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"Repairing DNA Damage"
Concord grapes, we just learned, may block breast cell DNA damage
by blocking the binding of carcinogens to our DNA in the first place.
Almonds and brussell sprouts, likewise, may protect against DNA damage
by boosting our own DNA repair mechanisms.
There’s actually this enzyme in all of us
who's sole purpose is to just travel up and down our DNA patching up holes.
As we age we accumulate breaks in our DNA—actual physical breaks in our chromosomes,
which may be one of the reasons we get cancer,
why our organs tend to break down as we get older.
With the understanding that eating plants protects our DNA
and eating animals may damage it as I talked about in previous reviews,
this year Slovakian researchers
measured the total number of DNA breaks in vegetarians
compared to meat-eaters.
Led by a Dr. KRAJČOVI—Dr. K,
they counted DNA breaks in both omnivores and vegetarians at 25 years of age through 65.
Here are the meat-eaters, as you can see, a sharp rise in DNA breakage as they aged through adulthood and middle age.
Here are the vegetarians.
Now notice two things:
not only is the slope much more gradual, less DNA breakage as you age,
but vegetarians at age 65 seem to have the DNA of a 25 year old!