Local & State Headlines

Anti-aging: What is the secret?

• One supplement a day could help slow the breakdown of collagen that is responsible for visible loss of firmness, a dermatologist says.

Barbara Rivera Holmes

ALBANY — Despite the promises of the multibillion- dollar beauty and “cosmeceutical” industry, there is no serum, mask or lotion of youth.

There are, however, a bevy of products scientifically proven to help diminish the signs of aging, retinoids being one of the most popular.

But as one Albany dermatologist recently learned, one supplement a day has been shown to help stop the breakdown of collagen, a process that results in visible loss of firmness and suppleness.

“It’s not so much that our skin is losing volume,” Dr. Melinda Greenfield said, it’s that “collagen thins and breaks down over time.”

A drop a day of concentrated tea can ward off free radicals, also responsible for breaking down collagen.

“Free radicals cause damage to any organ. It is the oxidative damage from free radicals that contribute to ‘aging,’ ” Greenfield said recently after returning from a dermatological conference. “Antioxidants are there to offset the damage done by the free radicals.”

Through “concentrated sources of antioxidants,” Greenfield said, scientists are working from the inside out to help fight free radicals.

One of the best sources of antioxidants is polyphenols, chemical substances found in plants and available in green tea and coffeeberry.

It’s widely marketed that green tea helps fight free radicals and combat aging. But few people drink enough green tea daily to assume its benefits, and those who don’t like tea are, well, out of luck.

When Greenfield learned of a concentrated green tea — one dropper full is equivalent to the six-eight cups of tea one would have to otherwise drink — she became a convert.

“As I go out and I hear about things, I will ... bring them into my office if I think they make sense,” said Greenfield, squirting a dropper-full of tea into a bottle and giving the water a slightly fruity flavor.

“It’s a simple little supplement,” she said.

Another “favorite source of antioxidants,” she said, is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 or CQ10), which can be taken orally as a supplement or used topically and is important for the functioning of cell membranes. Though CoQ10 has been on the market for years, recent data show that it may have more beneficial effects than previously thought.

“They have discovered that CoQ10 causes aptosis, or cell death, in cancer cells,” Greenfield said of research being conducted by Dr. Leslie S. Baumann, professor of clinical dermatology, chief of the division of cosmetic dermatology and founder of the University of Miami (Fla.) Cosmetic Center.

“It is too soon to tell if this will become a statistically important part of skin cancer treatment,” Greenfield said, “but Dr. Baumann feels that it is hopeful.”

Greenfield has the green tea concentrate and CoQ10 supplement available at her Meredyth Plaza practice.

Though she’s clearly excited about the developments, Greenfield stresses that sun protection remains the No. 1 way to slow the signs of aging and guard against skin cancer.

More Headlines>>