Nutritional components hold promise for improving the health and well-being of adults

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc. Jan 25 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on NEWS MEDICAL LIFE SCIENCES

Edited for content

Our Takeaways:

· Nutrition has a great impact on age-associated cellular decline (AACD)

· Cellular mitochondria are the cell’s powerhouses and also control apoptosis (programmed cell death)

· A low calorie diet appears to offer longevity benefits, though there are still studies being performed on this subject

Emerging research indicates that nutritional components that target specific mechanisms associated with age-associated cellular decline (AACD) hold promise for improving the health and well-being of adults.

“Cellular Nutrition and Its Influence on Age-Associated Cellular Decline,” the latest issue of The Gerontological Society of America’s What’s Hot newsletter with accompanying infographic, provides an overview of current research regarding evidence regarding the influence of nutritional components on health and aging.

“Declining mitochondrial health is increasingly being recognized as a common mediator of declining function and development of chronic diseases associated with aging. This report describes contributions of mitochondria to cellular functions and homeostasis and reviews emerging evidence regarding how nutritional components can influence these functions.”

Nathan K. LeBrasseur, PT, PhD, FGSA, professor and co-chair of research, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Mayo Clinic

Nathan K. LeBrasseur is a member of the newsletter’s content development faculty.

Mitochondria are commonly known as the powerhouses of cells and are responsible for the production of cellular energy. They also regulate cellular metabolism, apoptosis (programmed cell death), signaling by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen that are key to many biochemical reactions; however, when present in excess, they can result in molecular damage. Mitochondria also have their own DNA (mtDNA) that encode for 13 proteins that are components of the respiratory chain and can develop mutations as a result of oxidative stress.

Declines in mitochondrial function and metabolism are among the key components of AACD. Evidence suggests that changes associated with AACD act as triggers for age-associated diseases and conditions.

“Because abnormalities in the function of mitochondria are associated with many diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, drivers of mitochondrial dysfunction are promising targets for addressing multiple age-related conditions,” said Roger A. Fielding, PhD, FGSA, a member of the newsletter’s content development faculty who is associate director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and professor of medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine.

Adoption of healthful eating patterns and exercise has been shown to improve markers of age-associated diseases and attenuate biological aging.

“Calorie restriction appears to improve markers of disease risk in humans, but its acceptability and feasibility particularly over the long term remains a challenge,” said LeBrasseur. “Dietary supplementation with nutritional components that target specific mechanisms associated with AACD may be an alternative or complementary approach to lifestyle interventions targeting AACD.”

Further, identifying AACD risk factors and intervening with cellular nutrients earlier in the aging process, before major mobility disabilities and disease-driven limitations emerge, could help improve overall healthy aging.

Emerging research indicates that some nutritional compounds can support healthy aging by influencing mitochondrial repair and preservation, quality control, and signaling. Examples of emerging compounds that have been shown to address mitochondrial damage and clinical disease states include SS peptides, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), MitoQ, and glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC). Compounds that may address mitochondrial quality control include sirtuins, mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi), urolithin A, and epicatechin. Finally, nutritional compounds that have been shown to address mitochondrial signaling include nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide. Dietary supplementation with these components may be an alternative approach to lifestyle interventions targeting AACD, although more research is needed before making definitive recommendations.

Support for this issue of What’s Hot was provided by Nestlé Health Science.Source:

The Gerontological Society of America

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

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Collagen For Men: How To Decide If You Should Take It & Benefits

Collagen For Men: How To Decide If You Should Take It & Benefits

mbg Beauty Director- By Alexandra Engler

Expert review by Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN

September 21, 2021

This article is a repost which originally appeared on mbghealth

Edited for content.

Despite being on the market for some time now, collagen supplements still seem to garner many questions. How long does it take until you see results? (Answer: It depends!) How much should you take? (There’s no recommended dosage at this time, but we have some pretty good research to support a range of 10 to 20 grams a day.) Are collagen supplements vegan? (Hard no! You can find collagen-supporting supplements made from vegan ingredients but not collagen itself.) 

While those questions are pretty general, others come down to personal factors, such as age, sex, weight, activity level, and lifestyle habits—which brings us to the question at hand: What should men know about taking collagen supplements? Now, we bring this up because sex and hormones can influence what supplements you decide to take. For example, someone going through menopause will likely have a different routine than a 20-something cis male.

So is such the case for collagen? Here’s what we know. 

Should men take collagen supplements?

Most adults could benefit from collagen supplements—no matter their age or sex—as it’s very well tolerated, comes with minimal cautions, and boasts a host of universal benefits.* And did we mention: Hello, protein. So should men take it specifically? Well, if you’re a man and want to take it: By all means!

