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:

GreenMedInfo

LifeExtension

Cell

Pubmed/27607453

Pubmed/4613459

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Could Eating Pasta Really Make You HEALTHIER?

Can eating pasta make you healthier and make you eat less saturated fat? According to a study presented at the Obesity Society’s annual meeting in November of 2016, the answer is “yes.” [1]

Researchers from Nutritional Strategies, Inc. compared data collected from U.S. adults between 2001 and 2012 and found that pasta lovers also tend to eat less added sugar. Wait, it gets better. Compared to people who avoid carbs, pasta-eaters were found to consume more essential vitamins and minerals including folate, iron, magnesium, and dietary fiber. [1] [2]

Diane Welland, a registered dietitian and Nutrition Communications Manager for the National Pasta Association, says:

“Pasta can be an effective building block for good nutrition, as it serves as a perfect delivery system for fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish and legumes. This analysis underscores the nutritional importance of grains, such as pasta, as consistent with a healthy diet.” [2]

In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that the study was organized by the National Pasta Association. You could say they’re more than a little bit biased. [1]

But researchers have uncovered some positive things about pasta in the past. For example, last summer Italian researchers found that eating pasta as part of a Mediterranean diet might help people lose fat. The study’s lead author, George Pounis, said:

“We have seen that consumption of pasta, contrary to what many think, is not associated with an increase in body weight, rather the opposite. Our data shows that enjoying pasta according to individuals’ needs contributes to a healthy body mass index, lower waist circumference and better waist-hip ratio.”

A Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. In the case of this study, pasta was eaten in small amounts, rather than as the focus of the meal.

If you’re going to eat pasta, opt for whole grain varieties. Carbohydrates are vital for energy, and whole grains are loaded with nutrients and complex carbohydrates that decrease insulin levels at the same time.

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The fiber in whole grain pasta can also improve bowel health, regulate your cholesterol, help you lose weight, and regulate your blood sugar.

So while pasta can fatten you up in large amounts, it should have a spot on your dinner plate from time to time.

Sources:

[1] Independent

[2] The Sun

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

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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.

Scientists Find Link Between Excess Sugar and Alzheimer’s Disease

We know (or think we know) that high blood glucose, or hyperglycemia, is linked to diabetes and obesity. But now scientists have also recently discovered a link between excess blood sugar and Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers have established a “tipping point” link between excess blood glucose and the disease, meaning that people who eat a lot of sugar could be more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer’s. [1]

Omar Kassaar, a biologist at the University of Bath in the U.K., said in a press release:

“Excess sugar is well-known to be bad for us when it comes to diabetes and obesity. But this potential link with Alzheimer’s disease is yet another reason that we should be controlling our sugar intake in our diets.” [1]

In the study, published on February 23, 2017 in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers looked at brain samples from people with and without Alzheimer’s disease, which is caused by an abnormal buildup of protein tangles between the brain’s nerve cells. This buildup progressively damages the brain and causes severe cognitive decline.

The team used a sensitive technique to detect the process of glycation. The researchers noted that in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, glycation damages an enzyme called macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF plays a role in insulin regulation and immune response. When MIF is inhibited or reduced, it appears to make it harder for the brain cell to respond to the accumulation of abnormal proteins. [2]

The researchers discovered that as Alzheimer’s progresses, glycation of the MIF enzyme increases. This, the team believes, is the “tipping point” in disease progression.

Read: 5 Simple Lifestyle Changes that Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Jean van den Elsen, a co-author and professor in the University of Bath’s biology and biochemistry department, said in a press release:

“Normally MIF would be part of the immune response to the build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain. We think that because sugar damage reduces some MIF functions and completely inhibits others that this could be a tipping point that allows Alzheimer’s to develop.” [1]

The next step for researchers is to determine whether they can detect similar changes in the blood.

Sources:

[1] Mashable

[2] Fox News

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About Mike Barrett:
	Mike is the co-founder, editor, and researcher behind Natural Society. Studying the work of top natural health activists, and writing special reports for top 10 alternative health websites, Mike has written hundreds of articles and pages on how to obtain optimum wellness through natural health.

Study: The Glycemic Index is Unreliable

When it’s times to eat, people with diabetes look to the glycemic index (GI) to tell them how a certain food will impact their blood glucose. However, new research suggests the GI may not be as reliable as previously thought.

What is the Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on how they raise blood glucose, or blood sugar. A food with a high GI raises blood glucose more than a food with a medium or low GI. [1]

If you have diabetes and you know you’re going to be eating something with a high GI, you can combine it with low-GI foods to help balance the meal.

Examples of low-GI foods include:

• Rolled or steel-cut oats


• Sweet potatoes


• Most fruits, and non-starchy vegetables and carrots

Some medium-GI foods would be:

• Whole wheat bread


• Quick oats


• Brown Rice

High-GI foods include:

• White bread


• Pretzels


• Pineapple

Source: Well.org

The Latest Study

For the latest study, which is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers looked at blood sugar responses in 63 healthy adults after eating the same amount of white bread – a high-GI food – 3 different times over 12 weeks. [2]

The team found that glycemic index values varied an average of 20% among individuals, and 25% between different study participants.

In plain English: each participant’s blood sugar levels varied by 20%, even though everyone was eating the same food.

This means that specific foods like do not have consistent glycemic indexes, so the GI may not be as useful, or as reliable, as doctors and diabetics have long believed it to be. [3]

Based on this new information, the researchers believe there is no point in assigning a GI to foods.

Lead study author Nirupa Matthan, a scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston, says:

“Glycemic index values appear to be an unreliable indicator even under highly standardized conditions, and are unlikely to be useful in guiding food choices.

If someone eats the same amount of the same food three times, their blood glucose response should be similar each time, but that was not observed in our study. A food that is low glycemic index for you one time you eat it could be high the next time, and it may have no impact on blood sugar for me.” [2]

She goes on:

“If your doctor told you your LDL [‘bad’] cholesterol value could vary by 20 percent, it would be the difference between being normal or at high risk for heart disease. I don’t think many people would find that acceptable.”

The researchers didn’t provide a better alternative to the glycemic index. But since the GI does indicate which foods spike your blood sugar faster than others, it shouldn’t be completely dismissed. As a diabetic, I can tell you I will continue to use the GI because it’s the best guide I have at the moment.

Just make sure you monitor your blood sugar, and keep in mind that the glycemic index isn’t written in stone.

Sources:

[1] American Diabetes Association

[2] HealthDay

[3] ABC News

Well.org

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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.