The Fringe News: Aging

Showing posts with label Aging. Show all posts

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Exercise Stops The Mitochondrial Aging Process In Its Tracks

New research published in the American Journal of Physiology indicates that exercise may minimize, and even reverse, age-associated declines in mitochondrial function.[1] This has wide-ranging implications, as the health of the mitochondria intimately affect every cell, tissue and organ within the human body.

Mitochondria are known as the “powerhouse” of the cell because they are responsible for producing the body’s primary source of chemical energy: adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but they are also intimately involved in a wide range of other indispensable cellular functions, e.g. neurotransmitter, hormone and RNA/DNA production, which is all the more fascinating considering that they have their own bacteria-like DNA ring completely foreign to our own.

As we age, mitochondrial density (the number of mitochondria per cell), and mitochondrial quality (its genetic and structural integrity) decline. While this is a natural process, it can be greatly accelerated as a result of excessive stress, environmental radiation and chemical exposures (including pharmaceutical drugs), nutritional deficiencies, imbalances and/or incompatibilities, and mitochondrial DNA defects inherited maternally.

In the new study titled, “Age-associated Declines in Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Protein Quality Control Factors are Minimized by Exercise Training,” researchers found animals that underwent exercise training, consisting of treadmill running at 60% of the initial VO2max (also known as maximal aerobic capacity, which is the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise), “…reversed or attenuated significant age-associated (detrimental) declines in mitochondrial mass,” as well as a wide range of additional age-associated mitochondrial changes, e.g. SIRT1 activity, AMPK, COX 4, etc.

The researchers summarized their conclusions:

“Exercise training also decreased the gap between young and old animals in other measured parameters including NRF1, TFAM, Fis1, Mfn1 and polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) levels. We conclude that exercise training can help minimize detrimental skeletal muscle aging deficits by improving mitochondrial protein quality control and biogenesis.“

Mitochondrial biogenesis is the process by which new mitochondria are formed in the cell, and it is generally believed that the higher the mitochondrial copy number (or mitochondrial mass) the more protective it is for the cell. Most of the research in the past 40 years has been performed on muscle mitochondria, which are believed to confer greater resistance to fatigue and strength. The muscle cell type with the highest mitochondrial density is cardiac muscle – because the heart never stops working – which may have as high as 10-100 times more mitochondria per cell versus skeletal muscle (approximately 50 vs. 5,000). This is also why statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastin), which reduce heart mitochondrial function,[2] are so illogical for the primary prevention of heart disease; a disease which is certainly not caused by a lack of drugs. The well-known myotoxicity (muscle-damaging) properties of this chemical class of drugs may be primarily caused by their fatal disruption of mitochondrial function, and may explain why statins have been linked to such a broad range of pathologies, numbering over 300 on our database alone.

This is not, in fact, the first study showing exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that exercise training increased mitochondrial biogenesis in the brains of mice, which opened the door to the possibility that exercise may reduce or reverse age-associated declines in cognitive function, especially those related to inactivity.[3]

Another more recent study published in the journal Neuroscience (Jan. 2012) titled, “Exercise induces mitochondrial biogenesis after brain ischemia in rats,” found that “…exercise can promote mitochondrial biogenesis after ischemic injury [associated with stroke], which may serve as a novel component of exercise-induced repair mechanisms of the brain.”[4]

Finally, a 2011 study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, reviewed the role of exercise training in inducing mitochondrial biogenesis in tissues beyond that of skeletal muscle, namely, adipose tissue, liver, brain and kidney.[5]

Exercise, of course, is another way of saying intentionally moving our bodies – something which increasingly, in a world of mechanization and technological extension and/or substitution of bodily functions (transhumanism?), is performed regularly only rarely by the majority of the world’s industrialized populations.

The saying “move it or lose” speaks volumes to what is implied by the research on mitochondrial biogenesis, or conversely, the mitochondrial degeneration implied by lack of exercise. In other words, exercise may not be so much a ‘magic bullet’ that we apply to disease like we would a palliative drug. Although we have indexed over 80 “diseases” which appear to be prevented or improved with exercise, another way of putting it is: 80+ “diseases” may be caused by exercise deficiency, i.e. daily, moderate-to-intense physical exertion, may be a default, necessary state of the body in order to produce or maintain health. This is, after all, the very meaning of re-generation, which is the truly the default moment-to-moment state of our body, and the implied meaning of “re-creational” activities.

