There are many of us who simply hate getting old. This is not something new. Since biblical times men has been in search for the magic bullet to reverse aging. And after thousands of years, we are still at square one. There is no magical antiaging cream, lotion or potion out there which can turn back time. The internet is inundated with almost everything underneath the sun that can reverse signs of an aged skin. In reality, the majority of these antiaging creams only empty your pockets. In the last few years however, there is some evidence that certain anti aging ingredients may help lighten up scars and fines lines on the face. Antiaging Creams known to contain copper peptides, Argireline and Matrixyl have been shown to even out lines and erase scars. Another product which has been postulated to reverse the signs of aging is collagen. Collagen is a natural component of body tissues and plays a vital role in maintaining tissue support, hydration and providing nourishment.
When levels of collagen in the body decline the tissues will appear shrunk, wrinkled and the skin will show evidence of sagging. Collagen is the key. If collagen can be resynthesised, at least some features of aging can be slowed or reversed.
In the body, collagen is synthesized from precursor amino acids, ascorbic acid and copper. A number of collagen creams are widely sold on the cosmetic market. However, the question is how much collagen does get absorbed through the skin?
There are no clinical data on collagen creams and their efficacy; there are some testimonials by individuals who claim that such collagen creams have improved their facial features. But the fact is that the majority of beauty and cosmetic firms who sell antiaging creams | collagen creams rarely have any other evidence to back up their claims.
Now some cosmetic companies have come up with another approach to collagen. The latest ingredients like Argireline and Matrixyl are said to increase the synthesis of collagen in tissues and boost strength and elasticity. This leads to a younger and smoother looking skin. Further, many cosmetic firms are now adding a variety of anti oxidants and extracts from plants to fight aging and boost the synthesis of collagen. So far, the merits of such newer collagen creams remain unknown.
The only sure way to temporarily reverse signs of aging is surgery or BOTOX. Short of that, one is going to be spending a lot of money buying collagen creams containing antiaging ingredients which have little value.
But all is not lost. For those of you who want to prevent aged skin, eat healthy, exercise and quit smoking. The real antiaging creams will perhaps be available one day- but this is in future.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Anti Aging Drugs - Nootropics
While many people have tried to make their skin look younger, what most people tend to forget is that making the brain think and work younger is also critical. For more than 30-40 years, we have seen an explosion of patients with various dementias. Alzheimer’s is a common disorder of the brain and characterized by gradual difficulty in thinking, remembering, speaking, reasoning and concentrating. The disorder always gets worse with time. Why Alzheimer’s happens is not known.
The chances of developing Alzheimer’s increases with age. At least 10% of the population has some features of the disease at 65 year and more than 50% of those who are in their 80s.
There has been research which suggests that some genetic alterations may account for the disorder but there is a lot of speculation. If no cure is going to be found for this disease, it is estimated that close 14 million people in North American will have Alzheimer’s disease in the next 30 years.
As the disease progresses, many individuals remain confused and disoriented. Some develop mood alterations, erratic speech, wander off, lose bladder and bowel control and in the final stages become totally incapable of caring for themselves.
Since Alzheimer’s is a disease of aging, a lot of research has been done on anti aging therapies. Presently 2 classes of drugs are used to treat Alzheimer’s- cholinesterase inhibitors and partial glutamate antagonists. Neither class of drugs has been shown to significantly affect the progression of disease and many studies indicate that the drugs are no better than placebo.
In the last decade, a newer class of drugs have been developed, these drugs known as nootropics or smart drugs (brain enhancers) are widely touted to have anti aging or anti Alzheimer effects. Nootropic essentially means –bending or changing of the mind. These new drugs are thought to work by altering or changing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and improve the brains ability to stimulate nerve growth. While the manufacturers of these drugs have hyped up claims about these drugs for Alzheimer patients, there are in fact no clinical trials which demonstrate their benefits.
The Nootropic drugs are widely sold all over the internet and in many health food stores. Some of the drugs include piracetam, aniracetam, and oxirecetam. The manufacturers claim that animal work does reveal that these drugs improve memory. Perhaps it is the lack of clinical research which has contributed to our ignorance about these drugs or may be they only work in rats. Whether these pills can reverse aging or any signs of dementia is anyone’s guess. The price of these tablets ranges from $40-$80 for 60 tablets.
The chances of developing Alzheimer’s increases with age. At least 10% of the population has some features of the disease at 65 year and more than 50% of those who are in their 80s.
There has been research which suggests that some genetic alterations may account for the disorder but there is a lot of speculation. If no cure is going to be found for this disease, it is estimated that close 14 million people in North American will have Alzheimer’s disease in the next 30 years.
As the disease progresses, many individuals remain confused and disoriented. Some develop mood alterations, erratic speech, wander off, lose bladder and bowel control and in the final stages become totally incapable of caring for themselves.
