In a December 16 story, The Times of London is featuring my book as a way to spotlight what they call “elixirs of youth: the top five myths.” The online version of the Times is a subscription-only site, so I will list the myths here:
1. Human Growth Hormone: “…its benefits have not been proved, and there have been no long-term studies of its side-effects in healthy users.”
2. Acai berry: “This is the best example of an anti-aging elixir gone completely out out control.”
3. Resveratrol: “…doses in the animal studies were far higher than people could tolerate–the equivalent of drinking 750 to 1,500 bottles of red wine.”
4. Antioxidants: “…the jury is out over whether this is any benefit from applying them to the skin….”
5. Alpha hydroxy acids: “Don’t expect over-the-counter products to make any difference.”
Interestingly, the hook for this story is a study out this week on lenalidomide from the Universith of California at San Francisco. A scientist there discovered that taking small amounts of this pill, which is related to thalidomide, boosts immunity. The Times calls this “an elixir of youth.” The UCSF scientists don’t go quite so far. More to come on this topic….
For those with a subscription, here’s a link to the Times of London story on Selling the Fountain of Youth.