Antioxidants Fight The Signs Of Premature Aging

By: Marlene Affeld

The search for the fountain of youth is a familiar idea. Medical research has been pursuing that goal for decades. Recent medical technology advances offer new and exciting options in anti-aging skin care.

The research confirming the anti-aging "magic" of antioxidants is clear. Antioxidants protect the body from free radicals, unstable molecules that damage DNA and cell membranes. Antioxidants combat free-radical damage responsible for the hidden and not-so-secret signs of aging and significantly enhance the effectiveness of sunscreen applied to prevent sun damage.

A combination of antioxidants and sunscreen is the best defense against many of the unwelcome signs of aging, including fine lines, age spots, wrinkles, dryness, dullness, and skin discoloration. Applied at night with a moisturizing night cream, the regular application of antioxidants will promote healing and cellular repair.

Free radicals that damage the skin occur from exposure to sunlight, air pollution, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and stress. Stress is one of the most significant factors. Stress produces adrenaline, which restricts blood flow to the skin and generates deadly and destructive free radicals. Scientists studying free radicals' effects theorize that aging results from the slow cumulative oxidation of body tissue over a lifetime.

Vanderbilt University explains why antioxidants are essential to healthy, younger-looking skin, stating, "Antioxidants are chemicals that protect cells by neutralizing external forces (such as damage from the sun, pollution, wind, and temperature) and internal factors (for example, emotions, metabolism, and the presence of excess oxygen). Common antioxidants are Vitamins A, C, E, and Beta Carotene. These special chemicals assist in skin repair and the strengthening of blood vessels."

Although it is essential to maintain a healthy diet and obtain antioxidants from natural foods, supplements can help provide the dosage needed to affect skin repair. However, scientists now tell us that topically, antioxidants are up to 100 times more effective than antioxidants obtained from our diet.

At the forefront of the list of over-the-counter anti-aging ingredients are antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that, when applied topically to aging skin, neutralize and destroy free radicals that destroy and devour the skin's collagen supply.

Known for its remarkable skin-rejuvenation properties, Coffee Berry Extract, derived from the coffee plant Coffee Arabica, is considered to be one of the richest sources of antioxidants. Research studies indicate that the same plant that provides your morning "java jolt" has potent anti-aging properties to enhance the appearance of aging skin. Coffee Berry contains powerful polyphenols, including ferulic acid, quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and condensed proanthocyanidins.

Research studies conducted by David McDaniels, MD, at the Institute of Anti-Aging Research in Virginia, and Zoe Draelos, MD, at Dermatology Consulting Service in North Carolina, indicate that Coffee Berry Extract dramatically improved the appearance of the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles without skin irritation or allergic reactions.

Scientists note that it may be a few years before the full extent of Coffee Berry's refreshing and rejuvenating properties are known. However, they comment that it is "so powerful in its antioxidant rating that even if 1/1,000th of what's applied gets into the skin, it's probably going to have an effect."

What do Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Green Tea, Carrot Seed Oil, and Coffee Berry Extract have in common? They all contain significant amounts of powerful antioxidants beneficial to aging skin. When searching for a natural product to combat wrinkles and dull, dry skin, look for a product containing one or more of these powerful ingredients.