3 replies to this topic

[MikeGreo]

Hi,

 

I know there are a bunch of supplements that theoretically reverse ageing. With many scientific explanations about it and why it should work. But I have hardly come across supplements that actually reverse ageing. If you do a Google search for anti-ageing supplements you will see remarkable amount of results come up. But upon taking those supplements, is age reversal actually occurring? If you are asking yourself this question and are in doubt, I would consider that it is not reversing ageing. I am actually starting to get annoyed with getting excited and than getting disappointed. Perhaps the word anti-ageing has lost its meaning, since it is being used so much. Perhaps people just love the science of it and care little for the actual results they are seeing. When I see a site going on about the details of ageing, talking about the telomeres, DNA repair rate, mitochondrial bio-genesis etc, if upon taking these supplements I am doubting any effect, than what is the point?! There should be no doubt to a result!

 

Unless, a person taking a supplement touted as reversing ageing and after months of using it, he/she does not see a noticeable difference, both with regards to feeling, energy and cosmetically speaking, I think those supplements should not be referred to as anti-ageing.

 

Now with that said if you know of supplements that ACTUALLY WORK TO REVERSE AGEING, I'm all ears.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[MikeGreo]

How do I edit thread title. It was the first thing I wanted to do as soon as I posted it, but I am not allowed to do it. If people weren't so harsh and I was allowed to changed the thread title, the question is still a valid, don't you think?

[pamojja]

 

Unless, a person taking a supplement touted as reversing ageing and after months of using it, he/she does not see a noticeable difference, both with regards to feeling, energy and cosmetically speaking, I think those supplements should not be referred to as anti-ageing.

 

Now with that said if you know of supplements that ACTUALLY WORK TO REVERSE AGEING, I'm all ears.

 

Your criteria for anti-aging are simply a bid unrealistic, if compared to the effectiveness available pharmaceuticals or interventions against the killer no. 1, CVD:

 

 

Statins Given for 5 Years for Heart Disease Prevention (With Known Heart Disease)

83 for mortality

In Summary, for those who took the statin for 5 years:

Benefits in NNT

• 1 in 83 were helped (life saved)
• 1 in 39 were helped (preventing non-fatal heart attack)
• 1 in 125 were helped (preventing stroke)

Harms in NNH

• 1 in 100 were harmed (develop diabetes*)
• 1 in 10 were harmed (muscle damage)

*The development of diabetes is one such unanticipated harm found in a recent large study and it seems likely therefore that this applies to the data above, although this is a best guess.

 

Blood Pressure Medicines for Five Years to Prevent Death, Heart Attacks, and Strokes

125 for mortality

In Summary, for those who took anti-hypertensives:

Benefits in NNT

• 1 in 125 were helped (prevented death)
• 1 in 67 were helped (prevented stroke)
• 1 in 100 were helped (prevented heart attack*)

Harms in NNH

• 1 in 10 were harmed (medication side effects, stopping the drug)

*fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and sudden or rapid cardiac death

 

Aspirin to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Known Heart Disease or Strokes

333 for mortality

In Summary, for those who took the aspirin:

Benefits in NNT

• 1 in 50 were helped (cardiovascular problem prevented)
• 1 in 333 were helped (prevented death)
• 1 in 77 were helped (prevented non-fatal heart attack)
• 1 in 200 were helped (prevented non-fatal stroke)

Harms in NNH

• 1 in 400 were harmed (major bleeding event*)

*Required hospital admission and transfusion

 

Coronary Stenting for Non-Acute Coronary Disease Compared to Medical Therapy

None for mortality

In Summary, for those who received the stenting:

Benefits in NNT

• None were helped (life saved, heart attack prevented, symptoms reduced)

Harms in NNH

• 1 in 50 were harmed (complications such as bleeding, stroke, kidney damage)

 

So if even the block-buster business in statins only prevents 1 out of 83 taking them from premature death, why on earth should supplements benefit 100 out of 100 taking them to be considered anti-aging?

Edited by pamojja, 07 October 2016 - 02:03 PM.

[Oakman]

Thinking that you are mis-interpreting the term "anti-aging". Aside from over enthusiastic marketing of wrinkle creams, my take on marketing of the term "anti-aging" - is that most refer to a "slow-down-aging" effect, NOT a "REVERSE-aging" effect.

 

And as for seeing (any of) the effect in a few months, that is simply unreasonable, just on the face of it. Do you look noticeably older every couple months? Why and how would you notice that you "were not" aging as much in that short a time frame (or even getting younger according to your definition)? Just flies in the face of observability and reason.  Now maybe over some years, or decades certainly, you might notice something, if you continue it that long - but it's really hard to notice something that's NOT there. Beside, you are talking looks, not anything important really. Actually, I'd gladly LOOK older if it meant I could live longer. IOW, 'looking older' is not necessarily a sign you are closer to death.

 

But to your point, marketers of anti-aging anything are pretty much off the hook from a "prove it" point of view.  When and how long does it take someone to age, or to die? Did "something" make their life longer (than what)? That's an impossible question to answer. Some live longer than others, so what? Is it natural longevity or because of some 'thing' they took or did. No one knows, and no one ever will unless they follow (in a study) a larger group of people from birth to death, in a double blind study, changing a single thing. And who would submit to that? And still that would not 'prove' much, there are too many variables.

 

Life is plainly too complicated. Unless and until the 'aging' and/or disease gene(s) can be turned off definitively, we are all simply stuck messing around with an ingredient or three in a life soup of thousands of substances and chemical interactions, hoping to have some positive effect along the way.

 

Fun nevertheless, even if we ultimately (and most assuredly) will all die.

Edited by Oakman, 07 October 2016 - 02:38 PM.