The Latest Anti-aging Strategies
As medical and health science has evolved, more and more anti-aging strategies have come into vogue. This trend will only continue as the baby boomers come closer to retirement age, which will start to happen shortly after 2010. Expect the number of people who seek anti aging treatments to dramatically increase. Although woman have traditionally been more inclined to seek anti-aging treatments and programs, men will increasingly seek this avenue as well. Some antiaging strategies are more cosmetic while other focus primarily on longevity.
Not all baby boomers discern between longevity and the appearance of youthfulness, but most seek treatments that are based on aesthetic concerns. After all, he Baby Boomers are starting to get wrinkles, losing their hair (or at least suffering from greying hair) wear reading glasses and experiencing stiffer joints and a reduction in stamina. And they desire anti-aging treatments more than any previous generation. It has generally been accepted that the baby boom generation was more appearence-focused that the preceding generation and this is obviously an extension of that self awareness.
One item that people have reached for as an anti-aging formula called Botox, which is derived from the same botulin toxin that is found in spoiled various foods. A sterile version of this, called Botulinum toxin type A is what physicians use to eliminate or at least improve wrinkles. While Botox is one way of fighting aging of the skin, a number of other skin care products on the market are designed to combat the fact that the body loses it’s ability to produce new collagen and elastin as it ages and the cells in the different layers of our skin thin over time, loosing their inherent ability to adequately maintain moisture. One such skin care treatment is Hyaluronic acid, sometimes called Hyaluronan. Usually taken orally, HA is found naturally in the body as part of the connective tissue which is used to cushion as well as lubricate.
However, we lose natural HA in our bodies as we age. It was used previously to inject in the knees or joints of athletes who lost cartilege in the affected area but only recently has it been taken orally. ABC News has focused on the possible benefits of HA with a report called, “The Village of Long Life: Could Hyaluronic Acid Be an Anti-Aging Remedy?”. It was revealed that there exists a small coastal town in Japan called Yuzuri Hara where people often live a long time and often have flawless skin well into their eightees or even ninetees. Since that newscast, several companies have put HA products on the market. HA can also be found naturally in a few foods.
Many people also use wrinkle creams to deal with the loss of collagen which reduces the flexibility of the skin. Many of the best wrinkle creams contain ingredients such as vitamin C, E, and A, green tea and hydroxyl acids. One research study showed Alpha Derma CE as the top formula for reducing wrinkles. Number two was Rejuvinol/Rejuvox, a combination am/pm nutrient rich moisturizer. Also make sure to take vitamins and eat healthy meals for healthy skin. In addition to skin care products, an obvious but effective antiaging strategy is simply to protect your skin while you are in the sun and extreme weather and make sure to drink plenty of liquids.
There are also a number of foods, food derivatives and supplements that have recently been claimed to have antiaging properties. One such derivative is a molecule found in rice bran. According to Bill Sardi (whose website is has no commercial influence) in an article entitled “The Overlooked Cancer Cure From Japan”, it may be effective because of it’s iron chelating effect.
He points out that tumor cells utilize iron as a primary growth factor. He then quotes the Current Topics Medical Chemistry 4: 1623-35, 2004 as saying that iron chelators may be of value as therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer and then quotes Hoffbrand AV regarding his theory. Apparently, the most effective iron chelating molecule is known as inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) and is found in Rice Bran.
Bill also pointed out that rice bran oil has 2 times the antioxidants power as virgin olive oil, which is in itself a rich source. Currently, the knowledge of this possible antiaging substance appears mostly concentrated in Asia, but that might soon change.
It is highly recommended to eat plenty of antioxidants to ward off the aging process. Eat blue berries, black berries, and have a glass of red wine daily. They are rich with antioxidants. Also omega 3 fatty acids and fish oils have been proven to retard skin aging. During the aging process cell membranes become increasingly rigid as GLA levels drop. This can degrade the function of tissues throughout the body and omega-3 fatty acids appear to combat this. As an added benefit, research done in Greenland in the 70’s appears to suggest that marine lipid oils may reduce heart disease as well. Other sources ofomega-3 fatty acids besides fish include flaxseed, walnuts, almonds, eggs and avacodo’s.
“It is highly recommended to eat plenty of antioxidants to ward off the aging process.”
Antioxidants have long been touted by doctors and scientists as a natural way to slow down the aging process. Fortunately for us, many different types of foods contain antioxidants. Foods with the darkest colors are generally the richest in ORAC content, which is a measure of the antioxidant power in foods. Foods with the highest antioxidant levels include virtually all the berries but especially blueberries (wild blueberry being the richest in ORAC value), cranberries and strawberries.
Also very high in the list are black beans, spinach, green tea, sweet potatoes (the more color the better), watermelons and concorde grape juice. Even some foods not thought of as being particularly healthful, such as coffee, chocolate and red wine, contain antioxidants. Irish potatoes, although not considered a diet food by nay means, nonetheless has a substantial amount of antioxidants.
Honey, Olive oil (especially the antioxidant squaline) and rice bran oil are rich sources as well. In supplement form, vitamin C and E are probably the most commonly taken antioxidants. These nutrients, in addition to their broadly recognized abilty to reduce free radical damage caised by the oxidation process, may also keep the bodies immune system strong as an added bonus. But research is still somewhat inconclusive as to whether very large doses of Vitamin C and E really can slow down the aging process more than the normal daily recommended amount can.
It is also important to injest food with strong anti-inflammatory components, like ginger, tumeric, cayenne, and oregano, fish (preferable wild, cold water fish), garlic, and aloe vera. The long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish oil are said to be particularly effective as an anti-inflammatory. Dr. Barry Sears, PHD, one of the world’s top research scientists wrote a whole book about it called ‘The anti-inflammation Zone’ which also goes into detail about how your diet as a whole can reduce inflammation.
Also do your best to consume foods which have a strong enzymatic component such as raw vegetables, berries, aged cheeses (when you are in the supermarket and buying parmeson or chedder cheese, for instance, choose aged cheese) and of course yogurt. The added enzymes will boost your immune system. The more raw you can get is usually the best in terms of enzyme power.
Another substance which may have antiaging benefits but which has had somewhat mixed reviews is PABA, or Para amino benzoac acid, which is used in supplements as well as sunscreens. PABA is claimed by some to assist in hair growth and could possibly reverse the graying of hair. It is also belived by some researchers to assist in breaking down proteins, help in the formation of red blood cells as well as maintaining intestinal flora. While most studies I have read seem to agree that some PABA is helpful, they vary on what they consider the optimal dose to be. I have heard suggestions of 1000 mg or more, but I personally only take 500 mg’s a day and, speaking only for myself, have seemd to have had good results with it. I have noticed that many multivitamin tablets contain PABA, although usually a small amount such as 20Mg.