In closing, there are a few natural substances which may enhance mitochondrial biogenesis, but please remember there is no “magic bullet” superior to a truly healthy diet, lifestyle and attitude:

Grape polyphenols: Shown to increase muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and decrease age-associated muscle atrophy in aged rats.[6]

Acai berry: While I am truly fatigued by the acai-berry hype that has proliferated like a virus with the typical multi-level-marketing intensity over the past few years, it has been studied in the fruit fly model to promote healthy aging and reducing oxidative stress, while measurably increasing transcript levels of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis.[7]

Resveratrol: It has been shown to induce mitochondrial biogenesis in a rat model.[8]

Quercetin: Shown to increase brain and muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise tolerance in an animal model.[9]

[1] Age-associated Declines in Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Protein Quality Control Factors are Minimized by Exercise Training. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2012 May 9. Epub 2012 May 9. PMID: 22573103

[2] Effects of atorvastatin on heart mitochondrial function and coenzyme Q content in the experiment. Bratisl Lek Listy. 2011 ;112(11):603-4. PMID: 22180983

[3] Exercise Training Increases Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Brain. J Appl Physiol. 2011 Aug 4. Epub 2011 Aug 4. PMID: 21817111

[4] Exercise induces mitochondrial biogenesis after brain ischemia in rats. Neuroscience. 2012 Jan 8. Epub 2012 Jan 8. PMID: 22266265

[5] Skeletal muscle and beyond: the role of exercise as a mediator of systemic mitochondrial biogenesis. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2011 Sep 2. Epub 2011 Sep 2. PMID: 21888528

[6] Polyphenols decreased liver NADPH oxidase activity, increased muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and decreased gastrocnemius age-dependent autophagy in aged rats. Free Radic Res. 2012 May 18. Epub 2012 May 18. PMID: 22607117

[7] A botanical containing freeze dried açai pulp promotes healthy aging and reduces oxidative damage in sod1 knockdown flies. Age (Dordr). 2012 May 26. Epub 2012 May 26. PMID: 22639178

[8] Resveratrol induces mitochondrial biogenesis and ameliorates Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling in transgenic Blood Press. 2010 Jun;19(3):196-205. PMID: 20429690 rats harboring human renin and angiotensinogen genes.

[9] Quercetin increases brain and muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise tolerance. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 Apr;296(4):R1071-7. Epub 2009 Feb 11. PMID: 19211721

© April 14, 2018 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post Exercise Stops The Mitochondrial Aging Process In Its Tracks appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Cultures Around the World Show Us How Life Purpose Fuels Longevity

We know instinctively that meaning and purpose are necessary in order to live a fulfilling life, with those of us in a career we love often held in high regard. But regardless of how passionate you may be about your career, we all need a hobby – an interest outside of work that we truly love to do. The benefits of purpose and hobbies, however, go beyond quality of life.

Japanese culture has a concept called ikigai, which roughly translates to “purpose in life.” Ikigai has traditionally been associated with health and longevity. One study on over 4000 adults set out to determine if this theory was true.

All participants were over 65, with:

More than 1800 identified as at high risk of death

More than 1200 at high risk of losing ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs)

More than 1100 at risk of losing their ability to perform instrumental ADLs.

Data from February 2011 to November 2014 was used, which can be a long time when it comes to age-related disability. Compared to people who had both hobbies and an ikigai, having neither of these was associated with double the risk of mortality, close to triple the risk of losing ADL abilities, and almost double the risk of losing IADL abilities!

Therefore, hobbies and ikigai were linked to increased longevity and healthy life expectancy in older adults.

This was not the only study that found a link between purpose in life and longevity. Another study on 6000 adults with a 14-year follow-up time found that people who initially reported a strong purpose in life had a 15% lower risk of dying from any cause.

Other research found that those who described clear goals and purpose lived both longer and better than those who did not. In fact, other “Blue Zone” cultures (areas with a high prevalence of centenarians) besides the Okinawans of Japan value purpose, with the Nicoyan (Costa Rica) people calling it plan de vida.

Longevity Secrets: 6 Reasons Okinawans Live to Be Older than 100

How to Find Your Own Ikigai

So how can you find your own iikigai, or plan de vida, if you haven’t already? A great way to start is by doing an internal inventory.

Take a piece of paper, and for 20-30 minutes think of all your ideals, principles, standards, and morals, then think of your physical, mental, and emotional talents, strengths, and abilities.

It can take a while, maybe even a couple of attempts, to get an idea of what you really want, but you know you’re getting close if anything brings out a strong emotional reaction. And then…put your skills into action!

It’s also important to build relationships with people who can help you achieve your goals. Overall, longevity is for everyone, and it turns out that some of the best ways to extend your life also improve its quality.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

90 is the New 70: Old Age Just Isn’t Old Age Anymore

This year, the oldest of the Baby Boomers are turning 70. But these late-decades of life aren’t what it used to be. With celebrities such as Cher (who turned 71 this year) no longer holding a monopoly over looking and acting younger. The UK’s Oxford Institute of Population Aging even recommends that people in their 70’s and 80’s be called “active adults” instead of “old.”

Even the Daily Mail has added to the discussion, with a few writers who are, well, rewriting what it means to be over 70.

