Here’s a Side Effect to Hope for: Longevity

In most clinical trials, scientists and doctors hope for the fewest number of side effects possible, but in a new batch of anti-aging research, doctors are hoping that there is a significant side effect to their trials: longer life.

Mice kept in a germ-free room with intensive nursing care at Harvard Medical School are hopefully the key to this side effect. A mouse gym holds a miniature exercise machine that tests the rodents’ ability to balance on a bar, while in a nearby water maze, mice must recall visual cues from their “training” to swim to safety on a hidden platform - thereby testing memory powers. (Don’t worry: the that forget their lessons are rescued as they start to submerge.)

The new drugs being tested are called Sirtuin activators, and are based on a theory that most species have an ancient strategy for riding out famines: switch resources from reproduction to tissue maintenance. These activators appear to be triggered in mice when fed a healthy diet with 30 % fewer calories. The mice seem to live longer because they are somehow protected from the usual diseases that kill them.

Left to our own devices, many of us couldn’t stick to a diet that requires a 30% cut in calories, so a drug that could initiate this “famine” reflex is what the study is working toward. Safety tests in people have just started, with no adverse effects so far.

The hope is that activating sirtuins in people would, like a calorically restricted diet in mice, avert degenerative diseases so often linked to aging - things like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Because the FDA doesn’t have a specific approval category for longevity drugs, if the drug resulting from this study is submitted for approval, it needs to be for a specific disease.

Read more at my Anti-Aging blog.

6 Ways to Prevent Crow’s Feet

One of the first signs of skin aging experienced by many people is the appearance of tiny lines and creases at the corners of the eyelids commonly known as crow’s feet. These lines initially may not be noticeable until the person smiles or moves their face. Although they may be experienced only with movement at first, over time these creases deepen and become a permanent part of the facial architecture. The good news about crow’s feet is they can be prevented to some degree with proper anti-aging skin care habits. Here’s how to prevent crow’s feet from developing or worsening:

Wear sunscreen on a daily basis.

You probably already know what an important role the sun plays in promoting skin aging. This is particularly true for the delicate skin tissue around the eyes. One of the best ways to prevent crow’s feet is to invest in a good sunblock that filters out both UVA and UVB rays. It should have an SPF of at least fifteen to give optimal anti-aging protection. To be effective, it needs to be applied in sufficient amounts and worn consistently when you’re out in the sun.

Get a good pair of sunglasses.

When you spend time in the bright sun without sunglasses, you’ll squint without being aware of it. Repetitive squinting is a major factor in promoting formation of crow’s feet. Repetitive movements due to squinting eventually take their toll on the delicate tissue surrounding the eyes particularly when collagen production starts to dwindle with age. Buy a good pair of sunglasses and wear them every time you go out into bright sunlight. Be sure they have a good UV filter to prevent damage to your retina. Make them a standard part of your anti-aging strategy.

Take breaks from your computer monitor.

People rarely think of their computer monitor as contributing to skin aging and crow’s feet. If you stare at a bright monitor all day, your eyes will eventually fatigue and you’ll start to squint. The result is premature formation of undereye wrinkles and crow’s feet. If you work in front of a computer monitor all day, give your eyes frequent breaks.

Ditch the smokes.

Smoking is a major cause of premature skin aging as well as crow’s feet. The smoke from a burning cigarette creates eye irritation which encourages squinting. Plus, smoking reduces oxygenation of the skin tissue as well as vitamin C levels which can impact collagen synthesis. If you observe a smoker, they almost always have evidence of crow’s feet if they’re over the age of thirty. Kick the habit for your lungs as well as your skin.

Anti-aging eye care products can help.

Keep the area around the eyes moisturized with a product that contains vitamin C or glycolic acid. Vitamin C and glycolic acid are both thought to be anti-aging and appear to play a role in boosting collagen synthesis which helps to ward off crow’s feet. Another product proven to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet is Retin-A. This anti-aging product is available by prescription from your doctor.

Another option

If you’re still not satisfied with the appearance of crow’s feet, you can have the area injected with Botox. This will immobilize the muscles which prevents squinting and can significant reduce the appearance of crow’s feet. These injections are usually done in a dermatologist’s or plastic surgeon’s office and can give instant improvement in the appearance of crow’s feet.

Don’t let crow’s feet ruin your appearance. Incorporate crow’s feet preventative measures into your anti-aging lifestyle and you’ll be rewarded with younger looking skin.

Antioxidant = Anti-aging?

Antioxidants have been proven to play a big role in anti-aging, but the final solution may still be a long way off. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take advantage of antioxidants in their various, forms but it will pay to know what’s going on with the compounds and your body.

As we all probably know by now - there’s no such thing as a quick fix, and this is especially true when it comes to the anti-aging process. If you take a couple doses of anti-oxidants chances are you won’t start seeing results overnight, although there are studies that show anti-oxidants play a major role in enabling the body to digest food properly and to also convert the foods into energy.

What is known so far is that after eating food, certain substances - also known as free radicals - appear whenever food is being converted into energy and it is their presence that may contribute to the aging process.Using antioxidant anti-aging solutions is the best way to tackle as well as neutralize the unwanted free radicals

As I love to say, aging is a process that takes place - and can in part be halted - from the inside out. While we don’t know the full extent of antioxidants, we do know they tackle free radicals. And, when enjoyed in the forms of fruits - like berries - or juices, they taste great! So it seems we don’t have much to loose at this point!

