The enemy....

...AMYLOID.
Sounds pretty benign? Well, it is as deadly as any other parasite.
The business of life is making and using proteins. As we age, this process gets a little creaky. Amyloid is an abnormal protein that slowly builds up in various organs over time. It has no beneficial functions--it is truly "gunk". It gets in the way of cells doing their normal business.
It is the substance that causes the plaques and tangles in the brain that disrupt communication and lead to Alzheimer's disease. While it can invade other organs, it is this propensity to build up around neurons that makes this innocuous looking molecule a vicious enemy. There is some evidence that it can be fought, but it will take a lot more research to know how to defeat it. In the meantime, be good to your cells by protecting them from those things that disturb normal protein synthesis. High up on the list of things that do this? Tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs. Things that may help the brain cells maintain normal protein synthesis? Rest, exercise, mental exertion (READING!), and, yes, love. Be good to your proteins today!