Saturday, February 14, 2009

How Collagen Pills can Help?

In the search for the fountain of youth, everyone is going to extremes. For the past few decades, people have been splashing themselves with holy water from various rivers of the world, then applying sediment from the Dead Sea and now we have collagen pills. Can a collagen pill help you achieve your goals?


Every major cosmetic and beauty company sells some type of collagen pills which are touted to reverse aging. First the basics-Collagen is an essential component of our body. It provides structure, support and keeps us looking young. When collagen disappears from the body usually with age, the tissues shrink, fine lines appear and the skin becomes wrinkled. While collagen generally disappears with age, individuals who smoke or have extensive history of sun exposure can develop premature aging.



So this is where the collagen pills fit in.


The collagen pills have been formulated so that they can replace the collagen lost from your skin. The collagen pills release the collagen molecules which then incorporate into the tissues. Further, the collagen pills also contain certain ingredients that will help the body stimulate its own synthesis. The overall result is a firmer, younger and smoother looking skin.


Other chemicals that can also augment collagen pills are zinc, copper and iron. All these three minerals can stimulate collagen synthesis. Individuals who only take collagen pills will not see a great difference in their skin unless they take some of these essential mineral. One does not have to buy extra vitamins- there is ample iron, zinc and copper in most fruits and vegetables.


A very important fact about collagen pills is to take it with lots of water and food. This is to prevent it from being broken down by the acid in the stomach. When the collagen pills are taken as a whole, they quickly get absorbed into the blood stream and start working. The results of collagen pills on the skin are not immediate. Remember the collagen has to find its way to the tissues and has to be incorporated into the new growing skin. This takes about 5-14 days. The maximum cosmetic benefit after collagen pills appear at the end of 4 weeks. Unfortunately, a few individuals do not see an anti aging benefit after collagen pills- but there is a reason for that.


One of the chief reasons why collagen pills do not work in all individuals is because people are not compliant with the therapy. The pills have to be taken in regularly. Some of the collagen does get broken down in the stomach but most of its gets absorbed. So if one takes the collagen pill on a regular basis, the anti aging effects will appear. Those who have problems with acidity should take the collagen pills with n anti ulcer drug or food.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Antiaging | Collagen Creams

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.

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.