A Nutrition PhD’s Advice & Tips For Optimizing Longevity

Yes, You Have Control Over Your Healthspan: A Nutrition PhD’s Advice For Optimizing Longevity

mbg Vice President of Scientific Affairs By Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN

This article is a repost which originally appeared on mbghealth

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Healthspan refers to the period of life where someone has good health.

· Healthspan is heavily influenced by diet.

· Supplements can also be used to increase healthspan.

Once upon a time, I had a pretty awkward and comical date in Santa Monica. I was new-ish to Los Angeles and decided to try out a dating site that was famous for its robust matching algorithms. However, on this particular evening on Pico Boulevard, their matching science was, well, not so robust.

I probably should have known something was awry when the handsome maitre d’ wished me “good luck” in a distinct, you’re-gonna-need-it kind of tone before taking me to the table where my date was already seated.

In lieu of a warm salutation, my date stood up, scanned me from toes to head (yes, in that particular order), and proclaimed with some audible disappointment, “You’re taller than your dating app profile said.” I replied, “It’s nice to meet you too” like any gracious Southern lady would, and proceeded to sit my tall self down. (I’m actually a not-so-tall 5-feet-6-inches, but as my dating profile clearly stated, “I like to wear heels,” so you know…do the math.)

The rest of that date could inspire a Saturday Night Live skit, but allow me to cut to the nutrition-relevant chase (since this article is about nutrition principles for a long and healthy life—I promise).

A nutrition Ph.D.’s long-range nutrition philosophy.

After asking my date the obligatory question about what he did for work, I kept the convo flowing by sharing that I was a dietitian and nutrition research scientist. As with lots of strangers, my occupation immediately inspired my date to share his personal foraging and dietary practices with no prompting at all.

Specifically, he shared that since he works best in the wee hours of the morning, he eats supper at around 2 a.m. Rotating between three particular fast food joints, he picks up the food earlier in the day and refrigerates it to enjoy later (you know, at 2 a.m.). To be clear, he does not work a night-shift job. He then went on to say with adamance that he did not like or consume fruits, vegetables, fish, or most “healthy stuff.” Why? His rationale: “Life is too short. I’ll worry about eating healthy later.”

While the daily video gaming and other hobbies he mentioned were never going to fit with my interests and use of time, his eating habits specifically were sounding alarm bells in my dietitian head. Given his nutrient-depleted diet, it took me everything not to convert our date into an emergency nutrition counseling session that at least covered vitamin C, omega-3s, and fiber for everyone’s sake. (OK, I’m 80% joking).

You see, our nutrition philosophies and game plans for the long term were categorically opposed. I threw a bright yellow mental penalty flag down on the dating field and called it quits (in my mind of course—after all, I needed to finish my salmon and vegetables first!).

And while a date might just be a date, its future potential certainly plays a role in deciding whether to prolong said dating journey. The longevity of our hypothetical relationship was doomed for a variety of dating site algorithm failures, but like any research-minded Ph.D. nutritionist might ruminate (OK, maybe just me): This man’s lack of actual longevity potential flashed before my eyes as his shocking nutrient-lacking lifestyle was revealed.

It was like he had zero dollars in his nutrition 401(k) account, and I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t add up to a lengthy partnership.

Healthspan is not fixed (it’s malleable!).

Whether you’re looking for a good nutrition life match or simply cooking dinner for yourself, do we actually know what constitutes longevity food? And do we have the luxury to worry about eating healthy later, as my date suggested? The science is quite clear on that: Nope. At least not if the goal of living on this earth is thriving (instead of just surviving).

Regardless of your life stage, now is always the time to prioritize nutrition and other healthy lifestyle practices (i.e., restful sleep, physical activity, healthy body composition, smoking cessation, moderate or scant alcohol consumption, etc.). But is starting earlier best? Absolutely.

And as it turns out, we even know that certain patterns of macronutrients, micronutrients, and phytonutrients (i.e., plant bioactives) and their timing of consumption are tied to longer healthspan.

