Drinking Coffee: Study Finds Both Beneficial and Harmful Short-Term Health Effects

This article is a repost which originally appeared on SciTechDaily
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION - JANUARY 19, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03671759

Key Points:

  • A randomized trial to study caffeinated coffee consumption among 100 volunteers for two weeks found both potentially beneficial and harmful short-term health consequences of drinking coffee.
  • When participants were randomly assigned to drink coffee, they were more physically active, yet they also had an increased number of abnormal heartbeats and slept less compared to when they were randomly assigned to avoid all caffeine.

Drinking caffeinated coffee appears to have both beneficial and harmful short-term health effects: increased abnormal heartbeats, increased physical activity, and reduced sleep duration, according to research that was presented at American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2021.

“Coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world, yet its health effects remain uncertain,” said study author Gregory Marcus, M.D., M.A.S., associate chief of cardiology for research and endowed professor of atrial fibrillation research at the University of California, San Francisco. “While the majority of long-term observational studies have suggested multiple potential benefits of drinking coffee, this is the first randomized trial to investigate the real-time, physiologic consequences of coffee consumption.”

Marcus and colleagues enrolled 100 adult volunteers, and they were assigned to wear continuously recording ECG devices (to track heart rhythm), wrist-worn devices to track physical activity and sleep; and continuous glucose monitors to track blood sugar levels for two weeks. The participants were an average age of 38 years, 51% were women and 48% were white. Researchers also obtained DNA saliva samples from the participants to assess genetic variants that may affect caffeine metabolism.

Participants were then randomly assigned to either avoid or consume coffee for no more than two consecutive days each for 14 consecutive days. Coffee and espresso consumption were recorded in real time via a “time stamp button” on the ECG monitor, and researchers tracked trips to coffee shops with geotracking. In addition, participants completed daily questionnaires to detail how much coffee they had consumed every morning.

The analysis found that coffee consumption was associated with a 54% increase in premature ventricular contractions, a type of abnormal heartbeat originating in the lower heart chambers reported to feel like a skipped heartbeat. In contrast, drinking more coffee was associated with fewer episodes of supraventricular tachycardia, an abnormally rapid heart rhythm arising from the upper heart chambers.

Consuming coffee was consistently associated with more physical activity as well as less sleep. Specifically:

  • Participants who consumed coffee logged more than 1,000 additional steps per day compared to days when they did not drink coffee.
  • On the days participants drank coffee, they had 36 fewer minutes of sleep per night according to their Fitbit devices.
  • Drinking more than one coffee drink more than doubled the number of irregular heartbeats arising from the heart’s lower chambers.
  • Each additional cup of coffee consumed was associated with nearly 600 more steps per day and 18 fewer minutes of sleep per night.
  • There were no differences in continuously recorded glucose measured when the study participants consumed versus avoided coffee.

These findings were corroborated by analyses of adherence to their randomization assignment and amplified when more versus less coffee was consumed.

“More physical activity, which appears to be prompted by coffee consumption, has numerous health benefits, such as reduced risks of Type 2 diabetes and several cancers, and is associated with greater longevity,” Marcus said. “On the other hand, reduced sleep is associated with a variety of adverse psychiatric, neurologic and cardiovascular outcomes. More frequent abnormal heartbeats from the upper heart chambers influence risk of atrial fibrillation, and more frequent abnormal beats from the lower chambers, or ventricles, increase the risk of heart failure. These results highlight the complex relationship between coffee and health.”

The study participants with genetic variants associated with faster caffeine metabolism exhibited more abnormal heart beats originating in the ventricles, or PVCs, when more caffeinated coffee was consumed. The slower an individual metabolized caffeine based on their genetics, the more sleep they lost when they drank caffeinated coffee.

The investigators also sought to determine if changes in exercise or sleep influenced coffee’s effects on abnormal heart rhythms, and no such association was identified.

Marcus noted that because coffee was randomly assigned to the study participants, cause-and-effect can be inferred. These observations were made during repeated assessments of days when coffee was consumed versus when it was not for each study participant, eliminating concerns regarding differences in individual-level characteristics as an explanation for these results.

