Top 5 Nutrients That Switch on the Body’s Innate Capacity for Anti-Aging
If you want to increase your odds of staying youthful, and reverse the factors that are causing your body to age, then I have some helpful advice. Now that we have nutraceutical technology, the potential for beauty is unlimited. Indeed, the ability to turn back our ‘biological clock’ has never been more available.
When you learn about the innovative breakthroughs occurring in nutraceuticals, as well as nutricosmetics, you can turn on the innate regenerative capacities within your cells, like turning on a light switch. Match the missing nutrient to the biological imbalance that represents it, and presto, a positive condition in your body occurs. With the right beauty nutrients, the cells are given what they require to blossom.
Here I will explore the nutrients that are most studied for their ability to activate and ‘switch on’ the body’s innate capacities for beauty. These nutrients can be found in food, but they are most easily accessed in the right therapeutic dose by taking them in a supplement form. In a nutraceutical, the nutrients are that much more concentrated to get you the result quicker, and easier, and they are also found in their most biologically active forms.
SILICA
Have you ever noticed just how lovely a quartz crystal is, or observed the smooth, resilient sheen of a cucumber skin? What they both have in common is high concentrations of the mineral silica. This trace mineral is required by every single cell in the body. It is a necessary component in the creation of collagen peptides, and it is vital for cell hydration. In addition, silica has other important roles to play:
• Increases cellular vitality – Silica is required for cellular vitality and intercellular communication because it helps to turn on electrical currents in the body which allow the cells to function. One German study showed that silica, in the form of colloidal silica gel taken internally, increased cellular vitality by 11% in the connective tissues alone.(1)
Just imagine what it does in every cell of body, including the cells that make the hair, skin and nails beautiful.
• Clears Cellulite Congestion – Cellulite is caused by the accumulation of waste products in connective tissues, along with low cellular density or elasticity in the connective tissues. For most women, cellulite shows up particularly around the thighs and can be a major cause of discomfort both psychologically and emotionally.
What a German study done on the colloidal gel form of silica concluded was that silicic acid can increase overall cellular vitality by 8% and cellular metabolism in the connective tissues by 17%. This is significant considering that the study took place over a short period of time and these results began to show up in three days. When the cells of the connective tissue have more vitality and are better able to expel waste and bring water into the cell, we see a reversing of cellulite as a symptom of congestion.(2)
• Reduces Wrinkles – Cellulite is not the only symptom of low elasticity and low density in the connective tissue cells. So are wrinkles. As wrinkles form, what you are seeing is a loosening of the cell structure and decreased cellular density. To reverse this, it’s not necessary to go under the knife or inject botulism. Adding an essential trace mineral may make the difference.
A word of caution: not all silica supplements are created equal and many are synthesized in a laboratory. So look for silica supplements that are colloidal and avoid ones that are artificially created. Also, while horsetail herb is a good source, it can strain the kidneys. Use with caution, avoiding daily intake over a long period of time.
Conversely, you can easily take silica regularly with most colloidal forms; look for as high a dose as possible. The highest dose on the market is 196 mg. If silica is one of a number of nutrients in a product formula, then this dose can be lower, because the product is more comprehensive and includes other things that work synergistically.
BIOTIN
Biotin is required for healthy hair, skin, and nails. It is a water soluble vitamin from the B-complex family of vitamins. A biotin deficiency becomes apparent when the hair starts falling out, fingernails are suffering repeated breakage, or skin develops a certain pallor.
Great food sources of biotin include bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, egg yolks, nuts, and supplements in 5 mg and 10 mg dosages as both capsules and liquids. Generally, a liquid form will be better absorbed by the body – especially good if you have digestive weakness or suffer from malabsorption. Always consider getting the best form of any nutrient and couple with the best form of delivery (powders, gels, and liquids are excellent), so you can maximize the effectiveness of your supplement.
One example of a condition that B vitamin deficiency can cause is beriberi, a disease brought about by a severe B1 (thiamine) deficiency. The disease affects multiple organ systems and can even lead to dementia or congestive heart failure. When thiamine is completely absent in the diet, beriberi can result. But when thiamine is added back in, the problem can be easily reversed.(3)
While biotin deficiency does not create such serious diseases, it can lead to excessive hair loss, skin issues, and nails that are weak, splitting, and breaking. So, we can see the importance of replacing a missing nutrient when our beauty suffers, because it can be the missing piece in what appears to be a complex puzzle. Here are some additional benefits of adding biotin to the diet:
Everyone knows that sallow-looking skin can be given a boost with a collagen injection. However, you don’t have to inject a needle into your face to get a boost in collagen production for hair, skin, and nails. Collagen supplementation is experiencing a surge of interest, especially in the West where the the nutricosmetics industry is growing rapidly. The concept and science behind nutricosmetics is that the cosmetic results can come from within the body. Not only can you smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and tighten and tone the skin all over your body, but adding collagen to your diet can help to increase the body and shine in hair, and also strengthen nails.
During the human life cycle, collagen production peaks in our early 20s and then slowly declines with each passing year. This is apparent in the appearance of hair, skin, and nails. As well, the declining levels of collagen in tissues can affect the joints, such that there is increased stiffness and pain. Because collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, it is easy to see and feel the effects of declining tissue levels of collagen. Even a lack of collagen in the arteries accounts for decreased elasticity there, which puts one at risk for a number of negative cardiovascular effects.
The way to reverse all of this and regain the benefits of increased collagen levels is to supplement with collagen peptides. These peptides can be found in capsule, liquid, bone broth, and powder form. Consider taking your collagen supplement before bed on an empty stomach, and this way your body can benefit from its natural healing and rejuvenation cycle which takes place when at rest and sleeping.
In addition to taking the ready-made collagen peptides (from a grass-fed bovine or a marine source), one can add in vitamin C and silica to further stimulate collagen production in the body.
OTHER NUTRIENTS
Other beauty nutrients available separately or in a formula include: B-complex, MSM, L-Cysteine, Zinc, Selenometh-ionine, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and hyaluronic Acid.
B-complex: The B-complex is recommended because the B vitamins all work together synergistically. Plus, most men and women today are dealing with the high levels of stress and pressure produced by a fast paced lifestyle. This can lead to B-complex deficiency and cortisol imbalances that affect appearance and mood. Look for a supplement containing coenzyme forms of the B-complex vitamins and include B-complex rich foods like bee pollen, royal jelly, raw unpasteurized honey, and red beets.
Zinc: This mineral is important because if you have any form of acne, it can be the result of a copper-zinc imbalance due to an unidentified copper excess.
MSM: This nutrient is both a sulfur containing compound and also a methyl-donor. Methyl-groups are vital for running the methylation pathway in the liver, and the liver is your largest organ of detoxification. Keeping it clean is vital for maintaining clean blood. When the liver is congested, the blood can be loaded with poisons that want to leave the body, but if the elimination channels (bowels and kidneys) are blocked, then impurities will seek to escape through the skin. To avoid this, we want to have ample methyl-donors to run this detoxification pathway, and we can obtain them in foods like beets, and in supplements like MSM and others. Also, the sulfur (the ‘S’) in MSM is necessary to run the liver’s sulfation pathway and so it is vital for detoxification. You can also eat sulfur-rich foods like garlic, drink spring water rich in sulfur, and bathe in hot springs rich in sulfur.
While all of this can sound like serious business, it’s really important to have fun. Nothing can make you look and feel more beautiful than an attitude of lightheartedness and playfulness.
At the end of the day, looking good, feeling sexy, and being beautiful is a state of mind. Beauty nutrients are just the icing on the cake that can get you there faster.