It’s so important to note that healthspan is malleable! Like the ultimate alley-oop basketball move: Your genes might be the setup, but nutrition is definitely the follow-through. Suboptimal nutrition can be a weak-sauce layup that barely makes it into the net, while a nutrient-dense lifestyle is like a fabulously confident dunk with some impressive hang time.

Smart nutrition: the ultimate power play for longevity.

Beyond the obvious role of taking in enough nutrients every day (i.e., get serious about nutritional sufficiency, whether that means a truly comprehensive multi, effective vitamin D3 supplement, filling your omega-3 gap, or more), our body is nutrient-responsive.

That’s because nutrients are fabulously multifunctional. Aside from being delicious, nutrition has the ability to positively affect so many physiological pathways and outcomes. Here are just a few that come to mind:

‧ boots-on-the-ground antioxidant fighting power against oxidative stress via an array of antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients from plants (fruits, vegetables, herbs, and more)

‧ anti-inflammatory marine omega-3s for resolution of inflammatory pathways

‧ prebiotic fibers and probiotic microbes for robust gut health

‧ 24/7 cellular cleanup and rejuvenation activities like detoxification and autophagy (think glutathione, milk thistle, CoQ10, etc.)

‧ adaptogens and nootropics for mental resilience and cognitive performance

‧ normocaloric intake of plant-centric carbs, proteins, and fats within a defined intermittent fasting window (e.g., 12 hours each day) for healthy body composition and cardiometabolic health

‧ intricate interplay of food and nutritional bioactives with your genes and DNA via precision nutrition solutions (e.g., for MTHFR gene variants) and epigenetic mechanisms

Smart nutrition is like a strategic biohacking strategy you tap into daily to thrive for the long haul. A recent, comprehensive research review examined this fascinating area of longevity nutrition, so you’ll want to check out the highlights and key nutritional pillars that represent a literal investment in your future.

Longevity nutrition is core to mbg philosophy, too.

Of course, if you’ve read mindbodygreen content for any period of time, you’ll probably know the pragmatic power of nutrition for health and longevity. This is not just something we cover in a journalistic sense. Longevity nutrition is actually core to the mindbodygreen philosophy, our portfolio of products, and the way we live.

In fact, the suite of premium products in mbg’s longevity & vitality collection were created with your healthspan in mind. By taking longevity support to the next level, these bioavailable nutrients, botanicals, and bioactives transform your daily regimen for healthy aging.*

From the 30 trillion cells that make up the human body, to how we look and feel—the fact is the amounts, types, and timing of nutrients and phytonutrients we choose to consume are absolutely pivotal to our health today and tomorrow. Nutrition isn’t sitting on the sidelines. It’s a versatile quarterback calling the plays.

Whether that “play” is to keep your brain sharp as a tack, maintain strong muscles and bones, promote insulin sensitivity and blood glucose balance, elevate gut microbial abundance and diversity, bolster your resilience to stressors, ensure your immune defenses are game for inevitable challenges that will come, or nurture collagen production—ultimately, these are all longevity plays, individually and collectively. They all rely on smart nutrition rooted in science.

The takeaway.

Some matches simply aren’t meant to be. But thankfully, unlike dating sites and the unpredictable nature of some human relationships, the “algorithm” underlying longevity is less cryptic, and healthful nutrition is paramount.

 

The secret to making your brain work better

Want to improve your cognitive function? Then you’ll need to get a handle on your supplements ‘stack’

Tiffanie Darke March 29 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Financial Times Magazine

Edited for content.

Our Takeaways:

· Supplements can be used to enhance brain function

· Nootropics can yield benefits without the side effects of more commonly used substances, like caffeine

· Foods like eggs which are high in Choline and phospholipids are good for brain health and function

“I take lion’s mane with a daily microdose of psychedelic, and B6 to switch on the brain and get more ideas,” says writer Catherine Frenette, of the effects of her supplements regime. “I did it all through writing my latest book: I had a short deadline and needed to stay at my desk. It absolutely worked. Without doubt, I’m working better.”

Tired, unfocused brain in need of a boost? The traditional recourse – coffee – is, it turns out, very pre-pandemic. A stimulant made for 2019’s office-worker world, when we were all just striving to “keep up”, it’s a short-term fix that burns through your adrenal reserves and leaves you, ultimately, depleted. Nowadays, that’s not good enough. Enter the latest nootropics – cognitive enhancers that will take users up and up, and could support brain function and health in the long term.

