Dr. Christophe de Jaeger, geriatrician doctor and researcher specializing in aging, analyzes this quest for eternal youth and alert on the risks linked to certain practices.
A futuristic anti-aging routine
With his bright smile and her platinum hair, Brooke stands out as a follower of the most advanced anti-aging care. “”In the morning, I face the red light between 10 and 20 minutes“, she says. She then continues: she”Spend an hour in my oxygen box“, before swallowing”A full handful of food supplements“. A cocktail that she herself developed by browsing internet studies.
The results she claims impress: according to her, she would age at a rate of “0.64 years per year“. His health is permanently scrutinized through connected tools and blood analyzes sent several times a year to a laboratory. But is this” optimization “of the organization really credible?
Age, a phenomenon that cannot be completely controlled
For Dr. Christophe de Jaeger, this approach illustrates a growing trend in the United States. “”For the past thirty years, and even more after the COVID-19, many people have started to want to ‘control’ their biological functioning to master their longevity and their health. Unfortunately, this trend gives rise to certain problematic behaviors, such as those you describe“He observes.
The intention to take care of yourself may seem logical, but the methods used are problematic. “”Wanting to optimize your health is very reasonable, it is even a concern that everyone should have. But the human organism has very great complexity and hoping for a benefit with simplistic solutions is often illusory“, He recalls.
Some companies would take advantage of this quest for youth to offer misleading practices. “”In this context, some companies take advantage of the credulity of a certain number of individuals, sometimes by dressing their methods/products of scientific study, to divert their results: many people think that studies carried out in animals (for example spermidine in rats) can be directly applied to humans. However, everything is not as simple“. And the expert adds:”Besides, it is impossible to measure the biological age of a person with a simple drop of blood or a genetic analysis “. For him, we are witnessing a double error:” apply to man study results which are not intended for him and encourage practices that do not measure what they claim“.
Anti-aging supplements and pills: prudence above all
Brooke’s approach also raises the issue of self -medication risks. “”There is still lack of hindsight. I am not sure that taking taurine or spermidine is beneficial (the famous supplements that the young woman takes), but I am not sure either that it represents a danger. I only hope that no long -term toxicity will be noted“, Says Dr. de Jaeger.
He recalls that certain substances, such as vitamin D, can be useful if they meet a real need. “”In the event of a deficit, taking it is a good idea, but if there is no shortage, there is no reason to consume it. I therefore recommend medicalizing these practices, because only doctors have the skills to supervise these uses“.
The dangers are also hidden in the quality of the products available on the Internet. “”Many substances sold on the Internet are not naturally present in humans. Useing them therefore necessarily has a risk, variable depending on the dose swallowed and the purity of the product. Also pay attention to the quality of these products sold ‘in free access’ on the Internet: they are not subject to the same pharmaceutical controls and some may contain heavy metals or pesticides“Says the doctor.
Its warning is clear: “Consuming large amounts of uncontrolled products can constitute a long -term risk, which will only be noticeable in the years to come“. And for those who still wish to monitor their health, the practitioner advises:”I recommend to consult your general practitioner in the first place, then, if necessary, to turn to specialists in human physiology and nutrition to go further“.