Degenerative disease is the degeneration of an organ, a system or the body as a whole due to the degeneration of the cells.

Signs of degeneration

The signs of degeneration commonly show themselves through abnormal organ functions. For example, a sign of eye deterioration is blurred vision. A sign of knee joint deterioration is pain or crunching sound when climbing up stairs. The deterioration of organs can be detected by modern medicine and integrative medicine. Modern medicine treats patients according to the symptoms but does not address the cause of degeneration. On the contrary, integrative medicine and Functional Medicine Approach directly treat cell degeneration which is the root cause. Therefore, the integrative and regenerative pathways effectively detects and treats degenerative diseases.

Degeneration can occur to all the organ systems. Some examples are as follow:

• Diseases associated with heart and cardiovascular degeneration are hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart valve regurgitation, cardiac arrhythmia

• Diseases associated with brain degeneration are Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease

• Diseases associated with bone and joint degeneration are herniated cervical disc, herniated lumbar disc, knee osteoarthritis, osteoporosis

• Diseases associated with cell degeneration in organs are tumor and cancer. Cellular dysfunction leads to mutation, abnormal self-healing process or mutated cells that cannot be eliminated and become tumor

Characteristics of cell degeneration

Cell degeneration is characterized by 9 phenomena known as the hallmark of aging. The first four are the main phenomena. The rest are the consequences.

1. Genomic Instability: Genes and cells function abnormally.

2. Telomere Attrition: A compound structure at ends of 23 chromosomes is called telomere. Upon each cell division of self-healing process, the telomere shrinks. At one point, cells can no longer divide and repair themselves. Consequently, organs deteriorate.

3. Epigenetic Alteration: Methyl group is organic compounds attached directly to DNA, affecting the DNA mechanism. Abnormal methyl group can lead to cell degeneration.

4. Loss of Proteostasis: Degradation of proteins present in and outside the cells eventually causes cell degeneration.

5. Deregulated Nutrient Sensing: Normally, pituitary gland produces growth hormone and pancreas produces IGF-I function together in response to glucose intake. However, abnormal response to glucose brings about cell degeneration.

6. Mitochondrial Dysfunction: The disorder occurs when mitochondria fail to produce adequate energy for the body cells which leads to accumulation of free-radicals, and eventually cell degeneration.

7. Cellular Senescence: Old cells are not eliminated, and new cells are not re-generated. The result is cell degeneration.

8. Mesenchymal stromal cell Exhaustion: The efficiency of the cell-healing process becomes low which leads to cell degeneration on the whole.

9. Altered Intercellular Communication: Communication between cells are impeded which cause cell interaction problems.

Prevention against deterioration

• Your behavior and lifestyle can prevent cell degeneration and promote longevity.

• Less food consumption or limited calorie intake, especially foods high in sugar. 

• Fasting: You can fast from time to time according to your physical condition, for example fasting for 1-3 days or 7 days. Research has found that fasting contributes to longevity. 
• Food selection: Aside from avoiding glucose, some theories assert that less protein consumption contributes to longevity. Mediterranean diet decreases risk of heart and cardiovascular disease, since it is mainly composed of vegetable, fruits and vegetable oils such as soybean oil, avocado oil and olive oil. Protein sourced mainly from fatty fish, such as sardines and salmon and seeds.
• Exercise: You should regularly exercise, 5 times a week, 20-30 minutes each time.
• Adequate sleep: You should sleep 6-7 hours/day. Research shows that 6-7 hours of sleep per day is a factor of longevity. The risk of heart and cardiovascular disease doubles among individuals who sleep less than 5 hours per day. On the contrary, too much sleeping is unhealthy as well. The mortality rate doubles among persons who sleep more than 9 hours per day, when compared to those who sleep normally.

• Avoid chronic stress: You should manage stress through relaxation, resting and meditation.

• Prevention against cell degeneration according to integrative medicine 
  
  
• Free radicals: Toxins are around us, such as cigarette smoke, insecticide, trans fat and more. Anti-aging medicine recommends antioxidant intake. Astaxanthin is currently considered as a good source of antioxidants. Astaxanthin in red algae and has a hundred times more antioxidants than vitamin C.
• Limit inflammation: Resveratrol in Mediterranean diet and red wine, curcumin from turmeric, cocoa or chocolate with more than 70% of cocoa can relieve inflammation.
• Glycation: Glucose combines with protein in the bloodstream and forms a new substance called advanced glycation end-products which are a main factor of cell degeneration. In diabetes, hyperglycemia stimulates advanced glycation end product (AGEs) formation and cross-linking of arteries. As a result, the arteries become less flexible.
• Stress: Cortisol hormone is secreted when you have stress. Cortisol hormone causes worsened memory and accumulated visceral fat. It leads to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and eventually diabetes.

Prevention against cell degeneration and rejuvenation

1. Detox: Many organ systems can be detoxed

1. Colon detox: Cleansing of the colon system from toxins.

2. Lymphatic system detox: The lymphatic system rids the body tissues of toxins and waste through veins.

3. Blood detox: Chelation aims to remove heavy metals from body cells.

4. Liver detox: As the liver is a detoxification organ, the detox helps the liver to better rid the body tissues of toxins.

5. Cellular detox: It reenergizes the cells to rebalance electricity passing through the cells to achieve the better transfer of foods and toxins into and from the cells.

6. Emotional detox: Praying and meditation.

2. Ozone Therapy: Ozone can kill germs, increase oxygen amount passing through tissues and stimulate antioxidant formation. The increased nitric oxide strengthens blood vessels and relieves inflammation.

3. Functional Medicine Approach integrates many treatment methods, including the use of Mesenchymal stromal cells for cell rejuvenation.

• Cells repairing and regenerating cells: It applies the principle of similarity, for example mammal liver extract is injected into the human body to stimulate the self-healing process of the liver cells.

• Mesenchymal stromal cell: Functional Medicine Approach aims to improve the cell repair mechanism. Human Mesenchymal stromal cell is injected into the patient’s body to the boost self-healing process. The cell degeneration and ineffective function of elderly sufferers can be treated through this curative pathway. The treatment does not cause allergies but in turn relieves inflammation plus also brings added benefits to sufferers.