Anti-Aging Supplements Recommended by Naturopathic Doctors

Mom 1963There are a lot of claims made by supplement manufacturers touting huge benefits from their products.  These range from the credible to the doubtful.  However, there are many effective nutrients and substances in the anti-aging arsenal.  Below is a list recommended by naturopathic doctors around the country.

Telomeres and Aging

Telomeres are the end sections of chromosomes that protect it from degrading. Scientists have found that the shorter they become, the sooner the cell will die. Once that discovery was made, people have been on the lookout for nutrients that will prevent telomere shortening, and thereby extend life.

Docosahexaenoic Acid

Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA is one of the most important omega-3 fatty acids, and its benefits have helped make fish oil capsules very popular.  DHA has many health benefits, like protecting the brain and preventing heart disease.  A recent study found that DHA helped slow the rate of telomere shortening.1  DHA may turn out to be even more of a beneficial supplement by also extending lifespan.

Resveratol

Resveratrol is considered by many to be an anti-aging superfood.  It has been on the longevity radar since 2003 when scientists reported that it extended the life span of yeast.  Then it made a type of worm and a type of fruit fly live longer.  In 2006 it was shown to extended the lifespan of a type of fish by 56%.  Not only that, it made the fish smarter and more active.2

We will all have to stick around for a while to determine if resveratrol can do this for humans, but that hasn’t hampered the popularity of this supplement.  Resveratrol’s preventative effects on telomere shortening have even been studied.3,4

The only drawback that has been discovered in humans is that when taken orally, resveratrol is metabolized by the liver before it gets a chance to fully benefit the rest of the body.5

Taking a sublingual dose of resveratrol will prevent this problem. At Brighton, we can help you with that.×

Glutathione

Oxidative stress can make telomeres shorten faster.6  It is well known that antioxidants combat oxidative damage from free radicals so, a good antioxidant is vital in slowing down the aging process.

Glutathione is the body’s main antioxidant enzyme in controlling free radical damage. It is so effective, it is being labeled as a super antioxidant.

However, like resveratrol, taking it orally is not that effective.  It does not absorb well from the GI tract.7  This problem can also be avoided by taking a sublingual dose of glutathione.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Alpha-Lipoic acid is a substance found in almost all foods, but it does not absorb well from dietary sources because it is covalently bonded.  It is a good antioxidant and can be taken to prevent aging, much like glutathione.  But an additional benefit of alpha-lipoic acid was discovered in a 2002 study8 in which old, dying rats were fed acetyl l-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid.  At the end of the study the researchers concluded that alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl l-carnitine had made their brains younger, improved their memories, and restored life and energy into the animals.

Testosterone: A Natural Anti-Aging Supplement

In both males and females testosterone has demonstrated in numerous clinical studies to improve energy, burn fat, increase muscle,9 strengthen bones, lower cholesterol,10 enhance exercise capability, strengthen the heart,11 and increase life.12  Does that sound too good to be true?  The body’s decline in the production of its hormones is one of the leading causes of aging.  Replacing those hormones with bioidentical equivalents is one of the most effective weapons we have in the war against aging.

HGH Supplements

Like testosterone, human growth hormone is one of the most effective natural anti-aging remedies.  It also increases energy, strengthens muscle, and burns fat.  That is why it has been used by athletes since the 70’s.  The drawback is the cost.  It can run as much as $1,000 a month for a supply of HGH.  Supplements that claim to induce the body to release its on pituitary growth hormone are not nearly effective as the real bioidentical hormone.

For more details, check out: Human Growth Hormone Supplements.

Anti-Aging Foods

Cabbage, MarchéAny effective anti-aging diet needs to include foods that are rich in the above nutrients.

DHA mostly comes from fish.  Those that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include herring, salmon, trout, tuna, and halibut.  Foods rich in glutathione include most meats, watermelon, avocado, asparagus and most raw vegetables.  Dietary sources of resveratrol include red grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and peanuts.  Foods that contain a lot of alpha-lipoic acid include broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, and lean beef.

Overeating should also not be overlooked by those interested in eating for longevity. Aside from the effects on the body from being overweight, overeating can also results in telomere shortening.   A diet with proper nutrition and fewer calories has been shown to have this effect in animals,13 and is now being studied in humans in the CRONA study at the University of California, San Francisco.

