The Endless Struggle for Youth and Beauty
Anti aging and life extension methods are on the minds of most adults to one degree or another. Whether your primary aim is to eliminate wrinkles and the appearance of aging or to take substantial, or even drastic, measures to extend your life and feel years younger than you are, you have stumbled across a world in which you can learn about the latest in anti aging technology and breakthroughs. 
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Because this realm is so widely researched and is changing so rapidly, the best way to stay on top of it in this blog is for you, the readers, to contribute your ideas and knowledge. If we can create here a pool of facts and awareness, we can build a complete and highly detailed hub of anti aging information that will be unrivaled. With so many people contributing ideas, questions, and information, you will find that if you check back often, you will find more and more nuggets of ground breaking news and facts about this amazing and vastly relevant topic.
Beauty and youth have gone hand in hand for centuries. Ancient Egyptians relied on the anti aging effects of olive leaves, while members of Chinese dynasties centuries ago experimented with herbs and minerals, and kept track of their results in an attempt to stave off the aging process, and the Fountain of Youth is a legend that dates back to the sixteenth century. Very little has changed over the years; we still equate youth with beauty and people are going to greater and greater lengths to reduce, eliminate, or even reverse the effects of aging.
Today, there are books, magazines, and websites dedicated to diets and exercise regimens that promise to slow the aging process. We have learned a great deal in recent years about super foods, like blueberries, avocados, and green tea that, when eaten regularly, will reduce the appearance of aging, and enhance a person’s overall health. Exercise equipment have found their ways into our homes, and personal trainers are popular among the upper and upper middle class, as both women and men work to maintain their youthful figures and health as well as fighting wrinkles and weak skin.
The French Paradox is one concept that is under constant scrutiny in the realm of anti aging. This paradox is characterized by the fact the French people suffer relatively low incidences of heart disease while their diets are high in saturated fats. The answer seems to lie in red wine, although the reasons for this are still relatively unclear. What is clear is that people who drink a glass of red wine every day tend to have fewer heart issues than those who do not. Chocolate and coffee also have been shown to have certain anti aging properties, when used in moderation.
One exciting substance now being studied is a plant based antimicrobial substance called Resveratrol. Scientists have found that plants produce Resveratrol when being attacked by bacteria or fungi, which has led to studies to learn how this substance can be used to fight off disease and extend human life. Some positive results have been reached with small animals with shorter lifespans. There has been, however, little progress made yet in its effects on humans. While the long term effects of Resveratrol have not yet been determined, some studies are proving to be optimistic about its future use in stabilizing blood sugar, fighting cancer, and extending human life. This substance does exist in the skin of grapes and in red wine, but the levels are low and the relationship between this and the French Paradox is not yet clearly proven.
Some recent studies have found that calorie restriction in small animals has actually led to an increase in lifespan. While there are no substantiated studies in humans, the practice of calorie restriction for the sake of anti aging is becoming increasingly popular. This method involves restricting calorie consumption to a level below that which is needed for normal weight maintenance. Unlike calorie restriction in the case of anorexic patients, however, this is done according to a very careful diet regimen that ensures that the body is still getting all necessary nutrients and vitamins for healthy functioning. This method can result in some loss in bone density and muscle mass, which can be made up in exercise.
Modern skin care products line shelves in grocery stores, drug stores, and department stores. Both men and women spend thousands of dollars every year on eye creams, wrinkle creams, moisturizers, and toners in efforts to maintain their youthful beauty. Chemicals like Retinol and alpha hydroxy acids have been developed to keep our skin clean, clear, and youthful looking. Other products highlight more natural ingredients such as wormwood, mushroom extracts, aloe vera, and olive. Spas are also becoming increasingly popular, where skin experts from around the world use masks and treatments to deep clean and treat the skin on your face, hands, feet, and body, to make your skin more healthy, more elastic, and ultimately younger looking.
For some, however, using topical products to treat and nourish the skin or maintaining a healthy diet and exercise are not enough. Botox injections became wildly popular in 2005, so popular, in fact, that botox parties became common, in which friends would gather for an evening of wine and cheese, and have their botox injections as well. This injectable chemical plumps up the skin in a localized area, removing lines and wrinkles temporarily. Each injection lasts an average of four to six months; then the procedure must be repeated in order to maintain the positive results.
One of the newest topical treatments in the process of eliminating lines and wrinkles is micro needling, or derma rolling. This is a process that may be completed in clinics or at home, and is effective in stimulating collagen production, which helps fill in those wrinkles and even eliminates the appearance of stretch marks. The derma roller is a roller at the end of an easy-to-manipulate handle. The roller is made up of rolls of tiny needles that permeate the skin to about two millimeters. Not only does the use of this technique stimulate collagen production, it also creates tiny holes that allow more effective permeation of anti aging creams and lotions. The derma roller can be purchased and used at home, or the procedure can be done by a professional on a regular, periodic basis.
Plastic surgery has also risen in popularity. A face lift will stretch the skin, eliminating wrinkles permanently. Blepharoplasty targets eye bags, and brow lifts put an end to the sagging that often occurs above the eyes as we grow older. Individuals will risk potentially negative results or side effects for the ultimate goal of looking younger. The face isn’t the only target of plastic surgery; tummy tucks, liposuction, and breast implants are two common surgeries that offer the opportunity for a younger looking body. There are a myriad of surgery procedures that target very specific areas of the body and face in an effort to decrease or eliminate the outward signs of aging.
Human growth hormones, naturally produced by our pituitary glands when we are young, slowly diminish after the age of thirty. These hormones are known to build lean muscle mass, thus helping the body maintain or regain a youthful appearance. After the initial study in 1990 released these findings, a synthetic HGH was developed which was found to be unsafe in the United States. However, the effects were so desired by American men and women that a substantial black market developed for buying illegal injectable HGH, despite the risk of dangerous side effects. There are now safer versions available in the United States and Europe, but the possible side effects of synthetic hormones remain a very real concern.
A safer way to increase levels of human growth hormones in the body is with the use of herbal and plant based substances that act as HGH releasers. These do not introduce synthetic hormones to the body; they use a combination of nutrients and amino acids to stimulate your body’s production of natural hormones, thus eliminating the dangers of most side effects, but still promising increases in bone density and muscle mass as you desire. Possibly the greatest advantage to using a human growth hormone releaser instead of a synthetic hormone is that your body will regulate the amount of HGH in your system if it is being produced by your body; if you are injecting synthetic hormones, there is no regulation, and levels can become dangerously high.
The desire to look young has blossomed into a desire to remain physically young, or in some cases, to stave off our own mortality. In 1997, scientists excitedly announced that they had cloned their own sheep, leading to a a myriad of science fiction-like ideas, such as those about clones for the sake of organ harvesting or body part replacements later in life. Cryogenics, another child of science fiction, seems less out of reach than it did even ten years ago, as individuals consider the expensive and highly experimental procedure of cryonics. This is the process of maintaining human life in a state of extreme cold; it is used when the life can no longer be sustained on life support. The procedure is generally used with the theory that the human will be released when a cure is found for his/her ailment, or when a reversal of aging is available.
