AntiAging Treatments That Work

AntiAging - Any Real Evidence?

By: Dr. Keith Chung, PHD

Here are some interesting facts to keep you up-to-date on some antiaging products:

DHEA

(Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a steroid secreted by the adrenal cortex.

This hormone is the precursor for testosterone, progesterone and estrogen.

It is found to decline with age so replacing this hormone could be expected to slow age-related changes.

DHEA has also been shown to be directly related to mortality with an inverse relationship existing between the levels of DHEA and mortality from heart disease as well as other causes.

(For more information on DHEA, please see DHEA - Another AntiAging Hormone with Promise?.)

Calorie deprivation (known to prolong aging, see below) is also known to inhibit the decline of DHEA.

Human Growth Hormone

HGH) Another important hormone with antiaging properties.

Effective HGH hormone sprays are available.

(For more information on HGH, please see AntiAging Hormone Treatments.)

AntiOxidants

The theory is that in aging, un-repaired oxidative damage accumulates, putting the organism under increased stress. DNA damage is also reported to be associated with oxidative stress.

Antioxidants protect against cellular damage by mopping up the reactive oxygen species that cause damage. A recent study of elderly subjects found that DNA damage occurred in 45% of subjects, with 62% having low total antioxidant levels.

Antioxidants include vitamins C, A, E, and the mineral selenium. Although these agents are effective antioxidants, their beneficial effects in slowing aging still remains largely unproven.

There is considered stronger evidence for the roles of these antioxidants in preventing degenerative disease such as atherosclerosis.

The area of antioxidants in aging is still an active area of research interest.

Tip: not many people know, but there is an effective and convenient test for checking your antioxidant status to see if you are adequately protected against the damaging effects of free radicals. The test involves measurement of lipid peroxides in urine.

Lipid peroxides represent damage caused to fats by free radicals and provide a useful barometer of your antioxidant status.

Peptides

Carnosine, a peptide, is an antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Carnosine has been found to extend the life of human skin cells grown in culture.

Long lived cells contain high levels of carnosine. Its antiaging properties have been more recently linked, not so much with its antioxidant properties, but with its ability to protect against undesirable protein glycation and cross linking to normal macromolecules.

Herbs

Garlic: a study in 1994 found garlic enhanced the long term growth ability of human skin cells to survive in culture. The researchers also found that garlic inhibited the growth of cancer cells in culture, providing the first apparent evidence of both antiaging and anticancer effects of garlic.

Calorie Restriction

This has long been known to result in the slowing or retardation of the aging process. It has been confirmed in a number of studies with animals which have been shown to live longer when their dietary intakes were restricted.

Calorie restriction without malnutrition is the only known manipulation which has been convincingly demonstrated to retard aging in mammals. (For more information, please see Diet Plans & Weight Loss.}

By: Dr. Keith Chung,PhD
Balance Your Nutrition

Reference list: 1. J Endocrinol 1999 Oct;163(1):1-5

2. Mech Ageing Dev 2001 Jun;122(8):835-47

3. Cell Mol Life Sci 2000 May;57(5):747-53

4. J Ethnopharmacol 1994 Jul 8;

4(2):125-33.

About the author: Founder, BalanceYourNutrition.com.
Author of several scientific articles in leading science journals.
Editor of BalanceYourNutrition Newsletter