Anti-Aging Skin Products

Two of the most studied substances for preventing and reversing wrinkles are tretinoin and estradiol.  Tretinoin effectively reduces wrinkles by restoring the skin’s collagen and treating sun-damaged skin.14  Estradiol helps improve aging skin by increasing collagen synthesis15 and improving the skin’s firmness and elasticity. 16

Good anti-aging creams also need to contain antioxidants to combat damage from stress, environmental toxins, and the sun.  Common antixoidants used in wrinkle creams include vitamins A, C, E and alpha-lipoic acid.

For a more comprehensive list of the best components of creams for anti-aging, check out: Top 10 Items Needed for Anti-Aging Skin.

References

  1. Farzaneh-Far R, et al. (2010).   “Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease”. JAMA 303(3): 250-257.
  2. Valenzano R, Terzibasi E, Genade T, Cattaneo A, Domenici L, Cellerino A.  (2006). “Resveratrol Prolongs Lifespan and Retards the Onset of Age-Related Markers in a Short-Lived Vertebrate”. Current Biology 16, 296–300.
  3. Rusin M, Zajkowicz A, Butkiewicz D. (2009). “Resveratrol induces senescence-like growth inhibition of U-2 OS cells associated with the instability of telomeric DNA and upregulation of BRCA1”. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 130(8): 528-537
  4. Xia L, Wang X, Hu S, et al. (2008). “Resveratrol reduces endothelial progenitor cells senescence through augmentation of telomerase activity by Akt-dependent mechanisms”. British Journal of Pharmacology 155(3): 387-94.
  5. Walle T, Hsich F, DeLegge M, Oatis, J, Walle U. “High absorption but very low bioavailablity of oral resveratrol in humans.” 
  6. Thomas von Zglinicki (2002). “Oxidative stress shortens telomeres” Trends in Biochemical Sciences 27(7): 339-44.
  7. Witschi A, Reddy S, Stofer B, Lauterburg B. (1992). “The systemic availability of oral
  8. glutathione”. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 43(6): 667–9.
  9. Liu J, Head E, Gharib A, Yuan W, Ingersoll R, Hagen T, Cotman C, Ames B. (2002). “Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: Partial reversal by feeding acetyl-l-carnitine and/or R-α-lipoic acid”. PNAS 99(4): 2356-61.
  10. Snyder P, Peachey H, Hannoush P, Berlin J, Loh L, Lenrow D, Holmes J, Dlewati A, Santanna J, rosen C, Strom B. (1999). “Effect of Testosterone Treatment on Body Composition and Muscle Strength in Men Over 65 Years of Age”. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism  84(8): 2647-2653.
  11. Morley J, Perry H, Kaiser F, Kraenzie D, Jensen J, Houston K, Mattammal M, Perry H. (1993). “Effects of testosterone replacement therapy in old hypogonadal males: a preliminary study”.  J Am Geriatr Soc. 41(2): 149-52.
  12. Pugh P, Jones R, West J, Jones T, Channer K. (2004). “Testosterone treatment for men with chronic heart failure”. Heart90:446-447.
  13. Haring R, Völzke, Steveling A, Krebs A, Felix S, Schöfl C, Dörr M, Nauck M, Wallaschofski H. (2010). “Low serum testosterone levels are associated with increased risk of mortality in a population-based cohort of men aged 20–79”. Eur Heart J. 31(12): 1494-1501.
  14. Weindruch R, Walford R, Fligiel S, Guthrie D. (1986). “The retardation of aging in mice by dietary restriction: longevity, cancer, immunity and lifetime energy intake.” Journal of Nutrition 116(4): 641-54.
  15. Dugas B,  Buchholz L. (2008). “Core Curriculum for Plastic Surgical Nursing: Nonsurgical Skin Rejuvenation: Chemical Peels and Microdermabrasion”. Plastic Surgical Nursing 28(3): 144-7.
  16. Schmidt J, Binder M, Demschik G, Bieglmayer C, Reiner A. (1996). “Treatment of Skin Aging with Topical Estrogens”.International Journal of Dermatology 35(9): 669-74.
  17. Kainz C, Gitsch G, Stani J, Breitenecker G, Binder M, Schmidt JB. (1993). When applied to facial skin, does estrogen ointment have systemic effects?” Arch Gynaecol Obstet. 253: 71–4.

food photo credit: convivial.org

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