Since Alzheimer’s is a disease of aging, a lot of research has been done on anti aging therapies. Presently 2 classes of drugs are used to treat Alzheimer’s- cholinesterase inhibitors and partial glutamate antagonists. Neither class of drugs has been shown to significantly affect the progression of disease and many studies indicate that the drugs are no better than placebo.
In the last decade, a newer class of drugs have been developed, these drugs known as nootropics or smart drugs (brain enhancers) are widely touted to have anti aging or anti Alzheimer effects. Nootropic essentially means –bending or changing of the mind. These new drugs are thought to work by altering or changing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and improve the brains ability to stimulate nerve growth. While the manufacturers of these drugs have hyped up claims about these drugs for Alzheimer patients, there are in fact no clinical trials which demonstrate their benefits.
The Nootropic drugs are widely sold all over the internet and in many health food stores. Some of the drugs include piracetam, aniracetam, and oxirecetam. The manufacturers claim that animal work does reveal that these drugs improve memory. Perhaps it is the lack of clinical research which has contributed to our ignorance about these drugs or may be they only work in rats. Whether these pills can reverse aging or any signs of dementia is anyone’s guess. The price of these tablets ranges from $40-$80 for 60 tablets.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Best Anti Aging Face Creams
There are hundreds of anti aging face creams. Almost every website claims that they have the magic bullet. Other websites claim that they have the best formula to help reverse the signs of aging. Some websites list no ingredients and others list 100s of ingredients. Some websites are lavish, elegant and have photos of Hollywood stars. Some firms who sell anti aging face creams list their prices, others do not. For the average consumer this can get pretty confusing. Everyone wants the best anti aging face cream but is there such a cream on the market?
Because there are so many antiaging creams on the market, the consumer has to make an effort to learn about the ingredients and know what to look for.
Before buying any anti aging face cream, read the label and find out what the ingredients are. If there is a product with great claims but no ingredients listed, simply walk away. There is plenty of news nowadays about unscrupulous people adding toxins and fake chemicals in the food industry and unfortunately, the cosmetic industry is not that much better. In fact it is even less regulated than the food industry.
The next step should be to check for testimonials; surf the website and determine what other consumers are saying about the product. Go to the particular website and find out if the customer service is great, write an e mail to the company, ask questions and always read the refund policy. Many manufacturers sell expensive cosmetic products and have strict refund and exchange policies.
Many of the decent beauty skin care sites also have pre and post photos of individuals who have used their anti aging face creams. There are even some cosmetic firms which offer free samples of anti aging face creams. If a company is willing to give you samples, it just shows that they have a lot of confidence in their product.
When it comes to ingredients which have been shown to erase wrinkles and fine lines, look for things like presence of copper peptides, Matrixyl, collagen, hyaluronic acid or Argireline. Do not go for the best smelling product. Products which smell nice usually have lots of synthetic chemicals and you are more likely to develop skin rash rather then get rid of your wrinkles.
For a decent best anti aging cream, be prepared to fork out some money. While there are many beauty firms who sell anti aging creams for less than $ 30, these products simply are not worth it. For a decent anti aging face cream with natural ingredients which can reverse wrinkles, the cost should be somewhere $40-$80. And please do not buy anti aging face creams from abroad. While they may cheap, the cost of shipping from the Philippines may not be worth it. And giving out a credit card to a foreign company online is more than likely to add years to your face.
Because there are so many antiaging creams on the market, the consumer has to make an effort to learn about the ingredients and know what to look for.
Before buying any anti aging face cream, read the label and find out what the ingredients are. If there is a product with great claims but no ingredients listed, simply walk away. There is plenty of news nowadays about unscrupulous people adding toxins and fake chemicals in the food industry and unfortunately, the cosmetic industry is not that much better. In fact it is even less regulated than the food industry.
The next step should be to check for testimonials; surf the website and determine what other consumers are saying about the product. Go to the particular website and find out if the customer service is great, write an e mail to the company, ask questions and always read the refund policy. Many manufacturers sell expensive cosmetic products and have strict refund and exchange policies.
Many of the decent beauty skin care sites also have pre and post photos of individuals who have used their anti aging face creams. There are even some cosmetic firms which offer free samples of anti aging face creams. If a company is willing to give you samples, it just shows that they have a lot of confidence in their product.
When it comes to ingredients which have been shown to erase wrinkles and fine lines, look for things like presence of copper peptides, Matrixyl, collagen, hyaluronic acid or Argireline. Do not go for the best smelling product. Products which smell nice usually have lots of synthetic chemicals and you are more likely to develop skin rash rather then get rid of your wrinkles.
For a decent best anti aging cream, be prepared to fork out some money. While there are many beauty firms who sell anti aging creams for less than $ 30, these products simply are not worth it. For a decent anti aging face cream with natural ingredients which can reverse wrinkles, the cost should be somewhere $40-$80. And please do not buy anti aging face creams from abroad. While they may cheap, the cost of shipping from the Philippines may not be worth it. And giving out a credit card to a foreign company online is more than likely to add years to your face.
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