For more information please visit my Anti-Aging blog.

How to Prevent Loss of Muscle Mass With Aging

One of the consequences of aging is the shrinkage and loss of muscle tissue. This can have a variety of negative health consequences including a decrease in strength and mobility, loss of muscle tone, as well as weight gain secondary to the drop in metabolism related to the loss of muscle mass. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to help preserve muscle tissue as you age. Here are some anti-aging tips for preventing age related loss of muscle:

Start a resistance training program.

This is the most important anti-aging step you can take to preserve muscle mass. The reality is that without a resistance training program, you’ll lose muscle mass at a rate of around three percent every decade after the age of fifty. Resistance training can help to prevent critical loss of muscle tissue as well as build strength and increase mobility. Resistance training doesn’t necessarily have to involve weight lifting. You can use your own body resistance to build muscle by doing push-ups and sit-ups as well as by using resistance training aids such as weighted balls and resistance bands. If you’ve never taken part in a resistance training program before, schedule a session with a personal trainer to help formulate a plan for you. It’ll be well worth the investment.

Increase your protein intake.

Many older Americans fall short when it comes to protein consumption. If you’re unsure as to whether you’re getting enough protein in your diet to preserve muscle mass, use this simple formula. Convert your weight to kilograms by multiplying by 0.45. This will tell you how many grams of protein you should be consuming each day. (one gram per kilogram of body weight). Even if you don’t enjoy eating meat, you can still use vegetarian protein sources such as tofu and tempeh to get your daily protein quota.

Watch you vitamin D intake.

More attention has been focused on vitamin D recently and the anti-aging benefits it provides. Not only are studies showing it may prevent some of the chronic disease processes associated with aging, it also may help to preserve bone and muscle tissue. Since most foods are not good sources of vitamin D with the exception of fatty fish and fortified eggs, try to get ten minutes of direct sunlight on most days which should provide you with your daily vitamin D quota. Some experts are now recommending that a vitamin D supplement be taken on a daily basis, particularly if you live in an area that doesn’t get a great deal of direct sunlight.

Get your potassium.

A recent study showed that potassium may have an anti-aging role in preventing loss of muscle mass. The recommended daily intake of potassium is 3,500 milligrams. This particular study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that older people who consumed at least this amount were better able to preserve muscle tissue than those who didn’t. To increase your potassium intake, try adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Oranges and bananas are particularly good sources of potassium.

Loss of muscle mass is not an inevitable result of aging. Maintaining an active lifestyle, adding some resistance training, and altering your diet can help you maintain your muscle mass even into an advanced age. Why not give these muscle preserving, anti-aging strategies a try?

The Remarkable Anti-Aging Effects of Green Tea

It seems there’s more interest than ever in finding safe, natural ways to slow down the aging process. One inexpensive, natural food that appears to offset some of the effects of aging is green tea. Studies have shown that this remarkable, anti-aging drink may have a variety of benefits to the aging body through the effects of catechins, the active components found naturally in green tea. Here are some of the many anti-aging effects of green tea that are currently being studied:

Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

In animal studies, the catechins found in green tea have been shown in various studies to protect nerve cells from cell death. Based on these results, it’s thought that the catechins found in green tea may help to reduce the risk of degenerative diseases of the nervous system such as the Alzheimer’s. Green tea catechins have also been shown to improve the behavior of mice afflicted with dementia. The healthy chemicals in green tea may not only help to prevent Alzheimer’s, it may also reduce the risk of another relatively common neurological disease, Parkinson’s disease. Both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain and central nervous system. A particular catechin found in green tea known as EGCG has been shown to help prevent the formation of amyloid plaques in mice. Whether this holds true in human and whether green tea catechins can reverse amyloid plaques once they’ve formed is still in question.

Skin aging

The polyphenols found in green tea are strong anti-oxidants which have been shown to counteract free radical formation in the body. Not only do the polyphenols in green tea exert their anti-oxidant properties when taken internally, they can also reduce skin related free radical damage when applied to the skin. Studies have recently confirmed that application of a topical green tea extract protects against skin damage related to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Although topical green tea extract shouldn’t take the place of your regular sunscreen, it may provide an additional level of protection that goes beyond standard, commercial sunscreens on the market. Because of green tea’s potential anti-aging skin effects, more and more cosmetic products are coming on the market that contain green tea extract. You can probably find one of these products at your drugstore or local cosmetic counter.

Chronic disease of aging

Green tea catechins may also protect against many of the common, chronic diseases associated with aging including certain types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and even osteoporosis. Although results look promising, most of these studies have been observational and there’s no conclusive evidence that green tea can prevent or reverse these diseases. But with preliminary data looking so promising, why not add more green tea to your diet both for the taste and the potential health benefits?

Green tea seems to hold a great deal of promise in the world of anti-aging medicine. It’s a drink you can enjoy without guilt, knowing that you’re looking doing something quite healthy, and possibly protecting your body against the ravages of aging.

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