Unlike coffee, these new nootropics, or smart drugs, nourish the brain without cashing in on its energy reserves. The brain is the body’s most hungry organ, consuming 20 per cent of our energy, so it is vital that it is well fed. Stimulants such as coffee, Adderall or “study drug” Modafinil operate by robbing Peter to pay Paul: increasing dopamine while simultaneously depleting reserves.

“We think it’s normal to be tired and forget things. That’s not normal. We should be feeling better”
Michelle Gundry, clinician nurse

There is much debate about which nootropics to take, how to take them – and how much to take. In online forums, the nootropic hive mind bandies about options that include amino acids like L-theanine and glutamine, the salt magnesium threonate, nutrients citicoline and phosphatidylserine, adaptogenic herbs such as rhodiola and Bacopa, or the ubiquitously trending cordyceps.

“Everybody wants to know about brain biohacking right now,” reports Dr Tamsin Lewis, founder of Wellgevity, a personalised preventative healthcare service. “Everything starts with the brain. If you can change your neurochemistry you move differently, you interact differently, the whole filter to your day changes.” Lewis, who began trying nootropics following a head injury, believes plenty of improvement can be gained, but counsels: “There’s no one-size-fits-all – everyone’s baseline function is different.” She also cautions that some supplements are not dosed correctly or do not include their ingredients in a bioavailable form – it’s important to look for clarity when it comes to dosages.

Lewis recommends to her patients personalised blends of intravenous ingredients, including B vitamin complex and alpha lipoic acid. She says the latter is “a great enhancer of mitochondrial function, naturally increasing levels of glutathione [an amino acid involved in cell repair]. It can make your brain feel very clear for a good few weeks.”

Another compelling ingredient is Cognizin, a version of choline, which is a compound derived from food, particularly eggs. It promotes the production of phospholipids, which make up the membranes of our neural cells. Studies of Cognizin demonstrate up to a 25 per cent increase in attention, memory and focus in patients versus a placebo. It is an ingredient available in brain-boosting supplements from Qualia to Mind Lab Pro. Julian Lee, CEO of green tech business Binding Solutions, began taking Cognizin as one of the ingredients in the super-supplement Lyma. “I have remarkably better energy and focus during the day,” he reports. “Things have really shifted. I’m 50 and in very good health and spirits – I feel much younger than my age. Mentally, clear as a whistle.”

“If you can change your neurochemistry you move differently, you interact differently, the whole filter to your day changes”
Dr Tamsin Lewis, founder of Wellgevity

Over at Matt Roberts Evolution in Mayfair, where longevity doctors, physiotherapists and microdosing and psychedelic experts operate in tandem, a 60-something client is emerging from an intravenous glutathione infusion to treat her “brain fog”. “Glutathione cleans out her cells,” explains clinician nurse Michelle Gundry. “We think it’s normal to be tired and forget things. That’s not normal. We should be feeling better.” Matt Roberts Evolution also has coffee on the menu, but with a difference: “Mushroom coffee,” confirms Roberts, “made with cordyceps to give you the kick you need without the comedown.”

Medicinal mushrooms such as lion’s mane show some evidence of supporting neural health and cognition. Roberts recommends magnesium threonate for sleep (good sleep is essential for brain recovery and memory) and the supplement NAD, which is essentially niacin (a vitamin B3 extract), or its more hardcore sister, NMN. NAD may increase human-growth hormone response and therefore the ability of the body’s cells to regenerate. “Watch how you take NMN, though,” he says, “as it needs to be attached to a fat molecule to be absorbable.” Like almost everyone else I spoke to, Roberts cites gut health – in the form of a diet rich in plants and fermented foods – as a key element in the quest to improve brain function and adaptability.

