Free radical damage is one
of the principal mechanisms of aging. Free radicals are highly and indiscriminately
reactive chemicals that can damage any structure in living cells. The most
common source of free radicals is normal burning of fuel that occurs in
every cell every minute of every day. (Generally, the more free radicals
a species produces, the shorter its life span.) Skin suffers additional
free radical damage from sunlight and pollutants.
Topical antioxidants provide
some protection against environmental damage to the skin and may be somewhat
effective in slowing down the skin aging. However, topical antioxidants
are relatively unreliable. Their effect depends on skin permeability, other
ingredients in the cream and many other factors. It appears that increasing
oral intake of some antioxidants may additionally protect skin from free
radicals. Keep in mind, however, that relatively little solid research
has been done specifically on skin benefits of oral or topical antioxidants
and much of the supporting evidence is indirect.
A very important chemical
property for an oxidant is its solubility in water and fat (or oil). Basically,
living organisms have two types of internal media, watery extra- and intracellular
space and oily membranes that serve as partitions enclosing individual
cells and various intracellular compartments. Water-soluble antioxidants
are effective mainly in extra- and intracellular fluid, whereas fat-soluble
antioxidants protect biological membranes. Both types of antioxidants are
needed to create an effective shield against free radicals for the entire
body, and skin in particular.
essential
nutrients in skin rejuvenation
Non-essential nutrients are
the nutrients that can either be synthesized by the body or the ones the
body can do without. Essential nutrients are the nutrients the body cannot
produce but cannot do without. There is also another important but underappreciated
class of nutrients called conditionally essential. Generally, conditionally
essential nutrients can be synthesized by a healthy body working at optimal
efficiency. However, under certain conditions (e. g. stress, disease, intoxication,
advanced age, etc), the body may lose the ability to synthesize these nutrients
in sufficient quantities and becomes dependent on obtaining them from food.
It appears that insufficient synthesis and/or intake of some conditionally
essential nutrients contributes to age-related decline in the function
of many organs, including the skin. Supplementing conditionally essential
nutrients may produce skin benefits in some people, particularly if their
bodies do not produce enough of these nutrients due to stress, older age
or health conditions.
Lipoic
acid
Lipoic acid is a conditionally
essential nutrient required by cell for generating energy from carbohydrates
and some other fuels. It is also an effective antioxidant and heavy metal
chelator. The body can synthesize lipoic acid in modest amounts but the
production may fall short of requirements in many situations such as stress
or illness. As with many key substances in the body, levels of lipoic acid
decline with age.
Lipoic acid is unique in
its versatility among antioxidants. It is both water and fat soluble, capable
of protecting all body tissues and compartments. It is effective against
most types of free radicals, including superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical,
singlet oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide. It also chelates (binds and neutralizes)
the ions of metals that catalyze free radical formation (iron, copper,
cadmium, lead and mercury). Yet another important effect of lipoic acid
is it's ability to lower blood sugar. A unique combination of antioxidant,
metal-chelating and glucose-lowering properties makes lipoic acid an inhibitor
of glycation and cross-linking. (Glycation and cross-linking comprise one
of the key mechanisms of aging, playing an important role in the formation
of wrinkles).
Conezyme
Q10
Conezyme Q10 (CoQ10) has
two important roles: it is an essential part of the cellular respiration
system located in the mitochondria, and it is an antioxidant. CoQ10 improves
both the rate and efficiency of energy production in the cells, and at
the same time protects mitochondria from free radicals. The body can produce
CoQ10, but many factors, including age, illness, cholesterol-lowering drugs
and malnutrition can impair that ability. CoQ10 is sometimes called a "biomarker
of aging" because its level correlates so well with aging and degenerative
diseases. In one study, CoQ10 supplementation increased life expectancy
in mice by 50%. A large number of studies clearly demonstrated the efficiency
of CoQ10 in congestive heart failure and other diseases of heart muscle.
Other conditions that appear to be helped by CoQ10 include hypertension,
decreased immunity, and muscular atrophy. Unfortunately, the studies of
the benefits of CoQ10 specifically for the skin are lacking. It is likely,
however, that the increased energy production facilitated by CoQ10 will
benefit the skin as well.
Cysteine
and methionine
Cysteine and methionine are
sulphur-containing amino acids. In addition to being structural units of
proteins, these amino acids act as antioxidants and facilitate the removal
of heavy metals from the body. Cysteine is also a part of glutathione which
is the primary water soluble antioxidant inside cells. Methionine is an
essential amino acid; it cannot be produced by the body and has to come
from food. Cysteine can be synthesized in the body from methionine and
is considered conditionally essential, meaning that it may become essential
if the supply of methionine is limited. The content of methionine and cysteine
in the body seems to decline with age. Supplementing diet with these amino
acids increases life span in mice. Indirect evidence suggests that maintaining
optimal levels of sulphur-containing amino acids in humans may provide
some health and longevity benefits, including better skin health.
