The term "anti-aging" is coming up frequently in recent years, and with more than 8,000 people in the US turning 60 every day, it's doubtless going to be part of our vocabulary for a long time to come.
But what exactly does it mean? Anti-Aging Medicine - Focusing on Age-Related Disorders Medically speaking, anti-aging refers to the detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related illnesses.
Progress in anti-aging medicine, a relatively new field, has been very rapid.
In recent decades many of the once-standard perceptions about aging have been overturned as new treatments and techniques proved effective.
Anti-Aging medicine includes the following: - Recognizing the impact of lifestyle on aging - Detecting and treating conditions like diabetes earlier, at a pre-clinical level - Harnessing the power of antioxidants to repair and prevent cellular damage - Antioxidant vitamins like vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamin C - Antioxidant supplements like COQ10, resveratrol, and glutathione - Hormonal supplements like DHEA and HGH Anti-Aging Science - Focusing on the Aging Process The scientific community tends to see anti-aging more in terms of tackling the aging process itself, with research on how to delay, prevent, or reverse aging.
To date no method for doing so has been established, but one of the most promising areas of study involves studying the effects of moderate stressors at the cellular level.
Animal studies have proven that moderate stressors such as calorie reduction tend to prolong the lifespan of the animal.
This occurs because stress stimulates cells to produce protiens that actually repair cellular damage.
Research on how this effect can be put to use to reverse or halt the aging process is ongoing.
Anti-Aging in the Marketplace - Buyer Beware! Consumer interest makes claims for anti-aging a valuable addition to any product.
Be wary of extraordinary claims, "secret formulas", or any product that promises what sound like impossible results.