Round Table Debate "Ageing and Antioxidants" - a key subject
The Taste-Nutrition-Health International Congress will be the occasion for the Proffessor Pierre Sirois, of the department of pharmacology of the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, to speak on the role of antioxidants in regulating anti-radical defenses, during a Round Table debate with other specialists. These specialists include Doctor Michel Prost, President of Lara Spiral, a well-known Dijon-based laboratory, and Norbert Latruffe, Professor at the University of Burgundy and Director of the Laboratory of Metabolic and Nutritional Biochemistry.
Everybody knows that rust on metal is the result of oxidation. Less well known is that the same mechanism acts on living organisms. Certain authors have named this “body rust” and consider this to be at the heart of aging and almost all diseases.
“We know today that oxidative stress plays a significant role in diabetes. It is the same for degenerative diseases in which mechanisms of peroxidation of proteins or cell membranes take place”, explains Michel Prost. Just as it is possible to combat rust in a metal object, it is possible do the same against free radicals that encourage oxidation in living beings, humans in particular, taking into account the regulation of oxyreduction mechanisms.
Hence the importance of prevention that consists mainly of better regulating the level of antiradical defense in humans through functional foods and specific dietary supplements of national origin, rich in antioxidants. Red fruits and berries, a major crop in Burgundy and Franche-Comté, are rich in antioxidants thanks to the fact that they contain certain molecules such as polyphenols. It is thus easy to understand why these two regions, and consequently Vitagora, are home to a number of experts in this area, in particular Lara Spiral and the Laboratory of Metabolic and Nutritional Biochemistry. The innovation project Vitalim’Senior – aiming in part to discover if maintaining antioxidant activity slows ageing and prevents weight gain in the elderly – involves the companies Senoble and Caneo and is an example of a strong industry application in this area.
“For this project, Lara Spiral will be studying a type of active ingredient that we have developed ourselves”, explains Michel Prost, Président of Lara Spiral.
Preserving a regulated anti-radical defense
Dr. Michel Prost, PDG of Lara Spiral
In a scientific congress called « From Birth to Old Age », it is natural that a discussion would be organized around the theme of antioxidants and ageing. Professor Pierre Sirois, of the University of Sherbrooke, will present the concept of antiradical defenses.
“Pr. Sirois is one of the world’s most eminent experts in the area of leucotrienes, which are important mediators of inflammation, in particular in respiratory diseases”, underlines Michel Prost. This round table debate will also be the opportunity for specialists of cosmetics to explain the why antioxidants are interesting for combating skin ageing, and to present a new approach call “dermonutrition”. “The aim of this round table is to debate the importance of preserving your health by preserving a regulated antiradical defense”, concludes Michel Prost.
Round Table Debate: “Antioxidants and ageing”
March 19, 2009: 14:00 – 15:30
Key note speaker:
• Pr. P. Sirois (University of Sherbrooke, Canada)
Participants:
• Pr. Valérie Shini-Kerth (CNRS, France)
• Mme I. Renimel (LVMH, France)
• Pr. N. Latruff e (INSERM, UB, France)
• Dr. M. Prost (Lara-Spiral, France)
• Mr. D. Barron (Nestlé, Switzerland)
Download the Congress Program |
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