Vitamins & Old Age

In this episode of The Nutrition Factor, Dr. Jimmy Steger takes a deep dive into the powerful connection between vitamins, minerals, and the aging process. From the role of the endocrine system to the hidden impact of nutrient deficiencies, this conversation challenges the conventional understanding of why we age, and what we can do about it.

Dr. Steger explores how modern diets often fall short at the cellular level, why supplementation has become increasingly necessary, and how imbalances in key nutrients may accelerate the physical signs of aging. He also breaks down the relationship between hormones, tissue degeneration, and essential elements like silica, shedding light on how proper nutrition can support elasticity, circulation, and overall vitality.

www.drjimmysteger.com

Transcript

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Welcome to the Nutrition Factor. I'm your host, Dr. Jimmy Steager, and this week we're going to be talking about vitamins, minerals, and old age. Most people in this country, at least, are truly not aware how important nutrition at the cereal level is, and it starts with good quality food. And unfortunately, most people are not getting that in their diet. So the increased need for and demands for supplementation has been with us truly for the past 40 or 50 years. I know when I started this early on, I was amazed just how lacking true knowledge as a physician or a medical doctor was in the field of nutrition until I studied with two of them from the time of six years of age up. And I was truly amazed on just how little the medical industry knew as a doctor on nutrients, supplementation, and what it took to truly be healthy. So my eyes were opened at a very early age, about twelve years of age, to this knowledge and or lack of it, shall we say, by our medical community. So I was fortunate enough to study with two family members who were well-known doctors in the medical field, and they had clearly showed me this uh not only through books studying uh college material at an early age and learning firsthand that the medical industry was not at all adept to proper knowledge on vitamins and minerals. So here we go. We get old not because of the effects of time alone, but because our endocrine system is arranged to operate a given period of time as it runs down very similar to a eight-day clockwood. And this is illustrated by the fact that uh a pigeon dies of senile degeneration in ten years, while a parrot, which is very physically similar and supplied with the exact same food, normally reaches five or more times that age. We are compelled to conclude that the life period is determined by the v vagaries of evolution, being a hereditary characteristic that is beyond ordinary influences. We know that certain occupations shorten the life period and others are conducive to longevity. For instance, life insurance statistics clearly show us that deep sea fishermen live the longest, watchmakers ranking next. And really about the only thing in common between these two fields of activity is that in each of the workers has little occupational cause for worry. It offers supporting evidence to the old axiom that worry kills more people than work itself. The medical doctor, according to the statistics, has a relatively low position in this longevity scale. Most 68 to 70 years of age, by reason of this ability to prolong the lives of others, we should expect a different rating. Personally, I am of the opinion that the reason the physician, the medical doctor that is, is short-lived is because he or she, being familiar with the use of drugs and other means of stimulating hormone, output of the endocrine apparatus in an emergency, prematurely consumes his vital reserves. Ultimately, no doubt, the time will arrive in our society when there will be more knowledge of vitamins and mineral therapy to the medical community, so that the course will be followed of replenishing the nutrition of the endocrines in emergencies instead of prodding them into reluctant activity with the use of drugs. It is also highly probable that with our rapidly expanding knowledge of endocrinology, we shall soon be able to replace with some success at least the vital hormones that now become deficient and maintain functions that cease otherwise, thereby permitting the gradual development of the characteristics of old age. Vitamins and mineral therapy is limited to preventing the premature senility that is a result of endocrine starvation, but it cannot prolong life beyond the normal physiological limits. Even intelligent vitamin and mineral therapy, however, can quite possibly increase the average lifespan 20 to 25% or maybe even more. Endrocine recession begins at the age of 25 to 30 years of age, and this is clearly demonstrated by the fact that a world-renowned boxer or fighter of some sort at their utmost physical peak within these same time limits. The physical changes for about 20 years, 25 years are usually quite insignificant. However, but this may be because we do not look deep enough into the situation, and there is a gradual increase in calcium content of the connective tissue and the increase in blood vessel walls being as follows two years sixteen percent thirty to thirty five years thirty eight percent fifty six years one point nine seven percent. Now it is an interesting fact that as age advances, the arteries in the human body become less elastic, and the veins become more. This nullifies the normal function of arterial or what we call the stopcock control of the blood to the capillary beds of the muscular and other tissues that