In the field of complementary therapies, Dr. Andrew Weil is perhaps the most visible advocate, devoting the past 30 years to sharing the principles of integrative medicine with patients and students alike, Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine at University of Arizona. Dr. Weil also has a general practice in Tucson, focusing on natural and preventive medicine and diagnosis.

In his latest bestseller Healthy Aging, Dr. Well, with candor and common sense, tackles America's preoccupation with youth, cosmetic interventions, and denial of the aging process. As an alternative, he celebrates the rewards of growing older with grace. The acclaimed author separates fact from fiction about antiaging therapies and highlights the benefits of supplementation, physical activity, sleep, and an anti-inflammatory diet, among other preventive measures.

The Post recently caught up with the Harvard-educated physician to learn more about the key components of good health at every age.

Post: Are omega-3 fatty acids an important ingredient in your overall physical- and mental-health recommendations?

Andrew Weil: A growing body of re search shows that adequate omega-3 intake is absolutely vital for optimum mental health, Omega 3s may also provide strong protection against depression, ADHD in early life, and autism. One could argue that most people in North America are deficient in omega-3s, and that deficiency has become significantly worse over the past 80 years or so. That deficiency is the single most important dietary lack that people need to think about, Where and how are they getting omega-3s, and are they getting enough?

Post: What do you suggest as optimal dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acid?

Andrew Weil: I recommend oily fish, such as wild Alaska salmon, sardines, herring, and black cod. They are the safest bets. One easy source of omega-3s is sockeye salmon. All sockeye is wild; they cannot farm that species. Farmed salmon is much inferior to wild salmon, both in terms of omega-3 content and toxic load. Another interesting fact about sockeye is that it eats lower on the food chain, consuming mainly insects and algae, so it accumulates fewer environmental toxins than other species of salmon. You can buy canned sockeye salmon in any supermarket.

For people who don't want to eat fish, there are other choices, including omega-3 fortified eggs, but they don't really give you much omega-3s. Vegetarian sources, such as walnuts, are good, as are flaxseed and hemp seeds. While it is good to add these sources to the diet, they're not really an adequate substitute for the forms and amounts of omega-3s that you get from fish.

Another option is dietary supplements of fish oil, either in capsule or liquid form. Fish oils are distilled, so they are free of toxic contaminants. For mental health, take one to two grams a day of an omega-3 supplement with both DHA and EPA. The ratio, as best we can estimate, is about three to four EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) to one DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) for optimal mental health. People who are depressed or have bipolar disorder can take significantly more, but that's where I'd start.

Post: Are other supplements important as well?

Andrew Weil: Obviously, there is a lot of controversy about that issue. It's always better to eat whole foods, because you're getting all components. But supplements are useful as insurance against gaps in the diet, particularly for people who find it hard to eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables a day or are often traveling on the road, so they can't eat ideally.

Post: Do you advocate a high-fiber diet?

Andrew Weil: Many people would benefit from reducing consumption of animal foods and increasing fiber in the diet by simply eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to naturally increase fiber intake. When doing that, you are normally increasing fiber.

Post: What are the health benefits of the spice turmeric?

Andrew Weil: It's really the hottest medicinal herb being studied around the world. Turmeric has very powerful anti inflammatory and anticancer properties. It also appears to protect against Alzheimer's disease. We're at a disadvantage in North America in not having a tradition of eating turmeric. The main way we get turmeric is in yellow mustard and occasionally curry. In India, people eat turmeric at every meal. When doing my research on healthy longevity in Okinawa. I was struck by the fact that they drank a lot of cold unsweetened turmeric tea, which I found very refreshing. I'm working to make that product available here. People can buy turmeric supplements. I like a brand called Turmeric Force, made by New Chapter. Turmeric is something to consider adding to your supplement regimen.

Post: What can we do to keep our minds and bodies in good working order throughout life?

Andrew Weil: Lifestyle factors are huge. Obviously, all diseases result from the interaction between genes and lifestyle, but accumulating evidence suggests that lifestyle factors strongly modify genetics. That's tremendous news and includes everything--diet, exercise, stress, rest, relationships, and all. A major focus of integrated medicine that I teach and practice is to look at total lifestyle and offer people suggestions on how they can make better choices, particularly before getting sick.

