What is an anti aging product?
An anti aging product is any product that prevents or partially reverses the effects of aging. It is not yet possible to prevent aging altogether, but the aging process can certainly be slowed down and managed. Anti-aging products include skin care products, nutritional supplements, and medications.
Skin Care Anti Aging Products
You should have no difficulty finding an anti aging product for skin. All major cosmetic companies have their line of anti aging products. Does one work better than the other? It’s hard to know. You may have to try a few to find one that works best for you.
Aging skin is the result of damage to the skin and its structural proteins, collagen and elastin. This damage is the result of sun exposure, smoking, and other pollutants and toxins, which cause inflammation and generation of free radicals. Free radicals can be “neutralized” by antioxidants.
Vitamins C and E, alpha lipoic acid, and coenzyme Q10 are antioxidants found in some skin care products. Sunscreens can reduce inflammation from sun exposure. Skin care products that contain dimethylaminoethanol, or DMAE are helpful in reducing wrinkles and sagging skin.
Nutritional Supplements
As mentioned above antioxidants can retard the aging process by fighting free radicals. Fruits and vegetable are great sources antioxidants. But, antioxidants can also be obtained as nutritional supplements.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) also promotes better mitochondrial function. The mitochondria of our cells are where energy is produced. Aging occurs in part because of a decline in mitochondrial function. Coenzyme Q10 can protect against the decline in CoQ10 that occurs from taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol.
Carnosine prevents oxidation, glycation, DNA damage, and reduces damage to telomeres making it the near perfect longevity anti-aging product. Carnosine buffers lactic acid that occurs from exercise. This delays muscle fatigue and enhances exercise workouts. Carnosine protects against the many complications of diabetes including retinopathy that can lead to blindness, sensory neuropathy, and diabetic nephropathy or kidney disease.
Fish oil is a must supplement for those who don’t eat fish at least 2 or 3 times a week. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory. It improves brain function by improving nerve cell to cell communication. Fish oil protects against abnormal heart rhythms and improves hormone receptor function. Fish oil can prevent telomere damage as does vitamin D. Vitamin D keeps bones strong and seems to protect against colon and breast cancer.
A real exciting supplement that may slow down aging is resveratrol. Resveratrol is found in grape skins, and is readily available as a nutritional supplement. Resveratrol induces metabolic changes similar to that of calorie restriction, which has been shown to increase longevity.
Perhaps, the most exciting nutritional supplement to combat aging, though, is TA-65. TA-65 may be the most revolutonary anti aging product that exists today. TA-65 was discovered by the Geron Corporation and is licensed to TA Sciences for clinical application.
TA-65 comes from the Chinese Herb, Astragalus. TA-65 is a telomerase activator. It lengthens telomeres, which are little caps at the ends of our DNA. Once telomeres become too short cells are no longer able to divide and die. TA-65 can actually cause telomeres to lengthen and is now available for human use.
Fight Aging with Medications
Metformin, a diabetic drug, also induces metabolic changes that mimic calorie restriction. But, the best medications currently available to fight aging are hormones. Hormones improve the function of body. When hormone levels are optimal they improve our metabolism, keep our bones and muscles stronger, keep our minds sharper, and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
Hormones naturally decline with age, but that should not be mistaken as being ideal. Vision and hearing naturally decline and bones become weaker, blood pressure rises, but we don’t just accept it and ignore these problems.
Unfortunately, many physicians believe we should accept that our hormone levels decline and not treat the problem. You will not enjoy optimal health without optimal hormone levels. A doctor specializing in hormone replacement therapy can help optimize your hormone levels.
These are some of the top anti aging products. But, nutrition and exercise are important too, so don’t simply rely on something in a bottle.
See related articles.
“TA-65: Potentially the Best Anti Aging Supplement”
“Anti Aging and Collagen Treatments”