brings in immediate reserves of nutrition emergencies at the call of the nervous controls of the body. The elasticity of connective and elastic tissues was proportional to the silicic acid content of the body, and the silicic acid content was greatest in the young patient and gradually dropped as age advanced, following an opposite course to the calcium content of one's body. Other investigations have shown that treating excised animal tissue with soluble silicates measurably increased the elastic response, which also success was reported in treating arterial sclerosis with internal dosage of sodium silicate. And in treating skin diseases, uh any type of skin disease of sinelity, again, using the celestial acid content of tissue fluids has been found to prevent excessive alkalinity, which is a condition that we know is really very important for the development of any type of metabolic disorder or i.e. cancer. No doubt some as yet unsuspected hormone or group of hormones control silica metabolism, just as the metabolism of calcium is regulated throughout the body. It would be reasonable to suspect thyroid and the anterior pituitary hormones, particularly the growth principle, as we shall see later on, the tension and relaxation and tested in similar pieces of skin from mice, particularly white mice, is increased by the presence of silicic acid. Similar size pieces of skin from these mice are immersed for various periods in celicic acid, show a greater elasticity than skin preparations from controlled animals. In both cases, the momentary shift in elasticity and the elastic after effects are smaller. Momentary elasticity is shorter, and elastic after effects shortening is greater. Sclerosis of certain areas, especially arterial sclerosis, and above all those of the coronary arteries with one of the clinical manifestations in Ginopectorus is very responsive to salaceous therapy. There seems to be a selective action which the facts show sufficiently clearly. Arterial hypertension fortunately is improved, and experimental data led to trying salicious therapy in certain asthma cases in tubercular diabetes showed the disappearance of acidosis and in the pregnancy to aid in the development of the fetus. So, in conclusion, all conditions calling for active remineralization, which are fractures or bone infections, generally show the necessity of siliceous therapy. Results are very encouraging in antheroma in the beginning, functional troubles in the ameliorated vertigos, the algae, and circulatory cephalic and precordial conditions disappear while simultaneously a return of vitality is felt in the patient. There is a greater elasticity of the arteries and especially dereases in the amelioration of the circulatory conditions. Functional disorders are improved in arterial hypotyper tension. The marked sedative effects are demonstrated in angina crisis. The effect in reducing arterial tension, although recorded by numerous authorities, is not a definite as action improving the subjective symptoms. But what is the purpose of systematically lowering high arterial tension? Well, except for certain cases it seems truly a defensive action and adaptation to a state which it arises no longer responsible. It must be tried all more to reduce it without disturbing the equilibrium between cardiac forces and peripheral resistance. So in short, the aim here is to lower and still to maintain its useful minimum, which is often below normal. Conclusion Silica is found to possess indisputable antitheromal properties. Its metabolism undergoes profound modification in old age in the course of certain diseases. The facts warrant its use therapeutically, without fear of harm, and ameliorates many afflictions very interestingly. It may be given a trial to a certain number of ailments whose ideologies are still obscure and whose treatment by other means is difficult. The degenerations and changes of advancing years should be classified, if possible, into primary and secondary phenomena. They are probably all secondary to the endocrine changes. The endocrine changes are in all probability in light of our present incomplete conceptions, mainly secondary to the changes in the gonads and the pituitary. We know that wrinkles, obesity, and odema, and the grossness of the features follow thyroid hypoactivity. Pancreatic changes and an oversecretion of trypsin bring about, among other things, cirrhosis of the liver, vascular damage, hemorrhoids, and arteriosclerosis. Gray hair, baldness, obesity result mainly from the defection of pituitary hormones and lack of B complex vitamins. Various symptoms of nerve degeneration and atrophy occur so that some medical writers have considered nerve degeneration the basic cause of senility. It is probably that these each endocrine has an antagonistic or rather a synergistic that must be present to maintain balance. The thyroid is a calcium eliminator, but without the thymus and the parathyroid, too much thyroid will result in serious trouble, for there will be no calcium assimilation at all. In senility, all the endocrines regress, and the ideal case is the one that meanwhile maintains a physiological balance. To know how to prevent the regression will require more work in this field along the lines or being intensively studied as we know it today, as to the various harmonic relations of gonad and the pituitary glands. For instance, it was recently shown that the growth hormone of the anterior pituitary prevented the normal senile tissue degeneration in rats. To attempt the use of the gland extraction to offward senility is not as simple as a simple explanation