At whatever age you pay attention to lifestyle factors, you benefit. Some simple interventions, apart from diet, include getting regular physical activity. For older people, walking is fine. If done regularly. Also, learning and practicing some method of relaxation and stress neutralization is important. My favorite relaxation techniques are breathing exercises, because they are so simple and cost effective.

Post: Is niacin effective in raising HDL levels and preserving cardiovascular health?

Andrew Weil: Niacin is effective. When taking a therapeutic dose to raise HDL and maintain cardiovascular health, niacin is really not a vitamin anymore; it's a natural pharmaceutical agent with definite risks. Niacin works, but I think it needs to be done under medical supervision and in select patients.

One great lack in conventional medicine at the moment is that while we have effective drugs to lower LDL, we really don't have methods to raise HDL, But new drugs will appear shortly.

Post: Have you recently been exploring the important role of vitamin D?

Andrew Weil: Yes. Vitamin D is something I'm very interested in. Word is getting out, but more and more evidence is emerging supporting the idea that adequate vitamin D is absolutely critical for optimum health especially for prevention of many kinds of cancer, multiple sclerosis, and optimal functioning of many organs. This is a very different view of vitamin D than we used to have when taught that vitamin D from sun exposure is mainly necessary for bone health.

People have become so paranoid about skin cancer that even in Arizona where I live, most people are not getting adequate sun exposure because they're using sunscreen all the time. It is certainly worth taking a vitamin D supplement. I'm currently recommending everybody take 1,000 IUs a day of vitamin D-3. Many supplements give you vitamin D-2, which is not nearly as well used by the body. It's possible that in a year, we're going to be recommending 2,000 IUs of vitamin D-3. Vitamin D should be consumed with a meal containing fat, I personally try to get some sun exposure as well. Be careful, but spending some time in the sun is healthy.

Post: Do you believe that dietary interventions guard against prostate cancer?

Andrew Weil: That's one form of cancer in which the role of diet is really well established. The main correlations with low risk are lower consumption of animal fats, increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, and regular intake of whole soy foods. The earlier in life you begin doing that, the better. Also important is adequate intake of antioxidants, particularly lycopene--the red pigment of tomatoes and watermelon. You can also get lycopene as a supplement.

Post: Do you find that lysine is useful in treating outbreaks of herpes?

Andrew Weil: Yes, for oral herpes, if you take 1,000 milligrams of lysine a day, most people report a decrease in the frequency of outbreaks. It's perfectly harmless to do that. I don't think lysine has any effect on genital herpes, but it seems effective for oral.

Post: Your mother lived to 93. Did genetics play a role or was lifestyle a major factor in her longevity?

Andrew Weil: Actually, her genetics weren't terrific. She outlived her siblings and lived much longer than her parents. Cancer was in her family. Lifestyle played a great role in her healthy longevity, and she was very attentive to her diet, physically active, and had a great sense of humor, She had very strong social connections and maintained intellectual curiosity, All those factors worked in her favor.

Post: Is it ever too late to start a program?

Andrew Weil: No, but the earlier in life you start, the better. For that reason. I am strongly in favor of getting preventive health information and nutritional guidance to kids as early as possible.

Post: How can we tackle the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States?

Andrew Weil: The only way we're going to get a handle on this epidemic is if we realize that this is a matter of collective responsibility. The federal government has taken the position that obesity is purely a matter of individual responsibility. That's absolutely not the case. It's individual responsibility, governmental responsibility, and corporate responsibility. Unless there is coordinated movement from all of those sectors. I don't think we'll change anything.

Post: Is it gratifying to witness the growth of the field of integrative medicine?

Andrew Weil: I'm delighted. I've worked to see this happen for more than 30 years. For a long time, I had great response from the general public, but not much from my medical colleagues. Now, there is a real momentum, and I'm absolutely convinced that this is the way of the future. I've always said the success will be when we drop the word integrative, and it will Just be "good medicine."