Why Does Exercise Improve Brain Health as You Age? Scientists Just Unlocked a Major Key To Finding Out

It’s a well-known fact that exercise and mental health are intertwined. When you get sweaty, you’re boosting your mood, increasing your self-esteem, and improving your memory and focus. Now, there’s a new reason to sweat: Research hailing from the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco, indicates that movement may also play a major role in guarding our brains against dementia as we age.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Well + Good

Kells McPhillips - January 17, 2022
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
Source: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12530

Our Takeaways:

  • A healthy brain is one that transmits electrical signals effortlessly through the synapses in our brains.
  • The study examined the level of physical activity that the participants had before they passed away.
  • The more someone exercises, the more protective proteins develop in their brain—regardless of whether or not the person breaking a sweat already has markers for Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the study confirmed that exercise has a protective effect on the human brain—especially in later age. Scientists have long observed this benefit of exercise in mice test subjects before, but discovering the same relationship between movement and cognitive longevity in the human brain constitutes a major scientific milestone. The minds at UC-San Francisco uncovered this exercise-brain connection by studying people who donated their brains to scientific research as part of the Memory and Aging Project at Rush University in Chicago. The brains studied belonged to people who were between 70 and 80 years old at the time of their deaths.

Here’s how they figured it out. A healthy brain is one that transmits electrical signals effortlessly through the synapses in our brains. You can think of synapses as little doorways between neurons that let the signals squeeze through, and proteins are essential for the maintenance of these little doorways. “There are many proteins present at the synapse that help facilitate different aspects of the cell-to-cell communication. Those proteins need to be in balance with one another in order for the synapse to function optimally,” writes study author Kaitlin Casaletto, PhD.

As part of their research, Dr. Casaletto’s team looked at the level of physical activity that the study participants had before they passed away—and found that those who exercised more tended to have more of those protective proteins in their brains. “We found that higher levels of everyday physical activity in older adults relate to higher levels of these synaptic proteins in brain tissue at autopsy,” Dr. Casaletto tells Well+Good. “These are correlative so we do not know directionality, but it suggests that physical activity may promote maintenance of these protein levels even into the oldest ages.”

“These findings begin to support the dynamic nature of the brain in response to our activities, and the capacity of the elderly brain to mount healthy responses to activity—again, even into the oldest ages.” — Kaitlin Casaletto, PhD

In short, this means that the more someone exercises, the more protective proteins develop in their brain—regardless of whether or not the person breaking a sweat already has markers for Alzheimer’s or dementia. “These findings begin to support the dynamic nature of the brain in response to our activities, and the capacity of the elderly brain to mount healthy responses to activity—again, even into the oldest ages. We also found fairly linear relationships—meaning the more physical activity, the higher the synaptic protein levels in brain tissue,” says Dr. Casaletto, adding that she recommends aiming for about 150 minutes a week of physical activity.

So next time you’re working out, make sure to dedicate a mile, burpee, or crunch to those little proteins in your brain. They’re doing a whole lot for you.

Grape seed extract may have anti-aging properties

Grape seed extract reverses aging in mice

Written by Timothy Huzar on December 9, 2021 — Fact checked by Anna Guildford, Ph.D.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on MEDICAL NEWS TODAY

Edited for content.

‧ Aging is a key risk factor for a range of health issues. This is due, in part, to the buildup of senescent cells in a person’s body.
‧ In recent years, scientists have identified a class of drugs called senolytics. These can destroy senescent cells in laboratory and animal experiments.
‧ In the recent study, the researchers identified a component of grape seed extract as a potentially effective senolytic, and they used it to extend the life span and healthspan of mice.

In a new study, researchers identified a new drug based on a component of grape seed extract that has successfully extended the life span and healthspan of mice.

The research, which appears in the journal Nature Metabolism, lays the groundwork for further clinical studies to determine whether or not the effects may be reproducible in humans.

Senescence and senolytics

Aging is a key risk factor for many chronic conditions. Scientists believe that this is due, in part, to cellular senescence. This occurs when a cell ceases to be able to fulfill its biological function in a person’s body.

In recent years, researchers have identified a class of drugs called senolytics. These drugs can destroy senescent cells in the laboratory and in animal models, potentially reducing the number of chronic conditions that occur with age and an increasing life span.

