With longevity clinics popping up around the country and Internet advertisements for miracle cures bombarding your inbox, how can you separate the too-good-to-be-true claims from the scientific facts? Click on a tab to learn more about common approaches to combating aging.";
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antiaging_rems_wb3[i-1].body = "A variety of hormones commonly decline with age, among them: growth hormone, testosterone and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). Hormone injections and pills have been touted by some as reversing or halting the aging process.
GROWTH HORMONE
Claims: Injections of human growth hormone (HGH) — which can cost thousands of dollars a year — are said to extend lifespan, boost muscle mass, eliminate cellulite and increase memory.
Science: HGH shots are helpful for people with deficiencies in their ability to produce the hormone — such as children who aren’t growing. But there’s no good evidence that HGH supplementation offers any life-extension benefits. Research even suggests that people with high HGH levels are more likely to die at younger ages than those with lower levels of the hormone, and studies of animals with genetic disorders that suppress growth hormone production suggest that reduced levels of the hormone may actually prolong lifespan. Studies in older men have shown certain short-term benefits such as improvements in muscle mass, bone density and skin elasticity, but the long-term effects of the hormone are not known. Side effects seen with HGH include excess bone growth, carpal tunnel syndrome, fluid retention, glucose intolerance, diabetes and heart enlargement.
TESTOSTERONE
Claims: Testosterone injections, patches and topical gels are promoted as restoring erectile function, virility, strength and vigor in aging men.
Science: As men age, their testes often produce somewhat less testosterone than they did during youth, but most older men stay within normal limits. In fact, in most cases erectile difficulties are caused by circulation problems not low testosterone levels. A small number of men have true deficiencies and may be helped by prescription testosterone injections, patches or gels. But mainstream scientists do not support the use of testosterone supplementation for non-deficient men.
DHEA
Claims: DHEA can be purchased in anti-aging dietary supplements that claim to improve libido, strength, energy and immunity, and decrease fat.
Science: There is no evidence to support the use of DHEA as an anti-aging hormone, and some experts are concerned that DHEA supplements can cause liver damage.
";
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antiaging_rems_wb3[i-1].body = " Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and coenzyme Q10, make up a popular class of dietary supplements touted as slowing down aging by fighting harmful molecules known as free radicals.
Claims: One theory holds that we age because of cumulative damage to our cells caused by oxygen-free radicals. Free radicals are a natural byproduct of metabolism but also come from environmental sources such as smoking, radiation and sunlight. The body’s own antioxidant defense system prevents most free-radical damage but not all, so as people grow older the damage may build up. According to this theory, this build-up eventually causes cells, tissues and organs to break down. Proponents claim that when taken in large quantities, antioxidants will sop up the free radicals and slow down or stop the cellular damage.
Science: There is some evidence to support the free-radical theory of aging, experts say, but there is no good research to show that consuming antioxidants will slow down the process. In one study, very high doses of antioxidants increased the lifespan of worms, but overall the results have been equivocal. Most mainstream scientists do not think taking antioxidant supplements is generally harmful, except for the risk of overdosing on very high amounts of vitamins. The best way to get these vitamins, they agree, is by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables."; antiaging_rems_wb3[i++] = new Array("","Other","","http://www.msnbc.com/news/wld/health/brill/images/aging_illo_other.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "", "111", "107", "", "", "", "", ""); antiaging_rems_wb3[i-1].body = "Among the various types of products touted as halting the aging process are waters, magnets and light-emitting devices.
WATERS
Claims: Since the search for the Fountain of Youth, some special waters have been touted as having anti-aging properties. Today, high-tech sounding "magnetized waters" or "miracle waters" from exotic locations where people are said to live long, blessed lives promise everything from relief from pain to a long life in a state of perpetual youth.
Science: While all scientists agree that water is indeed a fluid vital for life, there is no evidence that water from places where people tend to live longer lives or that "magnetized" or otherwise manipulated water offer any added anti-aging benefits over your garden variety H2O.
MAGNETS
Claims: Magnets in all shapes in sizes, placed in everything from mattress pads to toe rings to knee pads to face masks, promise myriad benefits including increasing lifespan. Some promoters claim magnets activate life-promoting enzymes and encourage cell division, which slows down the aging process.
Science: There is no science that shows magnets offer any measurable benefits on lifespan.
LIGHT DEVICES
Claims: A variety of devices claim to beam energy, protons, magical photons, etc., into the body and provide some sort of life-force fuel that offers many health benefits including "reducing biological age" and "increasing lifespan."
Science: There’s no evidence that such devices are anything more than battery-operated flashlights.";
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