Neuroplasticity is also on the mind of Clinique La Prairie, the Swiss health and beauty brand, which declares it a fundamental aspect of healthy ageing. Cognition, says Professor Bogdan Draganski, a neuroscientist at the University Hospital of Lausanne and a member of CLP’s scientific committee, is a key target for biohackers – or “neurohackers”, as he calls them. Last year, Clinique La Prairie came out with its own health supplement range, Holistic Health. It has been formulated with the patented nootropic Cognivia, which showed a nine per cent increase in numeric working memory.

Much of the interest in neurohacking is fuelled by the work of key professors at Stanford, Harvard and Yale. Neuroscience professor Andrew Huberman at Stanford School of Medicine is one such guru, as is Harvard professor of genetics David Sinclair. Both publish their work daily on social media and have amassed huge followings. Sinclair believes it’s possible not only for us to halt cellular decline but to reverse it. Huberman recommends easy hacks such as 30 minutes of sunlight every morning to set the circadian rhythm and “put you in control of your nervous system”.

Huberman also likes to publish his “stack”, which is how wellness nerds refer to their supplement regime. On a recent podcast he listed his latest, which included eating foods that are rich in omega-3s and/or supplementing with omega-3s to get 2-3g of the fatty acid EPA per day; phosphatidylserine, a lipid-like compound abundant in meat and fish; choline, which helps in modulating brain circuits; and creatine – a supplement the fitness-obsessed use to bulk up, “but which is good fuel for the brain – at least 5g a day”, he said.

“The science is changing all the time,” says James Heagney, gym director of KX health club in South Kensington, where Chelsea’s most ambitious wellness disciples go for workouts. “We follow the research to choose not just the nutrients gaining in popularity but those that have scientific backing.”

Heagney is currently looking at “dopaminergic supplements for focus and concentration, the amino acid tyrosine to improve alertness, and adaptogens like gingko and holy basil”. As a 4am riser, and with two young children to wrangle, Heagney is laser-focused on his own “stack”. “Increased performance and cognition is where it’s at,” he says. “Brain function is everything in the body.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promising Anti-Aging And Longevity Molecules

Posted on Jan 11, 2022, 4 p.m.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on WORLD HEALTH.NET

Edited for content

Regenerative, anti-aging, and longevity researchers have been working to find molecules that can help to improve and/or extend both human health and lifespan. This article gathers information on some of the most promising molecules to extend human healthspan and possibly lifespan. There are also a few honorable mentions at the end of the article. 

This list is heavily influenced by the Interventions Testing Program (ITP). This program selects a variety of different molecules each year to see which ones will extend mice’s lifespan. They use mice that are genetically heterogeneous, all this means is that the mice are genetically diverse and therefore minimize the possibility that characteristics of a single type of mice would affect the results. They also run these experiments at three separate labs, this is to figure out if the results are true and reproducible. 

The first molecule is called glycine. When the Interventions Testing Program trialed glycine it led to a four to six percent increase in lifespan for both males and females. Now bear with me because we need to unpack this. Glycine along with another molecule called NAC (N-acetylcysteine) are building blocks for a powerful antioxidant called glutathione. In humans, the glutathione antioxidant system is maintained until around 45 years of age and then it declines rapidly. But in a 2021 human trial glycine and NAC supplementation for 24 weeks corrected the glutathione deficiency. By using glycine and NAC we can restore the glutathione balance, and now we’ve got human data showing a positive benefit for health. 

A 2021 human trial of a group of molecules called the combined metabolic activators (CMAs)  that do consist of glutathione precursors, use cuts the recovery time from COVID-19 by a whopping three days when compared to placebo. In that trial to support glutathione, they did use NAC but instead of using glycine, they used another molecule called serine. Serine is just converted into glycine by the body. Overall though for the first molecule, it’s actually a combination of precursors to rebuild glutathione. The combination of glycine or serine and NAC.

Next up is nicotinamide riboside. As part of the combined metabolic activators, it also included nicotinamide riboside to help rebuild a molecule called NAD. This is important because new research has come out showing that after the age of around 60 years old our metabolism appears to tank and NAD is central to our metabolism. By rebuilding our NAD stores, we’re hopefully helping to support our metabolism and therefore improve our resiliency against diseases. 

