Another day, another anti-aging phenom.
The newest supplement to catch the fancy of folks who refuse to get old is astaxanthin, an antioxidant found in algae. Astaxanthin (pronounced as-ta-ZAN-thin) is the compound that gives salmon and flamingos their pink hue. Proponents claim that in people, it has the power to reduce inflammation and oxidative damage to cells, which in turn preserves the eyes, skin, joints and central nervous system.
BellaOnline has posted a four-part review and interview about Selling the Fountain of Youth. Here’s an excerpt:
Q: As a journalist, you have witnessed the apparent shift from trusting only medical professionals (the men and women in white lab coats who look like serious researchers) to placing implicit trust in celebrities. What do you think accounts for this?
“Celebrity endorsement is hardly anything new in our society and has been used for many products. However, the anti-aging industry understands the power of marketing. Problems arise when the line is blurred between who are the ‘experts’ and people are confused.” Images speak volumes and often a well-crafted infomercial or television appearance grabs our attention in ways a medical journal article cannot.
Celebrities are persuasive and for aging Boomers, it is difficult to resist the ‘proof’ offered by a living and breathing personality. Weintraub stresses the danger lies when people latch blindly onto aggressive treatment options. These options may work for one individual, but have not been scientifically proven for widespread or long term use.
I recently met Dini Petty, who is well known in Canada as a TV talk show host and the former host of the radio program Weekends with Dini Petty. On her program, she talked about wellness strategies for Baby Boomers. She currently helps to market and develop a botanical product to treat menopause, Nutrafem, which contains two herbal ingredients.
Dini and I agree that hormone replacement has been marketed irresponsibly by the anti-aging industry. And we both believe in the power of living a healthy lifestyle of good diet and lots of exercise. Dini interviewed me recently about Selling the Fountain of Youth.
Read Dini Petty’s blog entry on Selling the Fountain of Youth here.
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