here. The thyroid as a preserver of youth, but many doctors know that unsatisfactory to say the least, consequences of ill-advised thyroid medication, it is apparent that the thyroid in most cases had compensatively regressed, and if it had not reduced its activity, would have caused toxic effects, which are observed along the above lines of hypothyroidia, which out the synergist of the thyroid, it is possible to have simultaneously symptoms of both hypo and hyperthyridia. These synergists include pituitary, parathyroid, dimus, gonad, spleen, and liver bile acids at least. Probably they all include all calcium metabolizers and all protein metabolizers. Evidently an endocrine balance has been lost in some areas. It is obvious that these synergists to the thyroid are lacking. Pituitary hormones are known to maintain activity and integrity of the thyroid, parathyroid, suprarenals, gonads, and pancreas. It is probably that the pituitary controls the endocrines in a double manner through the nervous system. The normal and FASO method both elaborate specific hormones. It stimulates the development of the parenchyma of the endocrine as well as to ensure the presence of the hormone to be released by nerve impulses. Insulin secreting cells owe their regenerating properties to a hormone stimulus from the posterior pituitary and also that sympathetic nerve fibers are present to enable the pituitary to work correctly. To originate a nerve impulse to the islands of Langerhans when the islands or when the insulin content of the blood drops to below normal, it is very important that we understand that the continuous nerve fibers from the pituitary to the adrenals also we have the pituitary adrenotrophic hormone and its nervous control. The same situation is known to be true of parathyroid and thyroid. It is obvious fact that the pituitary is a part of the brain mechanism and histological composed mainly of nerve cells. It is no doubt correct in assuming that the major and basic function of pituitary is to act as a nervous control of the endocrines, but also as an executive department which has a function of sending adrenalic principles throughout the bloodstream to the various endocrines to see that a stock of the necessary hormones are being made and are ready for this telegraphic orders to the body. Diabetes could occur both from the breakdown of telegraphic, which is B vitamin deficiency, as well as other causes of pituitary supply of the stimulating and an inhibitory hormone to the pancreas, one of which causes regeneration, the other an atrophy of the islands. The need of both stimulating and inhibiting factor is apparent when we accept the theory of separate nervous control and hormone maintenance of the supply of apparatus. A sensitive governing device must have just as efficient a breaking means as power applying means. If designed for the control of mechanism that is self-maintaining, a mechanism that once started may not stop when the initiating influence ceases to act. In light of the present knowledge, senile degeneration occurs because of endocrine failure, which is physiological regression. This loss of function can be and usually is hastened considerably by reason of vitamin and mineral deficiency at all levels, and the key or masculine endocrine is the pituitary, because its tissue hormones regulate the growth and activity of their endocrines, lacking, which stimulates endocrine activity, ceases. And it is probably true that the particular pituitary hormone that specifically prevents tissue regeneration or degeneration is the growth hormone possibly acting through the media of its effect upon thyroid or gonads. The importance of growth principle is evident when we realize that the senility of condition where destructive influences are uncombated by vigorous cell proliferation, any culture of cell life where the protozoan or metazoin is characterized by two facts. Number one, a substance accumulates in the nutritive media that progressively reduces cell proliferation. Number two, replacement of old nutritive media with fresh brings about a renewed cycle of mitotic activity. The mechanism that causes senescence, whether protozoan or metazoin, the accumulation in the cell nucleus of the autoclast. Endocrinology offers the promise of showing us a mechanism that opposed the effects of the accumulation of the autoclast, in all probability through the medium of hormone that will ultimately be commercially available one day through big pharma, as we know it nowadays through your local medical doctor, pharmacist, which is the real problem as we know it today. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're taking drugs and medication of any type, please understand that in order for the cell to function at the highest level, drugs cannot heal the human body. It can only suppress it. You must relate to good quality organic foods to heal these organs and to allow complete tissue regeneration, not degeneration of the human body, which is affecting all the hormones that we have. So please understand that without good quality organic foods, vitamin and mineral therapy, your body cannot operate at the highest level. I'm Dr. Jimmy Steiger. Until next time, to find out more about what we do, you may go to dr Jimmy Steiger.com, our website, or give us a call at 251 660 1240 if you want to be a patient. We have patients all over the world that we see. So it doesn't mean you have to live in our particular area. We are set up from day one to take care of people all over the world and we can help you right there where you're at. So until next time, stay healthy. God bless.