Most foods, apart from liver and yeast, contain only tiny amounts of the compound.

As an antioxidant, it switches off many fat- and water-soluble free radicals in the body and seems to protect our genetic material, DNA. It also re-processes vitamins C and E and other antioxidants to make them more effective.

Research indicates that it will prove a very special and powerful antioxidant but there is still little known about it. What there is suggests that supplements can help keep nerves healthy and prevent or treat age-related diseases such as heart disease, cataracts and diabetes. Because it is made in the cells by the mitochondria, it is particularly well placed to prevent and even reverse ageing. It appears to be safe, but nobody knows what amounts should be used. If it is so potent, it may also be possible to overdose. Anyone who is on medication for heart disease or diabetes should talk to a doctor before taking it.