In The Life Pill, Dr. Alfred Sparman explores ways to inhibit the aging process and prevent diseases normally associated with aging.
The book’s first part explains why we age and why we develop debilitating conditions such as cancer, diabetes and arthritis. Sparman, a cardiologist who earned his medical degree from New York Medical College, takes his explanations down to molecular minutiae because, he states, “Aging starts at the cellular level and affects all organs in the body.” Thus, readers are treated to an overview of the ongoing chemical processes in our bodies, involving metabolism, the stability of cells, the effects of oxidation and the creation of harmful free radicals.
Next, Sparman discusses ways of counteracting physical degeneration. He begins with traditional approaches involving lifestyle, nutrition, and supplements such as melatonin, Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Vitamin C, in particular, he asserts, “is one of the most potent antioxidants in the world.” The “life pill” of the title, is made of a compound of Vitamin C and extracts from the Moringa oleifera and Bryophyllum pinnatum plants. Both have a history in herbal lore, and Sparman claims that when the three elements of his “life pill” are taken in the right dosage, they “will have a synergistic effect in combating noncommunicable diseases” associated with aging.
Although the author doesn’t say in the book where readers can get the pill, sales information can be found online, and it seems that the book was written, at least in part, to promote the product. (On the last page, Sparman enthuses: “As a cardiologist who practices conventional medicine, I highly recommend ‘The Life Pill!’”)
Nevertheless, Sparman gives a comprehensive explanation of the aging process and some of the steps, conventional and otherwise, that may be taken to counteract it. The book is not for everyone, however. Sparman’s prose is densely compacted with scientific concepts and abbreviations, making it a likely candidate only for those who are comfortable with scientific nomenclature and abstract ideas.
Also available as a hardcover.