In the study, the scientists identified a new senolytic derived from a component of grape seed extract, known as procyanidin C1 (PCC1).

Based on previously available data, PCC1 showed promise at inhibiting the effects of senescent cells when administered at low concentrations and selectively destroying senescent cells at higher concentrations.

Mouse experiments

To test the effects of PCC1 on aging, the researchers developed three experiments involving mice.

In the first experiment, they exposed mice to a sub-lethal dose of radiation to induce cellular senescence. One group of mice then received PCC1, while the other group received the vehicle that carried the PCC1.

The researchers found that after the mice underwent irradiation, they developed abnormal body features, including significant amounts of gray hair.

Treating the mice with PCC1 significantly reversed these features. The mice who received PCC1 also had fewer senescent cells and fewer biomarkers associated with senescent cells.

Finally, the irradiated mice had worse exercise capacity and muscle strength. However, the mice that received PCC1 saw this reversed and had better survival rates.

In the second experiment, the researchers treated older mice with either PCC1 or a vehicle every 2 weeks for 4 months.

The team found a significant number of senescent cells in the kidneys, livers, lungs, and prostates of the aged mice. However, PCC1 treatment reversed this.

The PCC1-treated mice also had improved grip strength, maximum walking speed, hanging endurance, treadmill endurance, daily activity levels, and balance, compared with the mice who only received the vehicle.

In the third experiment, the researchers looked at very old mice to see what effect PCC1 may have on the longevity of the mice.

They found that mice treated with PCC1 lived, on average, 9.4% longer across their lifetime than mice who received the vehicle.

This equated to a 64.2% extended life span following the treatment.

Furthermore, despite living longer, the PCC1-treated mice did not have any greater age-related morbidity than the mice that received the vehicle.

Summing up the findings, corresponding study author Prof. Yu Sun — of the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health in China — and colleagues say, “We hereby present proof-of-principle evidence that, even when administered in late life, [PCC1] holds prominent potential to remarkably delay age-related dysfunction, reduce age-related diseases, and enhance health conditions, thus providing a new avenue to improve healthspan and life span in future geriatric medicine.”

Speaking with Medical News Today, Dr. James Brown — a reader in aging and metabolism and a member of the Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing in Birmingham, United Kingdom — said that the findings provide further evidence for the potential benefit of senolytic drugs. Dr. Brown was not involved with the recent study.


“Senolytics are an exciting new class of anti-aging compounds, often found to be naturally occurring. This study suggests that PCC1 joins compounds like quercetin and fisetin in being able to selectively kill aged cells [while] leaving young and healthy cells alive and well.”

“This study, along with others in this field, looked at the effects in rodents and other lower organisms, and, therefore, there is much work to do before any anti-aging effect of these compounds in humans is established.”

“Senolytics certainly show promise as potentially being the leading class of anti-aging ‘drugs’ that are being developed,” said Dr. Brown.

Mice to humans?

Speaking with MNT, Prof. Ilaria Bellantuono — a professor of musculoskeletal aging at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. — agreed that a key question is whether or not the findings are reproducible in humans. Prof. Bellantuono also was not involved with the study.

“This research adds to a body of evidence showing that eliminating senescent cells using drugs [that] selectively kill those cells — called senolytics — improves physical function with age and enhances the action of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer.”

“It is to be noted that all the body of evidence in this area is in animal models — in this specific case, in mouse models. The real challenge is to test whether these drugs are as effective in [humans]. At the moment, there [are] no data available, and clinical trials are just starting,” said Prof. Bellantuono.

Dr. David Clancy — of the Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences at Lancaster University in the U.K. — said to MNT that the dose levels may be an issue when translating the findings to humans. Dr. Clancy was not involved with the recent study.

“Doses given to mice are often very large compared with what humans can tolerate. Proper senolytic doses of PCC1 in humans may turn out to cause toxicity. Rat studies might be informative; their livers apparently metabolize drugs more like humans’ than do mouse livers,” said Dr. Clancy.

Speaking with MNT, Dr. Richard Siow — the director of aging research at King’s College London in the U.K. — also said that nonhuman animal studies do not necessarily translate into positive clinical effects in humans. Dr. Siow also was not involved in the study.

