Anti-Aging Supplements – Fact or Fiction
Anti-aging Supplements: Fact or Fiction?
The fountain of youth is something that everyone looks for, whether we admit it or not. We want to retain our youthful appearance, keep lines from popping up, and things from sagging. So when we see advertisements for the latest anti aging collagen supplements, we stop for a moment to consider the possibility that time may just come in a bottle. However, some manufacturers are simply preying on the fact that you might be feeling desperate for a ‘cure’ for aging and aren’t following through on their large promises. Here’s what you need to know in order to separate the fact from the fiction when it comes to anti aging supplements.
Can you really stop the hands of time?
The reality of aging is that it’s not something we can necessarily control. Each person ages at their own specific rate and whether we like it or not, we are all going to show some signs of aging depending on our lifestyle as well as our genetics. But this doesn’t mean that anti aging supplements have no benefits to offer. While they’re not going to hold back the hands of time, they will certainly help to reduce the overall appearance of aging as well as help to protect the body. Based on science, many of these anti aging supplements, like collagen supplements for example, can help to support the skin cells in a way that will allow the body to return to a more youthful state.
Antioxidants: fact
All around us are things in the environment that are causing damage to our skin – whether we realize it or not. Free radicals are particularly harmful for aging and aging skin. These can come from pollution and other toxins that have accumulated in the environment. When these free radicals pervade our skin and our bodies, we can begin to show more advanced signs of aging. This is due to the rapid oxidization of our skin cells and other organs in our body – a good way to think of this is to remember that oxidation also causes rust on metals. However, taking supplements like antioxidants can prevent this from happening to our bodies. Some examples of antioxidants include vitamin C and vitamin E. These vitamins helps to buffer your skin and your body from the elements – and that means that these anti aging supplements are the real deal, especially when used in conjunction with supplements that support collagen and collagen formation.
Collagen: fact
Another new addition to the anti aging supplement market is collagen supplements – and with good reason. As we age, our bodies typically produce less and less collagen. Collagen helps to keep skin tone firm and tight. As collagen production slows, our cheeks may begin to hollow or sag, our bodies may begin to soften, and our necks may begin to wrinkle. One way to help the body rejuvenate itself is to increase collagen levels in the body. If absorbed, collagen supplements can provide a true benefit.
So, what’s fiction then?
While antioxidants and collagen supplements seem to be holding up their end of the anti aging bargain, what isn’t working? What you want to be on the lookout for is anything that sounds too good to be true. And while this advice is becoming clichéd, it’s really the best way to determine whether or not an anti aging supplement is going to do what it says it will do. Knowing that you can’t actually stop the hands of time will show you that the products that claim to stop aging are actually not as effective as they say they are. Here are some things that you might want to keep in mind when looking for anti aging supplements:
Check for ingredient purity
Look for scientific support
Know the reputation of the seller
Research for past problems with the products
Check with your doctor
When you’re trying to look your best and prevent the usual signs of aging, anti aging supplements like collagen supplements may really help. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that every promise is one that will be kept.
Melatonin: To Take or Not to Take
Getting sufficient sleep is essential to achieve good health. The body needs sleep to rest both the mind and body and restore energy. Sleep is the time when the body repairs itself—through sleep, the cells and tissues that have been damaged repairs itself. In addition to these health benefits, the body boosts and builds up the immune system through sleep. The immune system may experience breakdown and result to the development of different ailments and extended recovery times. Medical studies show that sleep helps improve the functions of the immune system. However, there are many factors that may hinder individuals to have adequate sleep and therefore further hamper health developments. Medical studies show that depression, anxiety, and low levels of melatonin may cause sleep difficulties.
Medical studies show that throughout their lives, human beings produces a sleep hormone called melatonin, with the highest production produced during childhood. As people age, the production of melatonin declines, that is why additional melatonin supplementation as sleep aid is encouraged by many doctors to their elderly patients. This hormone works by regulating the body’s internal clock that may activate the occurrence of sleep. Additional studies show that melatonin supplementation may delay the aging process of human beings. This is possible because these supplements may boosts the immune system and contains more antioxidants than vitamin C or E or beta-carotene. Antioxidants in melatonin may destroy cell-damaging compounds called free radicals that can lead to heart disease, cataracts, and other age-related ailments. More research however is needed to find out it melatonin helps prevent these conditions.
However, like other supplementation, melatonin may also bring side effects. Common side effects of melatonin may include headaches, drowsiness, irritability, and reduced alertness. This supplement may also increase blood pressure in individuals who are taking blood-pressure lowering medicines that contain nifedipine. In addition to these ill-effects, melatonin supplementation may also decrease the levels of reproductive hormones among pregnant, breast-feeding, or women who want to conceive. Read more
Chocolate: The Body Defender and Protector
Believe it or not, chocolate is very good for your overall heath! After years of being put down, science has finally come around to give chocolate the respect it deserves.
Chocolate has been known to contain over 300 chemicals, and has been the subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations. The following are a few of the findings in the scientific community to back up the positive health benefits of chocolate:
1. Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate.
2. The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.
3. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
4. The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.
5. Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.
6. Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don’t.
7. The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.
8. Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.
9. Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.
10. The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.
Another strong suite for chocolate is the amount of antioxidants that it has naturally. Read more
