Due Diligence

With the recent brouhaha over store-brand supplements that were found to contain NONE of the ingredients listed on the label, I thought it might be a good time to review some of the red flags concerning supplement (and other anti-aging treatment/ therapy) claims.

The Internet, in case you haven’t noticed, is home to over-hyped, underregulated marketers who have positioned themselves to cash in on our aging angst. Products (like the ones found wanting at Target, Wal-Mart and Walgreens) promise vitality and robust health – along with a long list of other salubrious anti-aging effects. Some of the ingredients in the products (assuming the ingredients are actually in the products, that is) have good science behind them. Some have made cages of rats very happy. Some have proven their worth in Petri dishes. Some are wishful thinking.

Out there in the alternate universe that exists along side the internet (I call it reality), credible, careful, conscientious researchers are hard at work delving into the mysteries and complexities of how we age and how we might exert some control over that process. The research is exciting, ongoing, promising – and, to tell the truth, is not all that encouraging about supplements, special treatments and therapies. Physical activity, mindful eating of whole foods, restorative sleep and optimistic attitude remain our best bets.

That said, I know, personally, how hard it is to resist those dazzling claims accompanied by the powerful testimonies of gorgeous celebs who appear not to age. Here, according to Thomas Perls, MD, MPH, of the New England Centenarian Study, Boston Medical Center and Boston University’s School of Medicine, are 10 red flags that should tip us off to potentially bogus anti-aging claims:

1. Pitching claims directly to the media without supportive evidence of a medical or scientific and unbiased third party review.
2. The claim that the seller’s work or message is being suppressed by the scientific establishment. That they are being persecuted by the establishment, but in the end they will be vindicated.
3. Use of phrases like “scientific breakthrough,” “exclusive product,” “secret ingredient,” or “active remedy.”
4. Pervasive use of testimonials and anecdotes, including statement like “sold to thousands of satisfied customers.”
5. Attempts to convey credibility, such as wearing white lab coats and stethoscopes, posing with microscopes, claiming to be a medical doctor or referring to “academies” and “institutes.”
6. Not mentioning potential side effects and making claims that sound too good to be true.
7. Using simplistic rationales; anti-aging quacks claim that that the answer is as simple as manipulating a single hormone.
8. Using celebrities and attempting to connect the product to well-known legitimate scientists.
9. Conflict of interest. Those individuals selling their own products are the same people claiming to provide unbiased, trustworthy information.
10. Telling misleading interpretations of studies or outright lies about effectiveness.

Ask: Where is the proof? Is there credible research? Has an unbiased lab or third party conducted supporting studies? Do a quick check of the Better Business Bureau and FTC to make sure no claims have been filed against the manufacturer. Don’t rely on Internet reviews (often created by and/ or paid for by the manufacturer). Keep in mind that most celebs are compensated to endorse a product.

Bottom line: Slowing or reversing the aging process takes work and commitment on our part. The answer is NOT a magic detox regimen, human growth hormone therapy or an ancient-food-of-the gods supplement capsule.