The best treatment for old age is prevention
Researchers at the University of Florida, working under the guidance of Dr. Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, have found in experiments on rats that complex dietary supplements are more effective than single-component ones, slowing down the processes of extinction of physical functions of the body. In addition, they showed that the classical principle of medicine applies to the use of such drugs: it is easier to prevent a disease (in this case, old age) than to cure it. The results of the work were published on May 11 in the journal PLoS ONE in the article "Beneficial Effects of a Q-ter® Based Nutritional Mixture on Functional Performance, Mitochondrial Function, and Oxidative Stress in Rats".
To date, experts do not fully understand all the mechanisms leading to the extinction of body functions associated with aging. However, more and more data points in favor of the free radical theory of aging, according to which disruptions of the energy supply system of the cell leads to the accumulation of oxidative damage in it, which is the direct cause of aging. To solve this problem, the consumer is offered a large selection of various biologically active additives (including very questionable ones) that suppress the harmful effect of free radicals.
The authors analyzed the effect of a commercially available compound designed to combat chronic fatigue and muscle aging on muscle strength, as well as on two mechanisms underlying the aging process and many associated diseases: mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The tested dietary supplement contains the antioxidant coenzyme Q10, creatine (a compound necessary for muscle function) and ginseng extract, which has a restorative and adaptogenic effect.
As part of the experiment, the researchers added the studied additive to the feed of two groups of rats for six weeks. The age of rats in one group was 21 months, and the second – 29, which in terms of human is 50-65 and 65-80 years, respectively. After that, they assessed the physical condition of the rats by the strength of the compression of the paws (in humans, hand dynamometry is also used as the simplest test to assess physical condition).
It turned out that the intake of the composition increased the compression force of the paws of rats of "pre-retirement" age by 12% compared with the control group, while the efficiency of their mitochondria increased by 66%. None of these effects were observed in the group of older animals. These data indicate that such dietary supplements have a preventive effect (currently, researchers are trying to establish the optimal age for starting their intake).
An interesting fact is that, despite the absence of a clear positive effect, taking the drug reduced the level of oxidative damage in the cells of elderly rats. This fact indicates that functional changes, such as an increase in physical strength, do not always correspond to a decrease in the level of oxidative stress.
The authors also note that taking the composition had a much more pronounced effect than taking its individual components, since each of the components affects one of the underlying mechanisms of aging. They also emphasize the need for clinical trials of the composition they tested.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru According to ScienceDaily: Anti-Aging Supplements May Be Best Taken Not Too Late in Life.
26.05.2010