For the beauty and cosmetics industry, it seems but a short leap from Hippocrates' ancient dictum 'Let thy food be thy medicine' to the new-age fad of facelifts through foods and beverages laced with substances like collagen.
This route to beauty has been gaining ground over the last two years and is being accorded the status of a miracle worker. It even goes under the fancy tag of 'nutri-cosmetics'.
Foods that come under this label are also often called internal beauty aids. And the list of such aids is getting longer by the day.
A country such as ours will be the next stop for such products. Currently in some other parts of the world, water enhanced with plant extracts and vitamins is marketed as 'drinkable skin care'. It is purported to moisturise the skin and to improve its elasticity. Other fellow travellers on the bandwagon include collagen marshmallows (to plump the skin), anti ageing jam and "skin treatment infused" gummy bears that supposedly make the skin more elastic.
The new kid on the block is collagen coffee. It is touted as a wrinkle remover. Among the substances being added to foods and beverages for beauty enhancement are pomegranate, green tea, biotin, niacin and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Of course, the cosmetics and beauty industry will try any gimmick to boost revenues. The moot point is whether the addition of collagen and other substances to foods and beverages is simply a gimmick or does it lead to an enhanced and youthful look? And does it have any harmful side effects?
There is no reliable data to either refute or to justify the claims. The beauty industry is not renowned for conducting rigorous clinical trials. On the other hand, nutritional science says that collagen when ingested orally as a food will be reduced by the digestive process into small bits of protein. These small bits of protein do not have any special benefit for the skin. The same inferences seem valid for many of the other nutri-cosmetics.
Some experts believe that the presence of these special substances occurs in mega doses in the internal beauty aids and they feel that this could be harmful for healthy people who are otherwise in good nutritional condition.
The best course of action for healthy individuals looking to preserve their looks past their youth is to stick to a balanced diet and to get regular exercise. Additionally, they need to sleep adequately and follow some methods to de-stress. This time-tested regimen will probably ensure the same results that they expect from the use of the nutri-cosmetics and at far lower costs. The added advantage is that it will certainly be safer!
Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20091024/1248/twl-mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-which-is-t.html
