Anti - Aging Supplement

Turn back time: supplements worthy of "anti-aging" labels

"I wish I was big," uttered Tom Hanks in the 1988 movie, Big. Jennifer Garner's new movie, 13 going on 30, offers a similar premise: A young girl makes a wish and grows up overnight, thereby skipping over the trials and tribulations of childhood.

Ironically, while these Hollywood stories depict children skipping over their youths, Hollywood itself is populated by countless celebrities who are attempting to forgo the aging process and retain their youthful appearances. Similarly, Americans across the nation are intrigued by anything that offers an "anti-aging" solution.

Botox and plastic surgery aside, there are many natural--and non-invasive--

solutions that may help slow the clock down.

Ant aging dietary supplements have the potential to enhance longevity and improve quality of life. These goals are important today more than ever since the average American will live past the age of 75 in 2004, compared to 1887's average of 45.

What Is "Aging"?

Many theories in the anti-aging field operate under the premise that aging occurs at three different levels: chronological, biological and psychological. According to Deepak Chopra, MD, and David Simon, MD, authors of Grow Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging, chronological age is a

concrete number that measures time from birth, while biological age indicates how well bodily functions are operating. The more subjective measurement of psychological age represents how young a person feels

."Although we cannot reverse our chronological age, we can reverse the more important measures of our biological and psychological age--and by doing so can regain the physical and emotional vitality we had in the past," the authors write.

Anti-aging medicine, as therapies for invigorating biological systems are known, combats the risk of chronic disease to preserve function and vitality. Of course, there's no substitute for exercise and a balanced diet, but dietary supplements can complement a healthful lifestyle and give some added protection against biological aging.

"Although we'd like to believe that eating healthy foods is all you need in order to thrive, there is increasing evidence that the appropriate use of nutritional supplements may take you to a higher level of well-being than is achievable by food alone," Chopra and Simon advised, adding, "Because we now know that high levels of certain nutrients can lower your risk for many common health concerns associated with aging, nutritional complements play an important health-promoting role."

Anti-Aging Vitamins

One major group of dietary supplements that gets a lot of airtime is the antioxidants, particularly with regard to anti-aging medicine since oxidative damage to cells is reputed to contribute to several chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease. In fact, oxidative damage may even be a factor in the aging process itself, according to a study published in the October 2003 issue of The Journal of Nutrition by investigators at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Specifically, vitamin E has been featured in numerous anti-aging studies for its effects against cognitive decline, heart disease and cancer. Research cited by Andreas Papas, PhD, in The Vitamin E Factor (HarperPerennial, 1999) indicated that vitamin E can enhance immune function in the elderly, which "helps fend off infections and chronic diseases. And this helps maintain the quality of life," according to Papas, who recommends supplements that contain all eight vitamin E isomers, both tocopherols and tocotrienols. "The objective is to provide a wider spectrum of protection, especially against the nitrogen radicals, which are believed to play a role in aging," he explains.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America, although vitamin E appears to reduce the risk of mortality from atherosclerosis, according to a September 2002 publication in Current Atheroselerosis Reports. Similarly, vitamin C is a strong predictor of mortality, with British subjects in the highest fifth of serum vitamin C levels being at half the risk of death than subjects in the lowest fifth, as noted in the November 2003 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine further noted that serum vitamin C levels remained a strong predictor of mortality even in subjects with cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline.

More Antioxidant Power

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is naturally produced in the body and is popularly known for its role in creating cellular energy from the body's power-producing cells, the mitochondria.

Taken as a supplement, CoQ10 may increase lifespan, as demonstrated in research out of the Tokai University School of Medicine in Japan. The study, published in the January 2004 issue of Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, showed that by combating oxidative damage, CoQ10 extended the lifespan of wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans, a species of roundworm.

Another antioxidant that is naturally produced in the human body is superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme and integral part of the body's natural antioxidant defenses. SOD fights free radical damage at a cellular level, according to Gary Null, PhD, author of Gary Null's Power Aging (New American Library, 2003). Null pointed out that SOD may be useful against osteoarthritis and lung damage, as well as in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Spanish researchers at Valencia's Facultad de Medicina cited higher levels of manganese-SOD as one reason females tend to live longer than males. Their October 2003 publication in Antioxidants & Redox Signalling also reported the mitochondria from females produce significantly less hydrogen peroxide than those of males, and males sustain four times more oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA than females--both aspects behind the mitochondrial theory of aging.

The antioxidant mineral zinc may also be a potential anti-aging supplement because low levels of the nutrient are linked to reduced immune function in aging, according to researchers at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, who published their research in a 2003 issue of the Czech publication Folia Microbiologica. Their research showed that 1-2 months of zinc supplementation restored immune response, reduced the incidence of infection and prolonged survival.

Growth Potential

A more controversial category than antioxidants, hormone supplements are promoted for restoring the body's natural hormone levels to prevent biological aging. With age, levels of growth hormone (GH) decline by about 14 percent per decade of adult life, according to researchers at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England. Researchers reported in a 2003 issue of Hormone Research that GH deficiency is associated with increased fat mass and decreased bone mass, and elderly patients may benefit from GH replacement therapy.