First up is Angela Neustatter, who at 73 looks years younger than you’d expect. She attributes her youthfulness to yoga, Pilates, a house full of stairs, sex, and stepping back from emotional conflict. Angela does and wears what she wants, even mini skirts and leggings!

Angela Neustatter

Lesley Pearse also appears to be in her 50’s at the age of 72. Her “normal” involves parties, swimming, and scrambling around her cliff-top garden.

Lesley Pearse

Jan Leeming is still a BBC newsreader at the age of 75. As part of the first generation of women to have lifelong careers, she doesn’t see the point of retiring or giving up travel or physical activity.

Jan Leeming

Jo Foley is also very grateful for a life of freedom, so unlike her mother’s generation. She describes the new and improved “normal” as: “In our 70s we shop at Zara, drink pisco sours, take slow boats along the Mekong and talk to ourselves without contradiction.” Jo then adds, “Did we ever think to thank our parents,” referring to the restricted life of marriage, children, staying home and growing old that she saw in previous generations.

Jo Foley

Older age groups growing younger are nothing new, however. Dr Martin Connolly, Freemason’s Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Auckland University, says that 90-somethings today are the same in terms of health and fitness as 70-somethings at the end of World War One. He describes meeting someone over 90 as “rare” thirty years ago, but common now. And despite his position, he struggles to pinpoint the age of someone over 90 by looking at them, even though he has an easy time of doing the same for someone under 90.

This may be because researchers have found that aging appears to stop at around 90 in humans (with a range of 80-100), and at different ages in other animals. It’s hard to get your head around, but we do have our own mechanisms of fighting key drivers of aging such as oxidative stress and inflammation, and the aim of this research is to keep those mechanisms strong.

Overall, these days, we don’t have as much to fear or put up with as we once thought, as times are changing in ways we didn’t previously expect.

Coenzyme Q10 may Be Viable Solution for Many Diabetics

Coenzyme Q10 has long been known for its antiaging properties, especially in the cases of energy production and cardiovascular health. Now, it seems as though we have another use for this not-quite-a-vitamin – the prevention and mitigation of diabetes.

One little-publicized cause of diabetes may be the use of statins, marketed as “prevention” for cardiovascular events. Some statins, such as rosuvastatin, are linked with a 27% higher risk of type II diabetes! Two meta-analyses also found an elevated risk of diabetes, one with a 9% higher risk, and the other showing a 12% higher risk. This disproportionately affects the elderly, who are most likely to be prescribed statins.

So Why May Statins Raise the Risk of Diabetes?

Statins work by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, but this also blocks a precursor to coenzyme-Q10. Depletion of CoQ10 disrupts mitochondrial function. Along with negatively affecting energy levels, this also has a negative impact on insulin signalling, which could lead to the blood glucose dysregulation known as diabetes. To make things even worse, lowering LDL cholesterol also reduces CoQ10 transport into cells. [1]

These effects combined can deplete CoQ10 by as much as 54%.

This is why medical professionals now often recommend CoQ10 supplements to anyone taking statins. In fat cells exposed to statin drugs, the coenzyme can restore the normal glucose uptake mechanism that the drugs also disrupt.

Additionally, CoQ10 has been found to reduce blood sugar and HbA1C levels in diabetic patients. Blood sugar tests only take a picture of how your glucose regulation is doing now; haemoglobin A1C gives an idea of your blood glucose regulation over the past 4 months, as it shows how much sugar has been tangled in the haemoglobin proteins.

The root cause of many diabetes complications is loss of endothelial function (the lining of the blood vessels), which leads to poor blood flow and tissue destruction in parts of the body such as the eyes, kidneys, and toes. Worse still, this can even affect the heart, causing something known as diabetic cardiomyopathy (heart muscle damage).

Fortunately, supplementation with 200mg of CoQ10 has been found to significantly improve loss of endothelial function in diabetes, which may spare many from crippling complications.

Are Statins Even a Necessity?

But do we even need these CoQ10-depleting statins? Research has actually shown that statins may be more harmful than beneficial for the heart, even if there were no alternatives. Statins have been found to increase the risk of microalbuminuria, which is a known marker of blood vessel dysfunction.

Other studies have found that some statins could worsen heart function, increase LDL oxidation (which is the cause of plaque!), cause heart failure and/or atrial fibrillation (a fluttering movement that does not pump blood!), reduce blood flow to the heart, and weaken the heart muscle. [2]

The CoQ10 depletion may also be behind the increase in congestive heart failure in the USA. It is very fortunate that even “mere” diet advice can also protect against cardiovascular deaths, such as eating an apple every day – which may reduce LDL cholesterol by an impressive 40%!

Overall, CoQ10 deficiency can be debilitating and even dangerous, but you don’t have to suffer.