“I don’t always equate findings in mice and worms and flies to humans, for the simple fact that we have bank accounts — they don’t. We have wallets — they don’t. We have other stresses in life that animals don’t have: dietary, social, work, Zoom calls. I’m sure you can stress out a mouse in different ways, but it’s usually the bank accounts we’re more worried about,” said Dr. Siow.

“It’s a joke, of course, but just to put it in context, you can’t translate everything that you read about in mice into humans. It’s great if you’re a mouse and you want to live to 200 — or the mouse equivalent of 200 — but is that meaningful for man? That’s always a caveat when I talk about animal studies.”

Nonetheless, Dr. Siow said that the findings were significant.

“On the positive side, it’s robust research, and it’s telling us about confirmatory evidence that many of the pathways that even my own research focuses on are important when we consider life span in general.”

“Whether it’s an animal model or a human model, perhaps we need to look at some of these particular molecular pathways in the context of human clinical studies with compounds such as grape seed procyanidins,” said Dr. Siow.

Dr. Siow said that one possibility was the development of grape seed extract as a dietary supplement.

“Having a good animal model with robust outcomes [and a paper] published in a high impact journal does add weight to the development and investment in human clinical studies, whether it’s from the government, clinical trials, or through investors and industry taking this on board, and based on these papers putting grape seed as a nutritional supplement in a tablet.”

“I’m taking nutritional supplements that may not have gone into clinical trials but based on evidence from animals, it adds weight — it gives the consumer confidence that there may be something in this. That’s one degree of translating awareness of nutritional supplements being beneficial in some respects for longevity,” said Dr. Siow.

Healthspan, not just life span

Dr. Siow stressed that the quality of a person’s life was also important, not just the number of years they live.

“If we look at life span, and more importantly healthspan, we need to delineate what we mean by life span. It’s OK that we live until 150, but if we spend the last 50 years in bed, that’s not great.”

“So, rather than life span, maybe a better word would be healthy longevity: You may well extend the number of years, but are you adding life to those years? Or are they meaningless years? And also mental health and wellness: You may be living to 130, but if you are unable to enjoy those years, is it worthwhile?”

“It’s important that we look at the broader perspective of mental health and wellness, frailty, immobility, how we grow old in society — are taking the pills sufficient? Or do we need more social care? If we’re living into our 90s, 100s, 110s, is there support in place? Is there government policy?”

“If these pills are helping us and we are getting into our 100s, what can we do to improve the quality of life — not just by taking more pills? There’s only so much you can do with grape seed and pomegranate and so on,” said Dr. Siow.

Future research

Prof. Bellantuono said that the study’s findings could be particularly valuable for developing clinical trials involving cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

“The general challenge with senolytics is to identify [who] will benefit, and how to measure the benefits in a clinical trial.”

“In addition, as many of these drugs are most efficacious in preventing a condition rather than treating it when it is diagnosed, the clinical trials could last years depending on the conditions, and this is too expensive to do.”

“However, in this specific case, [the researchers] have identified a group of patients [who] will benefit from this: cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. In addition, as it is known when the formation of senescent cells is induced — that is, with chemotherapy — and when the effects they cause on the tumor and physical performance occur — that is, weeks to [a] few months — this is an excellent example where a proof-of-concept study testing the efficacy of senolytics in patients could be performed,” said Prof. Bellantuono.













         
Grow and Eat Your Own Vaccines? Using Plants As mRNA Factories


The future of vaccines may look more like eating a salad than getting a shot in the arm. UC Riverside scientists are studying whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories.





This article is a repost which originally appeared on ScienceTechDaily
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - RIVERSIDE JANUARY 2, 2022 
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels  
Source: https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2021/09/16/grow-and-eat-your-own-vaccines





Our Key Takeaways:





  • A $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will allow UC Riverside scientists to study whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce or spinach into mRNA vaccine factories
  • The goal: To demonstrate that plants can produce enough mRNA to rival a traditional shot
  • Key to making this work are chloroplasts — small organs in plant cells that convert sunlight into energy the plant can use





The future of vaccines may look more like eating a salad than getting a shot in the arm. UC Riverside scientists are studying whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories.





