As people age, they inevitably develop a desire to maintain their youth. No one is happy with the thought of getting older. We often hear expressions like, “My body may be 80, but my mind feels 18.” This desire has driven relentless efforts to combat aging throughout history. From China’s Emperor Qin Shi Huang to Egypt’s Cleopatra, countless individuals in history have sought ways to fulfill this desire, and even today, this pursuit continues without pause.
Many women use cosmetics to appear younger. Although they may achieve a youthful appearance, no amount of expensive skincare products can actually reverse aging. To maintain youth, people invest significant time and money in eating organic health foods, exercising at spas, sweating it out in saunas, and getting massages to keep their skin firm. Men, too, put in just as much effort to stay healthy, taking supplements, eating beneficial foods, and exercising. Around us, we see many examples of people striving to preserve their youth and health. Ironically, despite these efforts, modern life also includes stress, overeating, drinking, smoking, and other self-destructive behaviors that harm the body.
One prominent theme in modern media is the promotion of antioxidants. However, many people hold misconceptions about antioxidants, often influenced by misleading information. Interestingly, there is no definitive scientific evidence proving that any specific antioxidant prevents a particular disease. Often, the causes and effects of illnesses are misunderstood. For instance, humans cannot survive without oxygen, and a lack of oxygen in the body can promote cancer cell growth and significantly increase heart disease risks. This means that illnesses are not caused by an excess of oxidized substances in the body, but rather by an imbalance that allows these substances to accumulate. Thus, claims connecting antioxidants to anti-aging benefits are errors in information and misleading advertising. Furthermore, antioxidants do not make humans younger.
So, how can one live youthfully? As mentioned earlier, many modern individuals focus on “well-being” in their daily lives. They consume organic foods, bring exercise equipment into their homes, visit health spas, eat raw foods, practice yoga and meditation, and read books about well-being. These are undeniably important for maintaining a healthy life. However, while people dedicate significant time and money to physical health, they often overlook the health of their brain, which controls and governs the entire body. As a scientist who has spent a lifetime researching brain cells, I cannot help but feel regret about this reality.
Take a moment to reflect on modern life. While people work hard to care for their physical well-being, they also continuously harm their brain cells through persistent habits like drinking and smoking. In terms of brain health, let me explain using a computer analogy. Efforts like eating organic foods, exercising, and consuming so-called “superfoods” are akin to a computer’s exterior—whether the monitor is 14 inches or 19 inches. Activities like yoga, meditation, and reading good books represent software. But regardless of how advanced the exterior or software is, if the computer’s hardware (CPU) does not function well, it is meaningless. It’s like trying to run modern programs designed for Windows XP on a decades-old 386 computer. Simply put, no matter how much we emphasize well-being, if the brain is not activated and functioning optimally, it is all in vain.
What must be done? The brain must be cleansed of waste materials that hinder the normal activation of neural cells. Efforts should be made to prevent the decline of neural cells and to revitalize them, returning them to their original state. I plan to discuss this approach in my next writing.