Sources:

[1] LifeExtension

[2] GreenMedInfo

Does Aging Have an ‘End Point?’ People Younger than Ever

Usually when we hear about life expectancy rising and death rates falling, the good news is accompanied by handwringing about living in a “greying world” and a supposedly increasing proportion of people who must depend on others for health reasons. But times are changing, as life at certain age groups is not what it was even one generation ago.

Who would have thought that this could be a 51 year old woman’s life: teaching yoga at a hip hotel and club; sharing clothes and yoga challenges with her 19 year old daughter; and is in love with travelling? Such is the life of Polly Kemp, and it’s becoming increasingly common.

Polly says that when she hears the term middle-aged, “I have to stop and think, ‘Is this meant to be me?’ I don’t polish silver or plan menus, and I’m not interested in housework. I am also spontaneous and I don’t think that’s a quality traditionally associated with middle age."”

Even the author of the article adds that 40 years ago, she would have pictured her 53 year old self as having much shorter, greyer hair, and wearing “frocks and face powder” instead of jeans and CC cream.

Polly, here with daughter Iggy, embraces an age-defying lifestyle CREDIT: RICK PUSHINSKY

It Isn’t Just These 2 Women, Either

In a survey of over 500 women performed by the UK Telegraph:

96% of women over 40 do not consider themselves to be “middle-aged”

90% said they had a younger attitude than their mothers at the same age

84% used products and services aimed at younger women

Almost 66% said they felt as vibrant and young as they ever had.

Unfortunately, the media hasn’t caught up to these changes, choosing to hold onto the old ways. Women over 40, 50, 60, and sometimes even older are no longer confining their lives to, as the Telegraph describes, “lawnmowers and Rotary Clubs, cheese and wine parties, elastic waists, river cruises and walking tours of Madeira.”

I myself could not imagine my friends of those ages living in such a restricted way!

The “ageless generation”, also referred to as “perennials,” is also gaining ground in a literal sense. As far back as 1939, British statisticians Major Greenwood and J.O. Irwin found that aging seems to stop at around 90! Even they were confused, stating that: “At first sight this must seem a preposterous speculation.”

Not only did their findings seem counterintuitive, but 1939 was also a bad year to attempt making scientific history because of other world events. Much more recently, Michael Rose has done more research on the matter, with even data from other species showing that there is a point where aging stops if you live long enough – at about 90 for humans, but at different times for other animals.

Sources:

The Telegraph

NewScientist

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Is Metformin a Viable Anti-Aging Solution?

If you’re a longevity enthusiast, I’ve got some news for you. After all of these years, aging itself is on its way to be officially classified as a disease. Of course, it’s taken decades of improving life expectancy and survival rates due to better living standards and lifestyles, but it is most likely worth the wait.

Why?

This could mean that antiaging will be taken more seriously by the health industry and society as a whole, including insurance companies. It may also raise the value of prevention, instead of just waiting for health problems to appear or reach a certain level of severity before treatment.

So, What Happened Exactly?

Two years ago, researchers managed to convince the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a human lifespan study of metformin, which is currently used for blood sugar control. But it may end up being the first drug approved specifically to ‘treat’ aging.

The study, known as the TAME Study (Targeting Aging With Metformin) started up in 2016, aiming to enroll 3,000 people aged 70-80 and study the effects of metformin over 5-7 years. Everyone must be at risk of or have one or more of the following: cancer, heart disease, or dementia. If metformin can delay or prevent these and delay death, the next step is to test it in younger people.

But why Metformin?

High blood sugar and insulin resistance are key factors in aging and other complex, chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. But this is not the only way that metformin could fight aging. Metformin works by acting on an enzyme called AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), which regulates how cells process energy.

AMPK boosts metabolism, which may aid weight loss by burning more sugar and fat; it improves blood flow and body composition; it aids cell detoxification and renewal; and it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects.

On the other hand, unaddressed aging results in slowing metabolism and weight gain; muscle loss; poor circulation and detoxification, and a vicious cycle of inflammation.

Is Metformin Really the Best Solution to Aging?

Unfortunately, no. Aging is a complex ‘disease’ involving chronic inflammation, so health and longevity promoting strategies that target the whole person are likely to be far more effective. As it is multifactorial, focusing on one aspect of it is probably not the best strategy, as other complex, chronic diseases do not respond to this method.

Metformin is not without side effects, either. It has a black box warning for the rare-but-dangerous side effect of lactic acidosis, which is especially problematic in reduced kidney function. It may also be pro-inflammatory and increase production of beta-amyloid protein, which gets tangled in brain tissue as it accumulates and causes the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. If you want to use pharmaceutical drugs, aspirin is an anti-inflammatory AMPK activator.

So What Can We Do to Fight Aging?

There are natural antiaging therapies which also activate AMPK, without the side effects.

Intermittent fasting, where food intake is confined to 8-12 hours of the day, has been shown to promote longevity and fight age-related diseases.