Messenger RNA or mRNA technology, used in COVID-19 vaccines, works by teaching our cells to recognize and protect us against infectious diseases.





One of the challenges with this new technology is that it must be kept cold to maintain stability during transport and storage. If this new project is successful, plant-based mRNA vaccines — which can be eaten — could overcome this challenge with the ability to be stored at room temperature.





The project’s goals, made possible by a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, are threefold: showing that DNA containing the mRNA vaccines can be successfully delivered into the part of plant cells where it will replicate, demonstrating the plants can produce enough mRNA to rival a traditional shot, and finally, determining the right dosage.





“Ideally, a single plant would produce enough mRNA to vaccinate a single person,” said Juan Pablo Giraldo, an associate professor in UCR’s Department of Botany and Plant Sciences who is leading the research, done in collaboration with scientists from UC San Diego and Carnegie Mellon University.





“We are testing this approach with spinach and lettuce and have long-term goals of people growing it in their own gardens,” Giraldo said. “Farmers could also eventually grow entire fields of it.”





Key to making this work are chloroplasts — small organs in plant cells that convert sunlight into energy the plant can use. “They’re tiny, solar-powered factories that produce sugar and other molecules which allow the plant to grow,” Giraldo said. “They’re also an untapped source for making desirable molecules.”





In the past, Giraldo has shown that it is possible for chloroplasts to express genes that aren’t naturally part of the plant. He and his colleagues did this by sending foreign genetic material into plant cells inside a protective casing. Determining the optimal properties of these casings for delivery into plant cells is a specialty of Giraldo’s laboratory.





For this project Giraldo teamed up with Nicole Steinmetz, a UC San Diego professor of nanoengineering, to utilize nanotechnologies engineered by her team that will deliver genetic material to the chloroplasts.





“Our idea is to repurpose naturally occurring nanoparticles, namely plant viruses, for gene delivery to plants,” Steinmetz said. “Some engineering goes into this to make the nanoparticles go to the chloroplasts and also to render them non-infectious toward the plants.”





For Giraldo, the chance to develop this idea with mRNA is the culmination of a dream. “One of the reasons I started working in nanotechnology was so I could apply it to plants and create new technology solutions. Not just for food, but for high-value products as well, like pharmaceuticals,” Giraldo said.





Giraldo is also co-leading a related project using nanomaterials to deliver nitrogen, a fertilizer, directly to chloroplasts, where plants need it most.





Nitrogen is limited in the environment, but plants need it to grow. Most farmers apply nitrogen to the soil. As a result, roughly half of it ends up in groundwater, contaminating waterways, causing algae blooms, and interacting with other organisms. It also produces nitrous oxide, another pollutant.





This alternative approach would get nitrogen into the chloroplasts through the leaves and control its release, a much more efficient mode of application that could help farmers and improve the environment.





The National Science Foundation has granted Giraldo and his colleagues $1.6 million to develop this targeted nitrogen delivery technology.





“I’m very excited about all of this research,” Giraldo said. “I think it could have a huge impact on peoples’ lives.”







       
A Longevity Expert’s Top 5 Favorite Foods For Living Longer


This article is a repost which originally appeared on MBG





Edited for content.





I’m A Longevity Expert: These Are My Top Underrated Foods For Living Longer





mbg Founder & Co-CEO
By Jason Wachob





December 3, 2021





Every time we have the privilege of sitting down with longevity expert, National Geographic fellow, and founder of Blue Zones Dan Buettner, we learn something new. We’ve become pretty well versed in everything Blue Zones over the years (this is Buettner’s fourth time on the mindbodygreen podcast, after all), and yet—he continues to surprise us with his gems for living a longer and healthier life. 





Case in point? These underrated longevity-supporting foods. At least one of the below is bound to make you raise a brow, but hear Buettner out: Each food is backed by research and beloved by Blue Zones around the world. 





1. Sourdough 





“Sourdough bread is leavened not just with yeast but lactobacillus, and in the process, most of the glutens are neutralized,” says Buettner. Research shows this process can actually assist digestion—that’s why some people with gluten sensitivity might actually fare well with a slice of sourdough, as the fermentation transforms the bread and causes the gluten to diminish substantially. 





