What are Anti Ageing Products ?

According to Gisele Mir, a cosmetic scientist and the founder of the holistic skincare range “There is no miracle ingredient that will take years off your appearance. The only miracle is that the cosmetic industry has managed to persuade us otherwise or so long.” Mir is also of the opinion that these anti ageing products cause more harm than benefits and is actually responsible for hastening the ageing process rather than restricting it!

It is upon the readers to decide whether or not to follow Mir’s advice but one thing is for certain. A well balanced diet, healthy life style and avoiding the sun is equally important along with using the expensive anti ageing creams and lotions.

Human Growth Hormones or HGH are the most vital hormones in the human body. These hormones perform a lot of functions :
providing physical strength, youth, energy, firmness of the skin, strong teeth and many more. HGH are produced by the pituitary glands in the brain. The production rate is very high during the early stages of life. As we grow old, production gradually decreases thus making us old and aged.

In spite of claims made by various cosmetic companies, ageing is a natural phenomenon and cannot be restricted. Usage of certain products and leading a healthy life may just delay or mask it for sometime.


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Let us discuss some well known anti ageing treatments, their abilities to cure the ageing process and their effectiveness.

 

Vitamins
Myth:
Vitamins A, C and E form a part of our body’s antioxidant defense. It is believed that by increasing their levels oxidative damage will decrease and thus ageing will slow down.
Fact:
Though vitamins keep us healthy, medical science claims that there is no evidence that they can restrict human ageing. Research on mice has shown that antioxidants do not slow the aging process but might increase lifespan slightly.

 

Synthetic antioxidant enzymes
Myth:
Enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase that are present in the human body clears up all the free radicals that are present. Thus medicines like mimetics that act as synthetic enzymes enhance the antioxidant process.
Fact:

In a study, nematode worms were injected with synthetic superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes. These worms lived about 44%longer than their average life span. However, it is unclear whether this figure has any relevance to humans.

 

Growth Hormone
Myth:
It is believed that the growth hormone is responsible for the development of cells, bones, muscles of the body. There is an abundance of this hormone during the youth but the levels start declining with age.
Fact:
There is no proof that this hormone slows down the ageing process.


Melatonin
Myth:
It is believed that this hormone affects the circadian rhythms of our body (more commonly known as the sleep-regulating hormone of our body). It is supposed to be a remedy for insomnia, jet lag and anti ageing. The production of this hormone reduces with age.
Fact:
There is no data to substantiate the claim that melatonin can fight the ageing process. In fact it is believed that it might have very dangerous side effects.


DHEA
Myth:
DHEA or Dehydroepiandosterone is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. This hormone is transformed into sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone. It is supposed to slow ageing, increase the strength and muscles, burn up fat and protect the body against severe diseases.
Fact:
Though DHEA supplements have quite a few benefits, it is yet to be proved that it contributes in preventing ageing.


Natural remedies - Ginkgo Biloba
Myth:
This is herbal medicine made from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba plant. For thousands of years this is used by the Chinese in various forms of drugs as it is believed to have increased the blood circulation, improves memory and prevents the nerves from ageing.
Fact:
Though this drug may have the ability to improve memory skills, there is no proof that it can combat the process of ageing.


Natural remedies - Green tea
Myth:
Green tea is supposed to have a lot of health related benefits including anti ageing. This is because it contains very powerful antioxidants called catechins.
Fact:

Even though its benefits are well known, its ability to fight anti ageing is yet to be discovered.


The media is swarmed with commercials claiming to fight this anti ageing process. However, it is essential for the consumers to know whether these creams or cosmetics are really effective.
There are a lot of free radicals that are produced by our body. These free radicals add on to the process of ageing. It is important to destroy these and hence the body produces antioxidants to counteract their effect. These antioxidants are manufactured from the various foods that we consume. Some well known antioxidants are:
Vitamin A
Vitamin B-6
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Selenium
Beta carotene
Folic acid

 

Most of these antioxidants are derived from the fruits and vegetables. In some cases of deficiency supplements are also prescribed. However, there is no evidence that intake of antioxidants can prevent ageing. It might actually be detrimental in some cases. For instance if a smoker takes beta carotene supplement, the chances of his suffering from lung cancer increases. It is therefore necessary to consult the physician before adding extra doses of antioxidant in the diet.

It is also believed that restricting the consumption of calories can lead to a longer life. Professional diets that cut down on high calorie foods prescribe a lot of fruits and vegetables so that the essential nutrients are received by the body. Fewer calories lead to anti ageing - is a theory that is based on experiments performed on mice, rats, fish, and worms. It has been found that the life span of each of the species extended by decreasing their calorie intake. However, whether the same holds good for humans is debatable.
The search for the perfect anti-ageing formula began centuries ago. However, as the above data shows, there are methods which claim to restore youth there is very little evidence to back up the argument. All the different products contain different elements each of which act on the various aspects of the human body. Thus it is difficult to ascertain whether they are actually responsible in retaining youth. It must be understood that ageing is a complex process and it is unlikely that popping up a pill will restrict this.

To lead an almost perfect life the following aspects need to be taken care of
• Consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Controlling body weight. Obesity can lead to a variety of health related problems.
• Giving up on smoking and refraining from consuming alcoholic beverages.
• Regular exercising.
• Avoiding too much exposure to the sun and using a good sunscreen.
• Regular medical check ups.
• Consulting doctor promptly when ill or facing physical discomfort.

In the United States, the demand for anti-ageing products is expected to increase by 11% every year and it is estimated that by the year 2007, it is expected to reach $29 billion.

 

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Article Contributed By: Sukanya Banerjee
 

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