Exercise not only keeps the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems strong, but also activates AMPK, especially in high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Cold water immersion, especially after exercise, also enhances AMPK.

There are also herbal remedies that can activate AMPK, such as Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Southern Ginseng). One human study involving diabetic patients found that this herb reduced haemoglobin A1c ten-fold, which measures the rate of glycation (a very pro-aging process). It also decreased insulin resistance by three-fold and did not cause dangerously low blood sugar. It has been used as a pro-longevity herb in some Chinese circles for hundreds of years, but only now do we know exactly how it works and how to best use it.

Read: 5 Anti-Aging Herbs to Slow the Aging Process

While metformin may be a promising treatment for aging, there are natural alternatives that could be far superior.

Sources:

Friday, August 18, 2017

Fend off Illness by Fueling Your Own Disease-Fighting Stem Cells

The popular view of stem cells is typically that of high-tech treatments reserved for “the future,” far-off foreign clinics the “authorities” usually tell us to avoid. But there is being a lot of progress in the stem cell world for treating numerous conditions. What’s more, studies are showing that we may be able to harness the power of our own stem cells, using nutrients that are already accessible in ways that are more in line with traditional natural medicine than science fiction.

One of the underlying drivers of aging is a decline in the number and function of our own stem cells, which we need to aid in tissue regeneration. Of course, one way to fight aging is therefore to protect and nourish these stem cells.

Research is showing now that extracts from green tea and berries, carnosine, and vitamin D, are actually able to influence gene expression in ways that assist these cells. One of these studies is based on other research showing that substances in older animals’ blood can speed aging in younger animals, and young blood can fight aging in older animals.

This time, both young and old rats were given either a mixture of blueberry extract, green tea extract, carnosine, and vitamin D, or a placebo. Their blood serum was then administered to cultures of rat stem cells to compare their effects.

While the blood of old rats on the control diet had harmful effects on the stem cells, that of the younger (and the older) supplemented rats did not. These nutrients have protective effects on cells, where older animals’ blood is likely to contain high levels of oxidizing, inflammatory substances that cause damage.

In another study using the same nutrient combination, supplemented rats were showing a great amount of changes in gene expression, including changes that reduce the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals and increase the amount of anti-inflammatory ones. This could have significant protective effects on stem cells, guarding their ability to repair tissue.

The researchers also found another amazing discovery: this combination boosted the expression of genes that trigger stem-like cells in brain tissue to become adult neurons – creating healthy, new neurons that could replace damaged and dying cells. Properties like this could be tremendously beneficial for people living with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Another similar nutrient combination has seen success in human clinical trials. This time, it was a commercially-available formula of green tea, astragalus and goji berry extract, with vitamin D3, ellagic acid, beta-1,3 glucan and food-derived Lactobacillus fermentum (probiotics).

Eighteen adults aged 20-72 took 2 capsules twice daily for 2 weeks, and their levels of immune cells, haematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cells were measured at several points.

Even just one day after supplementation began, their numbers of 2 types of immune cells and the 2 types of partially-transformed stem cells significantly increased, and stayed that way over the 2 weeks.

A previous pilot study also showed that endothelial progenitor cells significantly rose after supplementation began. Besides being a natural, accessible alternative to experimental procedures, it could also be much more cost-effective. The difficulty in producing growth factors or directly injecting stem cells means that only a few specialized institutions are able to pull it off, and commercial viability can be poor.

Overall, these nutrient combinations may be an effective way to fight aging, targeting multiple causes such as oxidative stress, inflammation and stem cell degeneration.

Additional Sources:

LifeExtension

Friday, July 14, 2017

New Innovation In Telomere Extension

Telomeres are the caps at the end of human DNA strands known as chromosomes that protect the DNA code of the genome. As humans age, telomeres begin to decrease in size, causing cellular aging. After telomeres reach a certain length, the cell is no longer able to divide and will die. This process has been associated with disease, aging, and death. Antioxidants are often credited as providing nutritional support that can help protect normal telomere size and function.

Telomere Extension: Is It Possible?

Studies have shown that a healthy lifestyle and stress reduction can have a huge impact on telomeres, causing them to grow longer, potentially even lengthening lifespan. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have recently uncovered a new procedure for quickly increasing the length of telomeres in the laboratory. ^[1]

Scientists discovered that cells treated with this type of procedure acted as though they were much younger than untreated cells. Cells that had their telomeres lengthened by the treatment multiplied up to 40 times more quickly than untreated cells. By increasing the number of times cells are able to divide, the procedure essentially turns back the aging clock in cultured cells.

While the procedure causes telomeres to lengthen initially, the effect is only temporary. After 48 hours, telomeres resume shortening regularly as cells divide. The temporary nature of this new technique is key to the procedure’s potential for success, since infinitely dividing cells could create a risk of cancer if used in humans.

