There’s a growing market for supplements that claim to reverse aging, but healthier eating, exercise and sleeping are more effective ways of combatting it.
Resveratrol, an antioxidant polyphenol found in grapes, red wine and peanuts, helps improve cell function while decreasing inflammation and helping prevent age-related metabolic syndrome.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) increases levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which naturally declines with age, increasing lifespan in yeast, worms and laboratory animals; its effectiveness has not yet been established for human beings.
Collagen
Collagen is the body’s most abundant protein. It plays an essential role in connecting tissues such as skin, bones and tendons while giving hair its structure and strength.
As we age, our bodies’ natural production of collagen decreases. You can increase it through eating a diet rich in protein – such as eating plenty of fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy foods – or taking collagen supplements (typically available as powder, capsule or gel form).
Studies indicate that taking collagen supplements may help increase elasticity, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and prevent bone loss. Unfortunately, most research on collagen involves animal models rather than human subjects; moreover, studies are often conducted by those selling the supplements themselves and are thus biased in some way.
Collagen peptides can be digested easily and absorbed into your bloodstream, where they travel directly to skin cells for absorption and absorption by your digestive system. As a result, collagen peptides can reduce wrinkles, fine lines and dryness by improving hydration and strengthening skin’s barrier function.
These peptides can also increase your metabolism and build muscle mass. Glycine and proline, two amino acids found in these peptides, help the body convert glucose to energy and burn fat more effectively while protecting the liver and supporting detoxification processes.
Collagen offers another benefit of healing your gut lining and reducing leaky gut syndrome, in which toxins leak out through the intestinal wall into other parts of the body, leading to autoimmune disease, joint pain and other health complications. Collagen also eases arthritis symptoms while encouraging hair growth – three added bonuses!
Many people take collagen supplements because they believe they offer various health advantages, including increasing muscle mass, preventing bone loss, relieving joint pain and improving skin condition. Unfortunately, most studies on collagen utilize animal models or have small sample sizes; thus making it impossible to draw conclusive answers about whether or not these supplements really do deliver on their promises of providing such health benefits.
Curcumin
Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound found to provide powerful protection from aging. This natural solution has been shown to reverse signs of oxidative stress accumulation while simultaneously stimulating enzymes which boost cellular antioxidant defenses and prevent pro-aging proteins like NF-kB and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) from activating. Furthermore, curcumin has also been proven to decrease liver cell peroxidation and decrease inflammatory mediator levels in mice.
Research studies are increasingly showing how curcumin can significantly slow aging and promote longevity, thanks to its ability to increase levels of sirtuin proteins – which act as nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylases that reduce oxidative stress – sirtuin enzymes have also been proven to prolong Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan as well as human cell lifespans.
Curcumin can provide several significant health benefits by decreasing inflammation and strengthening immune system functioning. Research shows it to prevent Alzheimer’s amyloid plaque formation characterized by beta-amyloid peptide fibrils accumulation as well as neurofibrillary tangles made of phosphorylated Tau protein deposition. Furthermore, curcumin has also shown to decrease proinflammatory mediators like matrix metalloproteinases in human fibroblast-like synovial cells and human articular chondrocytes cells
Curcumin may help lower cardiovascular risks as well as other chronic illnesses, including autoimmune conditions due to its anti-inflammatory properties. One study reported that 12 weeks of curcumin supplementation significantly reduced oxidative stress-mediated suppression of resistance artery endothelial dysfunction among healthy middle-aged and elderly individuals. Improvement in EDD may be partially attributed to an increase in vascular nitric oxide availability and its subsequent reduction, along with reduced production of inflammatory mediators. The study was conducted among a Caucasian population; its findings should be replicated across other ethnicities. Furthermore, further research must be conducted into how effective curcumin supplements may be in patients at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and age-related conditions. Preclinical trials are currently evaluating various strategies to increase curcumin’s absorption and bioavailability, such as conjugating it to peptide carriers; complexing it with essential oils; coadministration with piperine; and encapsulating in nanoparticles, liposomes, polymeric micelles or cyclodextrins.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is designed to prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in blood, thus decreasing oxidized LDL which may contribute to atherosclerosis and contribute to an early state of atherosclerosis. Also, Vitamin K helps improve blood vessel elasticity and increase endothelium-dependent vasodilation, thus decreasing the risk of atherosclerosis. As part of mitochondrial ATP production and acting as an antioxidant within mitochondrial membranes, vitamin K plays a key role. CoQ10 can be an effective supplement for people living with cardiovascular disease. A randomized controlled trial showed that those taking CoQ10 experienced improvement in their symptoms – such as lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings and fewer instances of cardiac arrest or death.
CoQ10 is an effective antioxidant in both liver and kidneys, offering protection from chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin used to treat cancer such as leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while also helping reduce inflammation – one small randomized trial concluded that patients treated with both selenium and coenzyme Q10 experienced less inflammation markers in their bodies than those who only received either element or the placebo alone.
CoQ10 can also be beneficial due to its involvement in oxidative phosphorylation, the process by which cells produce energy for vital functions. This occurs throughout the body including organs like the brain, heart and skeletal muscles – it’s believed that age-related declines in levels of CoQ10 may reduce this process and result in loss of functional capacity.
Primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency is a genetic condition caused by mutations to genes involved in its biosynthesis, leading to reduced levels of coenzyme Q10 in body tissues. People affected by this condition experience neurological deficits including poor muscle tone and involuntary movements (dystonia), vision issues such as blurring of central and peripheral fields of vision and overall stiffness of their muscles.
Animal studies have demonstrated the positive benefits of CoQ10 supplementation on oxidative stress levels and neuronal damage. Furthermore, clinical trials have demonstrated its ability to alleviate some Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease symptoms when combined with Levodopa.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient essential for growth and repair of tissues throughout your body, acting as both an antioxidant and protector against oxidative damage that contributes to aging. Furthermore, vitamin C has been proven to reduce inflammation while speeding wound healing; further strengthening both immunity and immune systems. Moreover, collagen formation requires vitamin C as it strengthens tissues, joints and blood vessels alike.
As an effective antioxidant, vitamin C plays an essential role in protecting essential body molecules such as proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). Furthermore, vitamin C plays a key role in neurotransmitter synthesis as well as recycling other key antioxidants like Vitamin E.
Diet is your best source of Vitamin C; eating fruits and vegetables daily will ensure a daily dosage. Supplements may also be beneficial, though it’s wise to consult your physician first.
Topical vitamin C is an ideal ingredient to fight early skin aging and sun damage, acting to neutralize free radicals which cause oxidative stress that damages cells leading to wrinkles and discolorations of skin cells.
Studies have demonstrated the beneficial properties of vitamin C on cognitive decline among older adults. One investigation used both dietary questionnaires and telephone interviews over multiple years; participants with high intakes both through food sources as well as supplements experienced lower rates of cognitive decline than those who took lower amounts of the supplement.
