In reading some recent anti-aging news I came across an article about using medical drugs for anti aging benefits. Prescription drugs have their place of course, and if you have an illness that requires a prescription drug to manage it that’s one thing. But to use drugs that are intended to treat illnesses, and that might be associated with anti aging benefits as well, to purely target anti aging, is still in big question to me. That’s because what about all the side effects with these meds – you know, all the fine print at the bottom of the paper work or all the warnings that they mumble at record speed at the end of commercials. Plus the research and the science is just not there yet, and at this time I feel that anything in this regard that I would trust (to use personally) is still a long way off.
Here’s an excerpt from the article entitled, Anti-ageing pill pushed as bona fide drug, where the focal point seemed to be “if we delay ageing, that’s the best way to delay disease.”
Ageing research has hit bumps in the past decade, as companies marketing drugs touted to prolong life have gone bust (see Nature 464, 480–481; 2010). But organizers of the TAME trial think that the field is now in a better position because animal studies have shown that some drugs and lifestyle practices can extend life by targeting physiological pathways1.
To me this sounds pretty far from something I would be comfortable taking as a drug to help delay my aging, and especially when we have very real alternatives that are much safer and beneficial.
That being said, I do agree with the part about: if we delay aging, we may be able to delay disease. That just makes sense. I would just rather do it with nutrition, and since I can’t get all that I need from my food, I look to anti aging nutrition supplements that slow aging at the cellular level.
The anti aging research surrounding all natural, food based supplements is much more exciting to me. Now we are talking side benefits – not side effects.
Scientists who do research for all-natural solutions are finding the same complex but natural processes that affect our cells, organs and other body processes as we age. The difference is that they are looking for solutions that you can more easily adapt to your lifestyle because you don’t have to worry about potential problems. Food-based nutrition that’s formulated to target healthy benefits for your body does not include side effects. It does however require commitment. You can’t take supplements sporadically and expect to get optimal results. They are like food in that you have to feed your cells the nutrients every day to get the most benefit.
The four most common factors that research to date has associated with aging are:
- DNA Damage
- Mitochondria Decline
- AGE Proteins Formation
- Cell Defense Decrease
Let’s look briefly at each and if you like you can do your own research and find more information about aging research.
Our DNA, or our cells, are under attack from all kinds of exposures every single day – so this is an aging factor that we fight all of our lives. Our cell energy (mitochondria) declines as a normal part of aging. AGE proteins build up slowly but accumulate as we age, and many studies have linked age related diseases to AGEs. We want to pay close attention to research surrounding our body’s cellular defenses because benefits can impact our longevity in such a positive way, including antioxidant protection, anti-inflammatory benefits (the root cause of many illnesses might be inflammation), and DNA repair.
The good news is that even though you can’t change the years in your life, the research that brings us anti-aging, natural supplements can help you slow the rate at which you age – so that you can age well and feel younger than your years. Here’s an article about resveratrol, an all natural approach to anti aging: Resveratrol Benefits.
I would love if you leave a comment and tell us your best anti aging strategy. And if you would like to learn more about the anti aging supplements that I use, you are welcome to contact me here through the website or visit my distributor website below. I have been using Shaklee products for over 34 years and feel confident they are the reason why I am fighting the battle of aging so well.
#1 Natural Nutrition Company in America: click here to see Shaklee products, and you may contact me through that site as well.
*These statements have not be endorsed by Shaklee Corporation but are the sole testimony of an individual.