The discovery offers numerous potential benefits for humans, paving the path to treating and preventing aging diseases and other conditions associated with shortening telomeres. By developing telomere extension therapies, scientists can improve existing cell therapies and possibly treat aging conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, or target types of muscle cells in cases of muscular dystrophy. The procedure may also increase the amount of cells available for research and studies like disease modeling and drug testing.

Ways You Can Protect Telomeres

Currently, researchers are testing the procedure on different cell types. By working to understand and overcome the differences among cell types, scientists hope they can make the procedure more universally useful. Things that you can do to protect telomeres from shortening prematurely include eating a diet rich in antioxidants, reducing stress, exercising, increasing vitamin D production, and improving the quality of your sleep. Some research has also shown that tea drinkers have longer telomeres than non-tea drinkers. ^[2]

What are your anti-aging protocols? We’d love to hear about your suggestions and opinions in the comments!

References:

Ramunas J, Yakubov E, Brady JJ, et al. Transient delivery of modified mRNA encoding TERT rapidly extends telomeres in human cells. FASEB J. 2015 Jan 22. pii: fj.14-259531.

Sheng R, Gu ZL, Xie ML. Epigallocatechin gallate, the major component of polyphenols in green tea, inhibits telomere attrition mediated cariomyocyte apoptosis in cardiac hypertrophy. Int J Cardiol. 2013 Jan 20;162(3):199-209. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2011.07.083.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

New Innovation In Telomere Extension

Telomere Extension: Is It Possible?

Ways You Can Protect Telomeres

What are your anti-aging protocols? We’d love to hear about your suggestions and opinions in the comments!

References:

Ramunas J, Yakubov E, Brady JJ, et al. Transient delivery of modified mRNA encoding TERT rapidly extends telomeres in human cells. FASEB J. 2015 Jan 22. pii: fj.14-259531.

Sheng R, Gu ZL, Xie ML. Epigallocatechin gallate, the major component of polyphenols in green tea, inhibits telomere attrition mediated cariomyocyte apoptosis in cardiac hypertrophy. Int J Cardiol. 2013 Jan 20;162(3):199-209. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2011.07.083.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

How the Gut, Probiotics May Influence Inflammaging

A key driver of the aging process is inflammation, which is why some people are using the coined term “inflammaging.” When you think about it, it makes sense, as aging is a process of progressive degeneration, and chronic inflammation is a vicious cycle of damage. Until recently, however, it wasn’t exactly clear why and how this process comes about. But now, in a study published on the 12th of April, 2017, scientists explain that inflammaging may be caused by intestinal inflammation and dysbiosis.

It has already been well-established that inflammation drives aging in all animals, including the mice used in the study mentioned at the beginning of this article. Higher-than-average inflammation in the blood has been linked to lower life expectancy, poorer general health, reduced quality of life and a higher risk of chronic illness compared to the average person.

Therefore, reducing inflammation could lead to living a longer, healthier, happier life. This is why the discovery of a causal connection between changes in intestinal bacteria and age-related inflammation is so important.

Read: 12 Tips for Extinguishing Disease-Causing Inflammation

The inflammatory mediator known as tumor necrosis-factor (TNF), which is produced by the immune system during times of infection, is responsible for much of the damage. Mice that couldn’t produce TNF exhibited less age-related inflammation, less changes to intestinal bacteria, and less intestinal permeability (known as “leaky gut” in many naturopathic circles).

Reducing TNF led to a “younger” composition of bacteria, and transplanting the bacteria of younger mice into older mice also led to improvement in permeability. This could mean that there are two ways to fight this mechanism of inflammaging: reduce TNF, or change the composition of intestinal bacteria.

Using Probiotics to Stave off Inflammaging

Let’s look at changing the composition of bacteria, with probiotics. Using a model of the human intestinal tract, researchers looked at the effects of bacteria species commonly included in probiotics. Multiple species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were compared by their ability to reduce TNF-alpha, the interleukins -4 and -1beta, as well as lipopolysaccharides, which are another type of inflammatory mediator.

The species that produced the most dramatic reductions in TNF-alpha were L. plantarum, B. animalis, B. longum and B. longum subspecies infantis. These all reduced TNF-alpha by around two-thirds.

B. longum and its infantis subspecies, like L. rhamnosus and B. bifidum, also had significant effects against lipopolysaccharides, which are linked to inflammatory illness.

So probiotics may help fight inflammaging, but it is best to get a broad-spectrum product that includes the “best” strains from a qualified practitioner in order to ensure quality.

Additional Sources:

The Scientist

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Resveratrol may Benefit Your Arteries, Especially if You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Resveratrol – a substance found in red wine, peanuts, and berries – may reduce artery stiffness in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study presented in early May at the American Heart Association’s 2017 Scientific Sessions in Minneapolis. [1]

The study’s senior author, Dr. Naomi M. Hamburg, of the Boston University School of Medicine, said:

“This adds to emerging evidence that there may be interventions that may reverse the blood vessel abnormalities that occur with aging and are more pronounced in people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.”

