Anti-Aging Creams Don't Work

Skin Care

oi-Staff

By Staff

Monday, December 1, 2008, 17:10

The much hyped anti-aging creams and treatments are not favored by the research scientists, as they hardly seem to work at all. The latest research with Nematodes at University College London revealed that even those given enhanced antioxidant powers to deal with tissue damaging "free radicals" did not live longer. The researchers said that there was "no clear evidence" they could slow ageing.

Antioxidants are a staple of the beauty and health industries. This has been based on a 50-year-old theory. In 1956, it was suggested that ageing was caused by a build-up of molecular damage caused by reactive forms of oxygen, called superoxides or free radicals, circulating in the body. This is known as oxidative stress. Antioxidants supposedly worked to mop up these free radicals, minimising their damage. However, the new could help explain why many studies aimed at proving the theory have been inconclusive.

The Nematodes were genetically manipulated by the research team led by Dr David Gems, so that their bodies were able to "mop up" surplus free radicals. The worms lived just as long as the others, suggesting that "oxidative stress" is less of a factor in the ageing of our cells and tissues as some have suggested.

"The fact is that we don't understand much about the fundamental mechanisms of ageing - the free radical theory has filled a knowledge vacuum for over 50 years now, but it doesn't stand up to the evidence," BBC quoted Gems, as saying.

"It is clear that if super oxide is involved, it plays only a small part in the story - oxidative damage is clearly not a universal, major driver of the ageing process," Gems added.

The team concluded that in order to beat old age diseases like cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis, one must indulge in a healthy, balanced diet but there was no clear evidence that eating antioxidants could slow or prevent ageing, and even less evidence to support the claims made by antioxidant pills and creams.