The Anti-Aging Movement
The Anti-Aging movement has attempted to marginalize and demonize aging for generations. This view is largely because we’ve always considered growing old a disease to be avoided. But the new anti-aging movement is more than hair dyes and hormones. The latest trend is to emphasize lifestyle and diet changes to help combat the effects of aging. The benefits of these changes are obvious, but what about their underlying assumptions?
Researchers say the future of anti-aging medicine involves manipulating genes, utilizing stem cells, and targeting delivery of drugs and nutrients. Nanotechnology is advancing the field, as it’s easier to deliver molecules directly to specific parts of the body. The Anti-Aging Lab team is currently studying the aging process in fat tissue stem cells from body sculpting patients. Researchers believe that the aging process differs between men and women and among ethnic groups.
Toxic chemicals and chronic inflammation cause the aging process in our bodies. These chemicals contribute to glycation, a process in which glucose molecules attach to proteins. This results in a brownish discoloration of tissues. Sugar molecules attach to proteins, which crosslink, causing more damage. Inflammation can also be reversed by the use of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. These ingredients also combat inflammation, such as alpha-lipoic acid and co-enzyme Q10.
The anti-aging movement has little in common with the first wave of longevity advocates. Unlike Cornaro, most advocates of the anti-aging movement consider old age to be a period of sickness and weakness. The anti-Aging Movement’s founders believe that old age is nothing but a culmination of degenerative disorders. If it’s possible to cure old age, it will be an incredible achievement. They also hope to find ways to slow down the aging process and extend healthy lives.