5 Best Anti-Aging Supplements

By: Angela Thompson

Break Studios Contributing Writer

The 5 best anti-aging supplements are, fortunately, widely available in a variety of forms for consumers. While there has been no discovery of the mystic Fountain of Youth, there are a certainly helpful nutrients, vitamins and minerals shown to hold anti-aging properties. Proper nutrition is best, but in busy times and hectic lifestyles, many people find the need for supplements in achieving a proper diet. What are the best anti-aging supplements available for those seeking to slow down or even turn back the hands of time?

  1. Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant shown in many scientific studies to fight the signs of aging. Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, works in the body’s cells to help regulate the oxidation of fats and sugars into cellular energy in the mitochondria of the cell. Research has linked low levels of CoQ10 to many age-related mitochondrial disorders, such as heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and muscular dystrophy. Increasing CoQ10 has been shown to reduce the risk of many disorders and even increase lifespan. Dietary Coenzyme Q10 is found in foods including whole grains, organ meats, oily fish, nuts, sesame seeds and vegetables such as cabbage, spinach and carrots.
  2. Fatty acids. Essential fatty acids offer disease-fighting benefits. Both omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids have different benefits for the body. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish, and omega-6 fatty acids, such as those in primrose and flaxseed oils, have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, aid healthy blood flow in the arteries, improve conditions such as arthritis and sharpen mental function among their many benefits.
  3. Green tea extract. Green tea extract is an important antioxidant with many anti-aging properties. Recent research has offered up lots of evidence of the importance of antioxidants and anti-aging supplements to maintaining a healthy, youthful body and appearance. Green tea extract protects the body from cell-damaging free radicals through several antioxidants, with EGCG being its most powerful. In fact, a serving of green tea has greater antioxidant and anti-aging power than well known “superfoods” broccoli and spinach.
  4. Gingko biloba. Gingko biloba has been used for centuries to treat circulatory disorders and increase memory and mental function. As the body ages, circulatory diseases and memory loss become more prevalent. The antioxidant properties of gingko biloba seem to not only prevent cellular damage but increase circulatory function and reduce plaque buildup in the blood vessels.
  5. Melatonin. Melatonin is a strong antioxidant hormone naturally produced by the body. In youth, melatonin works effectively to regulate the aging clock by helping to induce sleep and keep the body’s rest and recuperation rhythms intact. Supplementing an aging body’s levels of melatonin has been shown to increase the body’s ability to rest effectively, repair and regenerate.
Posted on: Aug. 07, 2010