Read: 4 Health-Protective Qualities of Resveratrol

For the study, researchers recruited 57 obese, middle-aged patients with Type 2 diabetes. Nearly 2/3 of the participants were African American, and slightly more than half were women.

The aorta, the largest artery in the body, stiffens with age and illness, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Researchers tested the participants’ arterial stiffness using a test called the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, or CFPWV, after the volunteers consumed daily doses of 100 mg/day of resveratrol for 2 weeks, followed by 300 mg/day of resveratrol for 2 weeks.

The test was performed a second time after participants underwent comparable placebo dosing for a total of 4 weeks.

In addition, researchers assessed the ability of the participants’ blood vessels to expand and relax as needed to allow for changes in blood flow, an important indicator of healthy blood vessel function.

Overall, the study found that participants who took the resveratrol supplements had less arterial stiffness, but it wasn’t statistically significant.

In a subset of 23 patients who had severe aortic stiffness at the beginning of the study, however, the 300 mg dose of resveratrol reduced aortic stiffness by 9.1%, and the 100 mg dose reduced aortic stiffness by 4.8%. [2]

Among the patients that took a placebo for 4 weeks, aortic stiffening worsened.

Past studies in animals showed that resveratrol activates a gene (SIRT1) that seems to delay aging and development of several diseases. To test whether the same thing occurs in humans, researchers took samples from the blood vessel linings of 7 patients and looked at SIRT1 activity. After resveratrol supplementation, they found that gene activity increased slightly in humans.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the antioxidant can undo age-related changes in the arteries, but it’s a step towards helping scientists figure out how resveratrol can reverse age-related changes in the arteries.

Read: Resveratrol Protects Diabetics Against Heart Disease

Lead study author, Dr. Ji-Yao Ella Zhang, Ph.D., also of the Boston University, said:

“We found that resveratrol also activates the longevity gene SIRT1 in humans, and this may be a potential mechanism for the supplements to reduce aortic stiffness.

However, the changes in this small and short-term study are not proof. Studies with longer treatment are needed to test the effects of a daily resveratrol supplement on vascular function.” [1]

Hamburg cautions that resveratrol may not be as beneficial to people without Type 2 diabetes.

“The effect of resveratrol may be more about improving structural changes in the aorta, and less about the relaxation of blood vessels, and people with more normal aortic stiffness may not get as much benefit.” [3]

Sources:

[1] Newsmax Health

[2] Health Day

[3] Healthline

Dr. Axe

About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Mainstream Media Reports Elites Can Ingest The Blood Of Children To Prevent Aging — Seriously

This week, a study published in Science and Nature Medicine revealed that transfusing young mouse blood into old mice can actually prevent the symptoms of aging. This groundbreaking discovery could lead to medical breakthroughs and the development of new medicines. However, a report from the Vice health news outlet “Tonic” has pointed out far more sinister applications for this knowledge.

Rich, old people want to use the blood of the youth in order to live longer. pic.twitter.com/sfVZBWbLjG

— TONIC (@dailytonic) January 5, 2017

It was suggested in the report that aging elites are using the blood of young people as a type of youth serum.

A similar claim was made by journalist Jeff Bercovici last year, after he conducted several interviews with Silicon Valley aristocrats including Peter Thiel, and learned about a transfusion procedure called “parabiosis,” where the blood of young people is used to prevent aging.

“There are widespread rumors in Silicon Valley, where life-extension science is a popular obsession, that various wealthy individuals from the tech world have already begun practicing parabiosis, spending tens of thousands of dollars for the procedures and young-person-blood, and repeating the exercise several times a year,” Bercovici reported.

In his article, Bercovici also expressed concerns about a developing black market for young people’s blood.

I know it sounds too outrageous to be true, but these horrific practices have been commonplace among aristocrats in various different cultures throughout history. In most modern cultures, mass murder and human sacrifice still takes place out in the open under the cover of warfare, while many argue that cannibalism also still takes place but behind closed doors.

It is only in the past few hundred years that the practice of cannibalism among royals has not been publicized. In Europe, around the time of the American Revolution “corpse medicine” was very popular among the ruling class, Charles II even brewed his own.

Dr Richard Sugg of Durham University has conducted extensive research into the practice of corpse medicine among the royalty.

“The human body has been widely used as a therapeutic agent with the most popular treatments involving flesh, bone or blood. Cannibalism was found not only in the New World, as often believed, but also in Europe,” Sugg said.

“One thing we are rarely taught at school yet is evidenced in literary and historic texts of the time is this: James I refused corpse medicine; Charles II made his own corpse medicine; and Charles I was made into corpse medicine. Along with Charles II, eminent users or prescribers included Francis I, Elizabeth I’s surgeon John Banister, Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kent, Robert Boyle, Thomas Willis, William III, and Queen Mary,” he added.

