The “deception” of creams and diets that slow aging

Contrary to what can be seen in many television advertisements, scientific evidence shows that It is not possible to activate specific genes or slow down aging with a cream or a diet. Epigenetics, which is the system that regulates how our genes are expressed, does not function as a switch that we can press at will. According to Dr. María Berdasco, from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, in an interview for Europa Press, these commercial promises simplify and distort the real functioning of the body.

One of the most repeated messages by marketing is the supposed ability of certain foods or lotions to act on specific cells. However, any change in our body derived from lifestyle is global and extremely complex. This means that no product can offer fast or targeted results, as is sometimes suggested in advertising.

As Dr. Berdasco, author of Rewrite us: “Not everything we are and what guides our health is imposed by DNA”, but that does not mean that we have millimeter control over it. The expert clarifies that, for example, “Eating broccoli will not only increase the expression of the X gene“The changes are not localized or directed. They affect the body in a general way and, in many cases, are difficult to reverse towards a specific objective.

The real impact of our habits

What is a scientific reality is the concept of biological agethat internal “clock” that marks how aged our cells are regardless of the date that appears on our ID. Epigenetics changes naturally over the years, affecting cell regeneration, but external factors can accelerate this process drastically.

It is known that the excessive alcohol consumption is associated with an increase of almost one and a half years in biological age compared to those who do not drink. Likewise, the tobacco persistently alters vital genetic pathways, showing that although epigenetics is flexible, the damage caused by bad habits is more stable and aggressive.

In the face of misleading advertising, true epigenetic science is already saving lives. Since 2008, Spain has used specific drugs to treat certain blood tumors and leukemias. These therapies do manage to modify the proteins that alter cells, but they require rigorous medical control that has nothing to do with a night cream.

The expert concludes that the rise of these false promises reflects a problem of health literacy. To take care of our health, it is best to escape from fake news and maintain healthy habits consistently.