Companies worldwide are obsessed with producing cosmetic products that are in high demand by the public. Anti-aging products have dominated the market since their introduction. They have enthralled consumers by promoting the idea of prolonging a youthful and radiant appearance and continue indulging their curiosity by manufacturing one product after the other. But does the reality hold up to the hype?
What Is Anti-aging?
The terminology itself contains many kinds of jargon. Let’s take a look; the scientific community and medical teams perceive anti-aging differently. From a scientific standpoint, it is agreed upon unanimously that anti-aging refers to slowing, preventing, and ultimately reversing the aging process.
From a medical perspective, anti-aging means the early detection for prevention and treatment of age-related diseases. Even though the definition is slightly different, there are now sizable industries dedicated to producing high-end products. Customers relentlessly pursue to experience the full benefit of reversing aging signs.
How Does Anti-Aging Influence the Community?
Since its emergence, anti-aging has garnered a fair share of supporters. This unyielding support evolved into a prominent social movement known as ‘The anti-aging movement.’ The charter of demands presented by this movement revolves around eliminating, reversing aging, or reducing all signs of aging. As this movement gains a respectable amount of following, its influence has rapidly branched out to the public.
A society is comparable to a domino, and we are inadvertently affecting and impacting each other. There is a mimicking of social behavior found within the public so that the community is in harmony. Due to actions such as the ‘anti-aging movement,’ a debate has opened up about the need for a public dialogue to address mental health issues and the lasting effects on the community.
It is safe to assume the powerful effect anti-aging has on the community. And may lead us to ask questions such as ‘ Why is anti-aging so popular in modern times?’ and ‘what is community health? The answer lies in technology.
Advancements in Anti-aging Methods
Technology and science work in collaboration to produce products and publish research that consumers can entertain and enjoy. An extensive amount of knowledge and funding has gone into running these experiments and publishing reliable results. Here are a handful of tried and experimented tips that you can incorporate if reversing the aging process is what you seek.
- Diet. The grocery store is packing many organic and natural products beneficial for health in more than one way. These ingredients improve visible aging signs and should become a part of your meals:
- watercress
- bell peppers
- papaya
- broccoli
- spinach
These ingredients are antioxidants, increase your blood circulation to the skin, reduce inflammation and deliver all essential minerals to your body.
- Medical Supplements. Supplements are derived by studying animals and can be used safely by humans. There are multiple experiments done on mice and other animals sharing the same biological makeup. Due to our common biological ancestry, we can adapt our results without fearing they may not work on us.
- Rapamycin is a drug administered to block certain kinds of cancer. It is highly efficient in extending the lifespan of male and female mice by more than 20 percent. This finding suggests that there is a possibility the drug may help in combating age-related illnesses and physiological issues experienced due to aging.
- Acarbose is another drug used by diabetic patients. This drug slows down the conversion of starches to sugars and stops the sudden rise of blood-sugar post a meal, due to which anti-aging occurs. This study was obtained by testing on mice. The male mice had a noticeable 22 percent increase in their lifespan while the female experienced a 5 to 10 percent extension.
- A third drug, 17-α-estradiol, a chemical variant of another estrogen, 17-β-estradiol, has been shown to lengthen male mice’s lifespan by 15-18 percent. But no observable effect on female mice.
- Finally, metformin is another emerging drug that is still undergoing research and experiment before conclusive results are published. So far, it is safe for human consumption while treating diabetes.
Other Anti-Aging Avenues
Medical intervention may not be the only route to stop the process of aging, but so far, it seems to be the most promising one. A large amount of data suggests that once the formula is understood, it would be a simple step to produce medicine on a large scale. At the same time, to make it easy to consume and deliver long-term, satisfying results.
- Calorie Restriction:
This method has become a fast-growing trend and gained extreme popularity and attention in beauty and lifestyle. It is also one of the easiest ways to explore as the food industry is always under constant scrutiny for optimal dietary needs and nutritional requirements.
Calorie restriction is essentially reducing the average daily caloric intake without depriving yourself of essential nutrients. Scientists witnessed that calorie-restricted feeding delayed many age-related disorders and even extended lifespans.
However, Calorie restriction cannot equate to fasting, as fasting is involved with the frequency of eating without attention given to the product consumed regardless of the calories.
Simultaneously, calorie-restricted diets do not care about the frequency and only tend to reduce calorie consumption. An individual may eat as much as they like throughout the day only under their caloric restriction.
Replacement of old tissues: The US Company Age X therapeutics applies a very advanced understanding of science using stem cells. These can theoretically divide forever. This company has developed stem cell therapies for age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. They are hoping to revolutionize modern medicine by eradicating aging. Their method is to design drugs that will revert adult stem cells to a stem cell stage, letting them multiply and regenerate in a never-ending way.
How Far Have We Progressed with Anti-aging Treatments?
This industry has attracted many significant investments from companies like Google. Even the CEO of Amazon and Mayo Clinic are interested in funding the research work.
There has been a peak of interest in anti-aging research and only seems to surmount from there.
Developing a standardized treatment is challenging as aging is not a disease, and regulating authorities such as the EMA and FDA do not classify it as such. Companies, for now, are targeting specific age-related diseases and publishing their studies on them.
Final Words
It is safe to assume that the future is brimming with even more studies and research to tap into youth’s symbolic fountain. Suppose scientists successfully manage to crack down the process of aging. In that case, it will also open doors to get rid of age-related illnesses, which would only enhance the current living standards. The future holds a great promise of not just a younger-looking population but those filled with a copious amount of health.
