Experts in anti-aging preventative medicine discuss safe aging management at ICAAM Middle East

Supervised by WOSAAM (World Society of Anti-Aging Medicine), the largest scientific anti-aging society with more than 130 affiliated associations worldwide, ICAAM Middle East attracted hundreds of delegates from across the globe and featured an extensive exhibition of the latest products and services in this field with exhibitors from 28 countries.

Running along side the exhibition was a multi-stream congress under the scientific supervision of WOSAAM (World Society of Anti-Aging Medicine), which brought together over 80 international speakers to provide an innovative and comprehensive overview of the latest research developments in anti-aging medicine.

During his lecture 'Detox your Way to Weight Loss' at the Anti-Aging, Preventative and Longevity Medicine programme, Michael E. Greer, MD, Gynaecologist and Holistic Medicine expert from Seattle, Washington, spoke about the health and weight loss benefits of detox.

"Fat cells store toxic waste to protect your body. When you detox your body will then release these toxins allowing you to loose weight. It is wrong to assume that you will loose weight through exercise as high levels of exercise incites free-radicals and toxins such as cortisol, a toxin that increases your stress levels, and you will doom yourself to toxin's being stored back into your body's fat cells. Before undertaking any exercise you need to get rid of your free radicals and induce oxidation in order to lose weight."

said Dr Greer.

"High levels of cortisol increases your stress levels and to lower your cortisol levels you must detox and treat these high levels with various herbs and vitamin supplements. This will improve your ability to get rid of the toxins. The liver performs a very important function in the detoxification process as most of the metabolism takes place in the liver. A good metabolic function allows you to dump the extra cortisol. Herbs such as milk-thistle and dandelion help the liver metabolise at a faster rate. Similarly, the lymphatic system allows you to lose weight by expelling the toxins through your urine. For this to be effective and function correctly you must have factors that will decrease glucose intake to keep your blood sugar levels and insulin levels low."

Sleep is a very important factor in weight loss, stresses Dr Greer. Your sleep patterns can often be disturbed by the presence of high levels of cortisol in your body as it will force you to wake up many times during the night to visit the bathroom. High cortisol levels mean that you become hyper-glycaemic during the night which can be caused by lack of water and protein intake before you go to bed.

To allow effective detox to take place you must stop the external supply of toxins to your body by controlling what you eat. If you support the organs of detoxification and drainage through the intake of vitamins and herbal supplements, you will stimulate your metabolism and allow the detoxification process to take place efficiently and help control your weight. If all phases of detox are not completed, the effects of toxins such as tobacco and alcohol will be even more dangerous to the metabolic balance of your body.

"Eat the right foods, take your supplements and apply topical creams to your skin," said Dr Greer as a closing note. "You will find many health benefits including clearer skin, better concentration, tissue repair and lower cortisol levels, in addition to the desired weight loss. Detox is a complicated and regimented process that must be controlled in order for it to be effective."