A study published in a issue of the German journal Homo: Journal of Comparative Human Biology indicated GH deficiencies adversely affect the central nervous system, increasing the risk of disease and death. Researchers from Complutense University in Madrid stated that pharmaceutical GH injections restored heart and brain function in old animals, and it restored amino acid levels to those comparable with younger animals.

Interestingly, the vast majority of research with GH is conducted with pharmaceutical-grade injections. However, amino acid supplementation may increase GH levels and thereby prevent the cognitive decline associated with GH deficiency, according to a human trial conducted at VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands. The results, published in the October 2003 issue of Nutritional Neuroscience, showed that oral therapy with glycine and glutamine, as well as the B vitamin niacin, enhanced GH secretion in healthy middle-aged and elderly subjects.

Helpful Hormones?

Another hormone reputed to be a veritable fountain of youth is dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is naturally produced in the adrenal glands. According to Gary Null's Power Aging, DHEA levels naturally decline after about age 35, creating a risk for serious illness, including heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's. While Null states DHEA supplementation may improve symptoms of inflammatory conditions, he cautions it should not be taken in the absence of a deficiency, and even with a deficiency it should be used sparingly.

In terms of benefits, Chopra and Simon comment on reports that DHEA may relieve depression, improve memory, reduce body fat and bolster immune function, although they add that support of its use in human nutrition is conflicting. "The effects of giving animals and people supplementary DHEA have yielded contradictory results, generating a lot of controversy," write Chopra and Simon. "Some enthusiastic advocates promote DHEA as the anti-aging elixir, while most medical scientists believe that further study is necessary to determine its lasting benefits and risks to health."

Melatonin is another hormone that can be used supplementally, although its use is not quite as controversial as GH or DHEA. Melatonin, the principal hormone of the pineal gland that helps regulate circadian rhythms, declines in activity during the aging process, according to a research review by scientists at the Allama Iqbal Medical College in Pakistan that was published in the October 2003 issue of the Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.

Animal research published in a 2003 issue of Biogerontology indicated that a low-dose, chronic administration of melatonin supported natural antioxidant defenses and reduced lipid peroxidation levels. This led researchers at the University of Rajasthan in India to conclude that melatonin may fight the biological events of aging through antioxidant mechanisms.

Staying Young

Whether by providing antioxidant mechanisms or by elevating natural hormone levels, dietary supplements are believed to fight the chronic diseases associated with aging and perhaps even the aging process itself. While chronological age will continue to advance with the calendar, biological age doesn't necessarily have to.

"Until recently, few have questioned the assumption that aging is irreversible, and therefore, for generation after generation, people have reinforced the habitual thinking that growing older meant a progressive decline in mental and physical capacity," Chopra and Simon note. "It is now time to change our habits of thinking and behaving and alter our experience of the body and the aging process."

Author Kim Schoenhals COPYRIGHT PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All Rights Reserved.
and Gale Group

LIVE LIKE THERE IS A TOMORROW

For most young people, aging is not a major concern. Living on fast food, a few hours' sleep and very little exercise can take a toll, though. The ill effects of those youthful bad habits are compounded in our middle years, when our bodies don't function as efficiently as they once did.

Clearly, the fight against aging begins with regular, moderate exercise and a healthy diet based on whole foods (fruits, vegetables and whole grains). Fortunately, exercise and diet work synergistically, each enhancing the effects of the other. Without weight-bearing exercise, for instance, bones can be weakened by osteoporosis, even when calcium intake is high. Similarly, exercise and a good diet help keep weight down, which not only lowers the risk of death but also protects against many chronic diseases like diabetes, osteoarthritis and heart disease.

A diet based on whole foods, rather than processed or fast food, can help you maintain your youth, especially if it includes foods that scientists call natural age fighters. Blueberries, blackberries and boysenberries, for example, are at the top of the list, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. In animal studies, experts have found that these berries, which are rich in substances called anthocyanins, reversed age-related mental decline.

Of course, even the best diets -- and intentions -- may fall short, since it's difficult to determine the precise vitamin and mineral content of food these days. Experts suggest starting an anti-aging regimen with a multi-vitamin product that includes the B complex family, beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, E and K, and the minerals calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese and zinc. Keep in mind, though, that as more scientific proof appears supporting the benefits of supplements, experts are raising recommended amounts. The National Academy of Sciences, for example, recently raised the daily safe upper limits for vitamin C to 2,000 mg and vitamin E to 1,500 IU, and now suggests 400 meg of the trace mineral selenium. Food Choice Table

THE OXYGEN DILEMMA

None of us would live very long without oxygen. But ironically, oxygen is also one of the culprits behind aging. According to the widely accepted free radical theory, molecules that have lost an electron become unstable rogues that raid the electrons of healthy molecules, leaving them damaged. The resulting "oxidation" process can affect cells throughout the body, including the genetic directions in our DNA. Unchecked, free radical damage leads to a long list of conditions and diseases, many of them associated with aging.