If this wasn’t strange enough, the current royal family of England are direct descendants of Prince Vlad III Dracula of Wallachia (modern Romania). This was the sick and depraved ruler, Vlad the Impaler, who was known as a butcher and who eventually became the inspiration for the most famous vampire stories in history.

Of course, the recent reports do not point to any specific person or provide any evidence of people who are drinking blood to prevent aging. However, the science is now there and there is a historical precedent for aristocrats being involved in these types of activities.

John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. John is currently battling cancer naturally, without any chemo or radiation, and will be working to help others through his experience, if you wish to contribute to his treatments please donate here.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Scientists Say Humans May Have Reached Their Lifespan Limit

Who wants to live forever? Well, you can’t. Not yet, anyway. Science hasn’t reached that point. And according to researchers, humans can only live so long, and our species has just about reached its biological limit.

image-life-expectancy-world

According to a new study published 5 October 2016 in the journal Nature, even though life expectancy is considerably higher now than it was 100 years ago, it’s not likely to rise much more than what it is right now. It’s highly unlikely that anyone will ever live beyond 125 years. [1]

And I have to say, I’m OK with that.

How They Figured Out We’re Going to Die

Geneticist Jan Vijg at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and several graduates analyzed aging trends in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan – home to the longest-living generation in the world.

In a statement, Vijg says that while “there is no reason to think that the ongoing increase in maximum lifespan will end soon,” the data strongly suggest that it’s “already been attained and that this happened in the 1990s.”

According to the team’s findings, humans would need scientific interventions in order to live past 125 years. (You think?) By “scientific interventions,” they don’t mean just ways of making people feel better, like stronger arthritis medications.

The report states:

“Although there is no scientific reason why such efforts could not be successful, the possibility is essentially constrained by the myriad of genetic variants that collectively determine species-specific lifespan.”

Read: 110-Year-Old Man Says These 5 Foods Are Essential for Longevity

The oldest person to have ever lived was Jeanne Calment, who died in a nursing home in France on 4 August 1997 at the ripe old age of 122. Vijg says this is extremely rare, and he doesn’t think that will ever happen again. He says:

“From now on, this is it. Humans will never get older than 115.” [2]

And the absolute limit is 125. To be specific, the odds of any one person in the world reaching 125 in a given year is less than 1 in 10,000. [3]

Vijg explains:

“While it’s conceivable that therapeutic breakthroughs might extend human longevity beyond the limits we’ve calculated, such advances would need to overwhelm the many genetic variants that appear to collectively determine the human life span.

Perhaps resources now being spent to increase life span should instead go to lengthening ‘health span’ — the duration of old age spent in good health.”

Some Say “Hogwash”

Not all researchers are buying into Vijg’s prediction.

James W. Vaupel, the director of the Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, says the notion that humanity is approaching its age limit is baloney. He goes so far as to call the new study “a travesty.” [2]

He says:

“It is disheartening how many times the same mistake can be made in science and published in respectable journals.”

He’s more of a glass-half-full kind of scientist because of the number of years people have been tacking onto their life expectancy over the past 116 years.

A child born in the U.S. in 1900 had an average life expectancy of 50 years. However, a child born in the U.S. in 2016 can expect to live on average to age 79. Japan’s average life expectancy at birth has risen the furthest of any country so far, to 83 years.

Professor Dame Linda Partridge, director of the UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing also says that some of the report’s conclusions are questionable. [1]

“A biological time bomb won’t just set off. Clearly if we’re seeing someone who’s 100 years old they were born 100 years ago — in 1916 — and the conditions there were completely different than those faced by babies being born now.”

Partridge noted infections, diseases, war, and poor food quality as some of the problems a baby born 100 years ago would have faced.

Furthermore, Partridge says, the living conditions were much harsher then than they are now, “so we really can’t project [the lifespan of] babies who are being born right now.”

As for children growing up right now, Partridge is concerned about the world they face, despite so many improvements in living conditions. She says:

“Obesity is a huge tragedy. They’re growing up very unhealthy [and] we need to do a lot more work on the long-term consequences. Their prospects can’t be good.”

She admits there is a limit to how long people can live…but we don’t know what that is, and she doesn’t believe we’ve reached it yet. She explains:

“It’s not biologically feasible to live to 3,000 years. There’s constraints on how fast we run, speeds at which we can see. So without any further interventions, bodies can only last a certain amount of time.”

So quit smoking, start exercising, and eat a healthy diet, Partridge advises. We will all expire eventually, but living a long AND healthy life is clearly doable.

As the saying goes, it’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years.

Sources:

[1] CNN

[2] The Boston Globe

[3] HealthDay

About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.