When the Interventions Testing Program trialed nicotinamide riboside it did not extend lifespan. But much of the excitement around nicotinamide riboside is not to do with its potential of lifespan extension, instead, it’s because we can support our metabolism with it, which can make us more resilient against metabolic attacks. For example, sunlight, alcohol, and time zone disruption, all these things attack our metabolism, and by taking the nicotinamide riboside we may be more resilient against these attacks and that’s possibly why we can see an improvement in the recovery time of COVID-19 patients. 

The third molecule is 17-alpha estradiol which is a non-feminizing type of estrogen. When the Interventions Testing Program trialed it, it extended male mice’s lifespan by 19%. To stress again this is a non-feminizing type of estrogen, this is important because estrogenic actions have been increasingly recognized to have potential health and anti-aging benefits. It’s not just males that seem to get a benefit from this molecule, in female mice, there’s a 20% reduction in body weight. We are very excited to read more human data about this molecule.

Moving on to the fourth molecule on the list we’ve got SGLT2i inhibitors. This is a class of medication that is routinely prescribed to type 2 diabetic patients. When the Interventions Testing Program trialed it, it extended male mice lifespan by 14%. In humans, a 2019 systematic review was published in The Lancet journal looking specifically at heart disease outcomes involving over 34 000 patients, and what we could see in this study is that SGLT2i inhibitors reduced heart attacks by 11% and reduced the progression of kidney disease by 45%. 

This medication works by encouraging the kidneys to pee out sugar, instead of that sugar remaining in the bloodstream, it’s eliminated out of the system. This is important because it blunts the peak blood sugar levels which may be a factor in the lifespan extension effects that we see from the Interventions Testing Program. The potential for this molecule is because as we age our kidney function declines even from our mid-20s, and we’ve got human data showing that for non-diabetic kidney disease patients this type of medication does delay the progression of kidney disease. So I do wonder whether this class of medication would be used to the wider population to slow down kidney disease and therefore extend healthspan.

The fifth molecule that there is excitement about is rapamycin. Rapamycin is the golden egg from the Interventions Testing Program. Over and over again when they trial this molecule it extends both female and male lifespan, and that is why I’ve chosen to study this molecule. In a clinical trial, I want to figure out if using rapamycin once a week combined with exercise gives even greater muscle performance benefits compared to just exercise alone.

There are also three other molecules that almost made the top five list. The first one is fisetin. Essentially as we age some of our cells stop dividing and they become senescent. Fisetin does hold the potential to clear away those old cells, and that’s important because those old cells don’t just remain dormant they also release all sorts of factors that can damage our body. The Interventions Testing Program as part of their 2018 group of molecules will be trialing fisetin, and the Mayo Clinic have turned their attention to running human fisetin trials.

The second honorable mention is alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), this molecule generated quite the hype in 2020 where a mice trial showed a 16.6% improvement in lifespan. We are all eagerly awaiting more human data to come out on this molecule to see whether it will improve human health.

The final honorable mention is hyaluronic acid. The quantity of hyaluronic acid gradually declines as we age, and hyaluronic acid is a major component of the connective tissue of the body including our blood vessels, skin, and organs. In a 2021 human 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled study we can see that hyaluronic acid significantly improved skin elasticity. If hyaluronic acid can improve skin health (wrinkles and dry skin) maybe it can improve blood vessel health and other parts of the body. Additionally, hyaluronic acid may also be the underlying reason as to why the naked mole rat has such exceptional longevity.

There we have an evidence-based list of top promising anti-aging and longevity molecules. But it is worth mentioning that this article is only partial, there are many others being studied looking for that elusive “fountain of youth” to help improve the human condition. 

As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before making any changes to your wellness routine.

Content may be edited for style and length.

Materials provided by:

This article was adapted from a presentation by Dr. Brad Stanfield

nia.nih.gov/research/dab/interventions-testing-program-itp

youtube.com/watch?v=Xltw3t7ssz4

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3954939/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6516426/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12398937/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8002905/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8420376/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34385400/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8135004/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052402/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7710304/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30424892/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8419219/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021372/

nia.nih.gov/research/dab/interventions-testing-program-itp/compounds-testing

clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03675724?term=fisetin&draw=4&rank=3

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8508957/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8308347/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23783513/