Some vitamins and other substances work as antioxidants by fighting the oxidation caused by free radicals. The best-known antioxidant team is ACES--vitamins A, C, E and selenium. Of these four substances, the trace mineral selenium is probably the least well known, but recent research shows that it may be one of the most powerful. Earlier studies have shown that cancer patients are frequently deficient in selenium. Now new animal research in France has found that supplemental selenium cuts liver cancer deaths in half and results in "highly significant" improvements in protection provided by antioxidant defense systems. Selenium deficiencies have also been linked to severe cases of flu. Experts stress, however, that taking too much selenium can cause problems, including diarrhea, nausea, fatigue and a metallic taste in the mouth. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose of 400 meg a day, especially if you frequently eat garlic, Brazil nuts or grains, all of which can be rich sources of selenium. (The amount of selenium in food depends on the amount of the mineral in the soil where it was grown, and that can vary widely.)

Recently, researchers have discovered potent antioxidant abilities in other compounds, such as the flavonoid family known as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). OPCs provide dual protection against aging, because they not only fight free radicals but also extend the protective effects of other antioxidants, like vitamins C, E and beta-carotene.

OPCs are found in red wine, chocolate, barley, apples and berries, as well as herbs like horse chestnut and hawthorn. As supplements, OPCs often derived from grape seed, grape skin (or a combination) or from French maritime pine trees. The recommended dosage ranges from 50 to 300 mg, or according to the product directions.

MORE TIME FIGHTERS THAT DELIVER

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is another antioxidant that belongs in every Fountain of Youth kit. Like OPCs, ALA boosts the effects of other antioxidants, while warding off inflammation and environmental toxins, raising energy levels and aiding healthy glucose metabolism. But ALA has another advantage; it can help keep skin looking young, whether taken internally or applied topically to the skin. Try a daily dose of 50 to 100 mg, or look for lotions or creams with a minimum of one percent ALA.

Anyone familiar with Ayurvedic medicine knows ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), an essential herb in Indian healing traditions. While ashwagandha may be best known for its ability to soothe stress and anxiety, it also has a reputation as an invigorating tonic that counteracts various types of inflammation, including arthritis. A typical daily dosage is 450 mg of a standardized product containing two to seven mg of the active ingredient, withanolides.

Although the amino acid combination known as creatine is popular among athletes, new research shows that it may be just what the doctor ordered to combat muscle loss associated with aging. Canadian researchers tested the strength of more than 80 individuals with muscle degenerating diseases both before and after giving them creatine supplements for ten days. At the end of the trial, average results showed increases in both muscle strength and lean muscle mass. Beef, fish and dairy products are good food sources of creatine. For supplements, start with five grams four times daily for six days, and then taper off to a maintenance dose of two to five grams daily. Take creatine with plenty of water.

Long a favorite with both Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, the herb gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is commonly prescribed as a memory and brain function enhancer. But with its combination of abundant vitamin B complex and calming substances known as triterpenoids, gotu kola can also help minimize depression, stress and anxiety, all factors that contribute to aging. In fact, a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that participants who took gotu kola were less anxious when startled by a loud noise than those in the placebo group. Daily doses ranging from 800 to 2,000 mg are considered safe.

A recently released review of research on garlic, that was conducted at the Tufts University School of Medicine, concluded that there is "compelling evidence" to support the beneficial health effects of garlic extract (aged). These include lower risk of age-related diseases, such as stroke, cardiovascular conditions and cancer. If you prefer fresh garlic, wait 15 minutes after chopping or peeling it before cooking, so that the healthful compounds have time to accumulate. As a supplement, 400 mg three times a day is generally recommended. Lowering cholesterol, however, may require as much as 4,000 mg daily. Garlic is considered safe, but it should be avoided by nursing mothers and by anyone taking blood-thinning medication, since garlic has anticoagulant properties.

Human growth hormone (HGH) has been widely touted as a revolutionary new way to restore youth. But the substance can only be administered by a physician via daily injections, a process that can cost $800 a month or more. Now a homeopathic alternative promises to turn back the clock with far less expense and inconvenience. Homeopathic HGH has shown significant results in three double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. In addition to less body fat and more muscle mass, participants who took homeopathic HGH also reported renewed energy, decrease in joint swelling, improved sleep and better mental attitude. Follow the dosage instructions on the product for best results.

With its stems covered by sharp barbs, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is not a very friendly looking herb, but when it comes to fighting aging it can be a worthwhile ally. Stinging nettle contains a wealth of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals that make it ideal for treating arthritis, malabsorption syndrome (a common condition in older adults which prevents the body from effectively using essential nutrients in food and supplements), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and even prostate cancer. Follow the product's dosage instructions.

Yearning for life and youth, our natural tendency is to resist aging. And it's nice to know that it is possible with the help of moderate workouts, nutritious foods and supplements that minimize the effects of time. Here's to a long, happy and healthy life!

Author Brenda Adderly COPYRIGHT  PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All Rights Reserved. and Gale Group
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