The promise of youth: the offers claim to take 10 years off your face without plastic surgery, to make you feel and look younger overnight. The antiaging options are endless: antioxidant pills, human growth hormone, chemical peels, creams containing coenzyme Q10, and vitamin capsules. Can you trust the claims?

Before you try a quick fix in the fight against age, take a closer look at the facts behind three popular age-defying claims:

* Antioxidants zap free radicals and prevent them from causing genetic damage associated with aging. Since vitamins A, C, and E are all potent antioxidants, they are touted as antiaging vitamins. Should we take daily supplements of these vitamins to fight off the ravages of aging? Getting your vitamins is great, but there is no evidence that vitamin pills will actually help you live longer.

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* Human growth hormone (HGH) is promoted to stave off old age. Is it safe? And can it really prolong your life? Growth hormone is produced in the body to stimulate childhood growth and help maintain tissues throughout life. Beginning in middle age, the body slowly reduces the amount of growth hormone it produces. In actuality, there's little evidence to suggest that injections of human growth hormone can help healthy adults regain youth and vitality. HGH can actually cause a number of side effects in adults, including joint and muscle pain, swelling in the arms and legs, and possible heart disease.

* Caloric restriction has been observed to extend the lives of mice and other laboratory animals, but can a 20 to 25 percent calorie restriction slow the aging process and extend life in humans? People undergoing short periods of calorie restriction typically see improvements in their blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar, and body weight. While these are all healthy changes, it isn't clear whether these changes translate into a longer life span for humans. Despite the benefits, researchers have also identified risks of calorie restriction diets, including reduced bone density, anemia, memory loss, dizziness, depression, and loss of muscle mass.

Conclusions

The aging process is accelerated by tobacco use, excessive alcohol, lack of exercise, poor stress management, lack of rest, and improper diet. Do yourself a big favor. Take an inventory of your life. Instead of buying into antiaging hype, see where you can improve your lifestyle. That will enhance your chances of living longer.