Anti-Aging

When to Start Thinking About Anti-Aging

Do you want to look and feel younger? You are not alone. By 2030, the anti-aging market is expected to grow to around $119.6 billion. Treatment options for a more youthful appearance are far more comprehensive than ever before. Prices range from super-expensive plastic surgery to much more affordable anti-aging creams and supplements. So why is the market expanding so quickly? People are thinking about anti-aging long before that first wrinkle or smile line appears. When is the best time to think about anti-aging? It may be younger than you think.

Trends in Anti-Aging

Most people think about their skin and reducing the effects of aging on their appearance, but anti-aging includes supporting your overall mental and physical health. While searching for the fountain of youth, it is essential to do your homework, so you don’t shell out lots of money for products with little or no value. Sunscreen has proven itself for decades as a product that reduces wrinkles, age spots, and collagen damage secondary to UV radiation. Investing in a good sunscreen and using it daily can protect your skin. Retinol products are another good example of a proven product. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that helps reduce signs of skin aging.

Products that you apply to your skin are classified as cosmetics, which means that they do not have to meet the high standards set for prescription drugs. Supplements may require prescriptions, but they are frequently not prescription medications that have undergone clinical testing and sought FDA approval. Many times, this is because the cost is prohibitive. For this reason, it’s important to look at what testing has been done, what ingredients are used and how they are delivered, and what product claims are being made. Invigor Medical offers several age management products. Each of the anti-aging products comes with a complete description of the ingredients, what is known about those ingredients, and links to research studies you can read and evaluate for yourself.

Mental Health and Anti-Aging

Like your skin, your brain ages, so it is essential to protect your cognitive, emotional, and psychological health. The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Over time, your brain will atrophy or lose cells. Waste products, proteins, and pigments will build up in brain cells, and slight changes may occur in your genetic code.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five US adults experienced a mental illness in 2020, and 1 in 20 was diagnosed with a serious mental illness. In addition, one in 15 Americans struggle with substance use disorder and mental illness, and over 12 million people have serious thoughts of suicide.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached 24 hours daily at 800-273-8255.

There are many contributing factors to mental illness, some of which you can affect and others you cannot. Eating a healthy diet, managing your weight, exercising regularly, and socializing with people you care about are lifestyle factors you can change that affect mental and physical health. Exercise your brain by engaging in new activities and hobbies. Most people like to do the same things, in the same way, day after day, but your brain enjoys challenges and stimulation.

So how do you preserve brain health? While you can’t prevent brain cell loss, you can give your brain the nutrients it needs to ensure each cell operates at its maximum efficiency. Antioxidants are vitamins, such as vitamin C, and nutrients, such as coenzyme Q10, NAD, and glutathione, that help neutralize the free radicals that damage cells. These vitamins and nutrients can keep free radicals from damaging DNA and cellular structures.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone, is a powerful antioxidant and coenzyme. CoQ10 can help neutralize free radicals, the byproducts of metabolism in the mitochondria, and protect your genetic code and brain cells from damage. Increasing free radicals and decreasing mitochondrial function contribute to brain aging. CoQ10 levels decline with age, leading many people to supplement with CoQ10 to help ensure their brain cells are as well protected as possible.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an electron transporter, coenzyme, and signaling molecule. It is produced from the amino acid tryptophan. NAD+ helps transfer the energy from macronutrients in foods into a form your body cells can use. NAD+ levels decline with age. NAD can be obtained through diet or supplementation, but your body also increases NAD+ through the NAD+ salvage pathway. You can support this process by exercising. Calorie restriction and intermittent fasting may also help.
Glutathione is an important antioxidant. It helps neutralize free radicals. As a result, it can help protect your cells from internal and environmental toxins.

Physical Health and Anti-Aging

When do bodily changes associated with aging begin? Some changes can begin as early as your thirties. Hormonal changes and declines in estrogen and testosterone contribute to many of the changes people experience as they age, including decreases in muscle mass and strength and increases in fat mass. In addition, there are aging differences depending on sex and gender. For men, aging occurs more gradually due to a steady decline in testosterone. For women, a more abrupt decrease in estrogen occurs at menopause.

Sexual health: Declining hormone levels can definitely impact sexual health, causing erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness and pain, and decreases in libido.
Bone health: Osteoporosis is a decline in bone density that can increase the risk for fractures and falls. Estrogen is bone protective, so women are at increased risk after menopause. Vitamin D and calcium are essential nutrients to maintain bone density. The best source of vitamin D is exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, but most people cannot get enough exposure during most of the year. Calcium and vitamin D are also obtained in the diet and through supplementation. Exercise, especially walking and jogging, is also key to maintaining bone density.
Muscle strength and tone: Muscle strength and tone decline with aging due to declining testosterone and growth hormone levels. Muscle mass declines at a rate of 3% to 8% per decade after age 30. The decline is even faster after age 60. You can counteract some of this decline by maintaining an active lifestyle, increasing protein in your diet, and ensuring your diet is rich in vitamin D, creatine, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Building muscle mass and bone density in your 30s and even earlier can help delay the onset of age-related declines in muscle strength and bone density.

Physical Appearance and Anti-Aging

Changes in physical appearance are typically the first thing that comes to mind when people think about aging. Unfortunately, most anti-aging products for the skin cannot turn back time. The time to think about your skin is in your 30s and earlier. Retinol-based products can maintain and stimulate collagen production. Collagen is a protein that supports the skin. As collagen clumps and breaks down from UV light exposure, you will notice sagging and wrinkles.

Of course, the most important way to protect your skin from changes associated with aging is regular and generous sunscreen use. For sun-damaged skin, a product rich in antioxidants such as NAD+, glutathione, vitamin C and Coenzyme Q10 may help your skin heal. It is also important to watch for UV-related skin changes that can be more serious, such as skin cancers. Schedule a regular dermatology appointment, especially if you notice a mole or skin pigmentation change.

You can look good at any age without surgery! Looking good at any age starts with maintaining good overall health. You can take steps to promote healthy aging and wellness that are low-cost or free. To maintain your appearance and physical health, try these:

Eat healthily and drink plenty of water
Exercise regularly
Lower stress
Stop smoking
Decrease alcohol consumption
Use sunscreen every day

Prevention works better than treatment to minimize the effects of aging on physical appearance. Inventory your lifestyle now and look for areas you can improve.

Importance of Safe Anti-Aging

The quest for a magic pill to prevent aging leads many people to try unproven and even unsafe medications, supplements, and creams. With the explosion of online medicine and pharmacies, there are many reputable companies that deliver quality products that meet federal guidelines, and there are many that do not.

When choosing a product, ensure that it is provided by a US-based company, that the pharmacy that supplies the product is US-based and FDA-registered, and that no corners are cut, meaning that you are never offered prescription supplements without a prescription.

When to Seek Professional Advice

We all get older, that’s a fact, but sometimes the changes you see and blame on the aging process are not due to aging. For example, skin changes may indicate problems with the liver or kidney. Brain changes may be an early sign of dementia or metabolic conditions. Muscle weakness can indicate a wide range of potential health problems. Check with your doctor if you are experiencing new or persistent symptoms to see if a medical evaluation is warranted before blaming your symptoms on aging.

If you are interested in anti-aging supplements, contact the experts at Invigor Medical to learn more about how these supplements can promote healthy aging and support overall wellness.

DISCLAIMER

While we strive to always provide accurate, current, and safe advice in all of our articles and guides, it’s important to stress that they are no substitute for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider. You should always consult a practicing professional who can diagnose your specific case. The content we’ve included in this guide is merely meant to be informational and does not constitute medical advice.