In the centuries old quest to find a pill or a water that will bring the fountain of youth to all individuals, people have turned to anti-aging supplements which they believe may be the answer. And the question of – how quickly do we age? – may really lie in the old adage “we are what we eat”.
Researchers have found that the question of aging resides both in DNA, and the function of the organ systems within the body, which also includes the largest organ of the body, the skin. The external and most visual symptom of aging is the decreasing elasticity and resulting wrinkles in the skin. Manufacturing companies have produced multiple different types of products in order to answer this evergreen need.
But, while a benefit that skin care companies can reduce the effect of aging to the external world it does not change how quickly our body continues to age on the inside. Scientists now know that there are bits of DNA material in each cell called telomeres which slowly grows smaller as each of us age. These telomeres are indicators of how much time we have left before the cells in our body slow their reproduction and we die.
At this time researchers have identified that overall good health with adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and the antioxidant material will help to decrease the aging process in the cells. Some manufacturing companies have taken it a step further and offer anti-aging supplements which reportedly contain many of the essential nutrients that help to slow the aging process.
Some companies offer an array of products that help protect many of the different aspects of aging from the skin, to the eyes, to the function of the liver, kidneys and pancreas. The products consist of nutrients, hormones, extracts and targeted formulas that reportedly offer diverse strategies to reduce some of the effects of aging. And while all of this sounds incredibly enticing it may be nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements which are brought out onto the market. In 2007, a new law was passed which allows the FDA to regulate the manufacturing process but these supplements do not fall under the requirements of pharmaceutical medications in order to prove their claims. For the FDA to regulate a supplement it must make treatment protocols, treatment claims or references to treatment claims that have not been thoroughly proven through clinical trials.
Antioxidants are another factor in the fight against aging. These are a number of different vitamins and minerals and plant derived compounds that are the foundation of life. Antioxidants are essential to combat compounds in the body called free radicals. These are highly reactive molecules that are a byproduct of metabolism and cause damage and destruction to DNA and other cells. In fact, researchers have been able to link free radical formation and damage to a number of different diseases including cancer.
Another area of concern are those who wish to prevent, or at least to decrease, the aging process in bone and joint health. As we age the body continues to lose bone cells at a faster rate than it produces them. This will result in osteoporosis in all individuals if life is extended.
For this reason, it is important for men and women to increase their bone mass density at early ages (between 12 and 24) when the body lays down the majority of the bone it will keep throughout life. If the body starts bone loss with a higher bone mass density then it is a longer period of time before the individual will suffer from osteoporosis.
The rate at which bone is lost and laid down depends upon several different factors, including age, weight of the person and gender. An extremely thin postmenopausal woman will have a higher risk of osteoporosis than a normal weight man or even a woman who carries 10 extra pounds into her postmenopausal years. That is because bone mass density is a result of stress placed on the bone. This means that the greater amount of stress placed on the bone, greater amount of bone which is produced.
It is for this reason that most primary care physicians will recommend that their patients participate in some type of weight bearing exercise throughout their life span. These weight bearing exercises can include running, jogging, volleyball, soccer and weight training. The idea is to cause a specific amount of stress on the long bones of the body in order to encourage the body to lay down more bone.
With this information in mind, it is also that important to make sure that the body has enough calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D in order to build optimally strong bones. These vitamins and minerals can also be considered anti-aging supplements.
The brain is another area of the body which can improve function when fed appropriately. Protecting the health of the brain is vital if one pursues a longer life and that life is to have any meaning. By obtaining adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals in the diet, whether through diet or supplementation, an individual can help to increase the amount of time they spend on this earth in a manner which is functional and desirable.
With a bit of research and knowledge, most individuals can amass the correct vitamins and minerals in order to put together their own anti-aging supplement. However, this process requires time, effort and energy and when there are companies who do the research for you and produce anti-aging supplements in order to help joint health, eyes, brain and body it seems a poor use of our own time to go beyond the initial research required to determine that the company with whom you are purchasing is legitimate and the vitamins and minerals you are taking are necessary.
Resources:
Natural News: Breakthrough Research: Fish Oil Supplements have Anti-Aging Effects
http://www.naturalnews.com/037407_fish_oil_anti-aging_supplements.html
National Institute of Health: Can We Prevent Aging
http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/can-we-prevent-aging
University of Florida: Anti-Aging Supplements May be Best Taken as Mixtures
http://news.ufl.edu/2010/05/18/supplements/
MayoClinic: Popular Anti-Aging Supplement has No Beneficial Effects
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019094231.htm
University of California: Aging, Chronic Disease and Telomeres are Linked in Recent Studies
http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/02/9431/aging-telomeres-linked-chronic-disease-and-health
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