Really the only difference you may find for supplementation is protein dosage. Allow me to explain. Collagen is a type of protein (it’s an incomplete protein, but more on that in a second). For healthy adults, you need at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for muscle mass maintenance. From there, protein needs increase based on activity levels: For highly active adults, you should consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. And collagen supplementation can help you achieve your daily protein intake, as it can act as a complementary source of amino acids. In fact, a 2019 study found that as much as 36% of daily protein could come from collagen peptides while simultaneously achieving daily essential amino acid requirements.*

And since, on average, men weigh more than women (and typically have more connective tissues, where collagen resides)—men may need a higher collagen dose. However, this is neither definitive nor true in every case; it should be evaluated on a person-by-person basis.

As mbg’s director of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, explains, “Every supplement ritual should be individualized, but some supplements get unfairly labeled as only relevant to women or men. That’s unfortunate since nutrition and bioactives are rarely binary. Saying collagen is only for women is like saying calcium is only for women. In reality, men have connective tissues—skin, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, vessels, etc.—that collagen is literally critical for, just like men have bones and require calcium.”*

5 benefits of collagen supplements for men.

Collagen benefits are systemic and universal.* When you ingest peptides, your body absorbs and distributes the amino acids where they are needed. So here are all the ways adding a supplement to your routine can help you: 

1. Skin

I think we can all move past the stereotype that men don’t care about their appearance and skin as they age. Collagen supplements can support the skin in a variety of ways, from firmness to hydration.* For example, one study found that they are able to support skin elasticity and dermal collagen density.* Another double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial found that participants’ moisture levels in the skin were seven times higher than those who did not take collagen supplements.* 

2. Hair

Hair thinning is a very common situation for most men, and one way you can help healthy hair naturally is by providing the body with all the needed building blocks for keratin, the protein that makes up hair. What are those building blocks? Amino acids, many of which are found in collagen peptides.* In fact, the main amino acid in keratin is proline—which is readily found in many collagen supplements.

3. Gut health

While this is a newer area of study for collagen supplements, research has found that levels of certain types of collagen are lower in individuals with digestive challenges.* And much of the benefits are due to collagen peptides’ specific amino acid makeup. For example, research has found that one of the main amino acids in collagen, L-glutamate, supports the intestine by neutralizing oxidative stress and acts as a major fuel source for the cells in the intestine.* The cells of our gut lining also use proline and glycine for energy, and these are two additional amino acids found in collagen.*

4. Muscle mass

Collagen is not technically a complete protein—meaning it does not contain all nine of the essential amino acids (it has eight of them)—but it still delivers plenty of amino acids that can contribute to muscle mass, when taken as part of a robust diet.* This is especially true when combined with the right fitness routines. In one small clinical study, men who took 15 grams of collagen daily while participating in an exercise program gained more muscle mass than those who only completed the exercise program.*

Ferira adds, “Men, muscles, and collagen is an emerging area of research I see gaining momentum. For example, in this compelling clinical trial, 15 grams of collagen peptides combined with resistance exercise training in young healthy men netted significant gains in lean mass (muscle) and muscle strength, more than just resistance training by itself. Not only that, but the researchers discovered that the men’s muscle protein was upregulated (i.e., those genes were cranked up), particularly the contractile fibers, which make your muscles work well and with speed.”*

5. Joints

Collagen type II is a common structural component of our joints. One randomized clinical trial found that people who took a type II collagen supplement for 180 days experienced improvements in their physical function and helped improve joint mobility and comfort.* 

Are there any side effects men should be worried about?

Anytime you start a new supplement, one of the first questions you should look into is if there are any cautions or side effects. Luckily for collagen, it’s a safe and widely tolerated protein: Collagen peptides are safe for consumption, and few side effects, complaints, or cautions are reported. They fall into the “benign” bucket. However, everyone is different, and everyone’s body reacts to products in unique ways. This is why some side effects are reported anecdotally. 

You can learn more about the common collagen side effects here, but as a brief overview:

  • Some brands can taste unpleasant due to the collagen itself or less-than-appetizing filler ingredients.  
  • Anecdotally, some individuals report bloating, stomach upset, and fullness.
  • We all have different sensitivities, so be careful to check where the ingredient is sourced and all other added ingredients in case you personally have an allergen. 
  • Vegans should avoid collagen, as collagen peptides are derived from animals (cows, fish, and chicken most often).

Conclusion

Not every supplement is right for every body or every need. But collagen tends to be a pretty safe bet for most, no matter your sex. Additionally, it has robust universal benefits!

*If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.