“And we don’t exactly know why, but when you eat a plant-based meal with sourdough bread, the glycemic index of that meal goes down,” he continues. “So the sugars in that meal are absorbed more slowly,” and your body is more likely to use those sugars for energy (rather than storing them up in your system). “In Sardinia, they are eating sourdough bread with just about every meal for their entire life—and I think it’s a true longevity food,” Buettner adds. 





2. Milk thistle 





Milk thistle is a little more complicated on the longevity front. Says Buettner: “I cannot tell you why for sure, I can just tell you that it’s highly associated with making it to a hundred [years old].” We’ll wager it has something to do with milk thistle’s ability to protect the liver and assist with your body’s natural detoxification process. 





Its active ingredient, silymarin, is also a flavonoid with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties—some research has shown it may even have anticarcinogenic effects.





3. Ikaria coffee





Plenty of longevity experts are quick to sing the praises of coffee—the drink is rich in antioxidants, and ​​regular consumption has been associated with an improved life span. But according to Buettner, how you brew is important: Specifically, he touts Ikaria coffee, or commonly referred to as “Turkish coffee.”  





“It’s ground very finely and then boiled, and that process seems to bring out these oils, these polyphenols that are good for your heart,” he says. (Research backs up those cardiovascular benefits, too.) “Coffee is also common in Sardinia; it’s common among the Nicoya,” Buettner continues. “I just think it’s one of those beverages that you can enjoy with impunity, and it’s probably good for you as well.” 





4. Avocado 





Of course, we’d be remiss not to include the beloved avocado. Buettner deems it a “magical” fruit full of good, healthy fats—like oleic acid, for example, a monounsaturated fat that’s A+ for heart and brain health. In fact, a small study published in the journal Nutrients found that daily consumption of oleic acid could help protect cognitive functioning in elderly adults.





Plus, avocado is a creamy, decadent addition to many versatile dishes. “I make a Sardinian minestrone with three beans—very rich in fiber, very savory and delicious,” Buettner says (and we have the recipe, if you’re curious). “I’ll slice an avocado on top, and it makes it taste more delicious.” Avocados can be blended into smoothies, added to rich desserts—the possibilities are endless. 





5. Bananas 





Surprised? Us, too. But as Buettner declares: “The best longevity food is the food you’re going to eat.” And when it comes to convenience, bananas are one of the most accessible fruits out there (assuming you enjoy the flavor). 





“They come in their own packaging,” jokes Buettner, and they’re full of soluble fiber. “I wouldn’t say it’s the only fruit you should eat, but I would say that having a bowl full of fruit sitting on your table is a much better pull than having a toaster on your counter or a bag of chips in a clip,” he says. “Convenience is one of the most important elements of eating healthy.” 





Meaning, if you are going to keep food within arm’s reach, he recommends a bunch of bananas (or any other fruit you adore). That way, when you do feel peckish, you’re more likely to opt for whatever is closest to you—which, in this case, may be a nutrient-rich banana.  





The takeaway. 





Longevity-supporting foods range far and wide, but we were especially curious about Buettner’s five favorite picks. Plus, they’re relatively simple and easy to incorporate into your lifestyle—and as Buettner notes, convenience is crucial.


                 
Olive Derivative Fights Biologic Kidney Aging


Researchers publishing in Aging Cell have discovered how and why oleuropein (OLP), a polyphenol derived from olives, improves biological kidney aging.





This article is a repost which originally appeared on ScienceDaily 
American Chemical Society - December 8, 2021 
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels 
Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.13526 





Our TLDR: 





  • Olives contain oleuropein (OLP) (a polyphenol). Polyphenols are compounds that we get through certain plant-based foods.
  • A study was done on mice that examined the kidneys of both naturally aged mice and mice that were artificially.
  • There are two genes mentioned beneficial to mitigating aspects of aging in the kidneys (NRF2 and KLOTHO).
  • Researchers found that giving the aging mice OLP, previous markers of declining kidney function were also restored: macrophage infiltration was largely absent; levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, two markers of kidney function, became closer to those of control mice; fibrosis was significantly reduced.





Upregulation and downregulation





Like nearly everything in biology, this specific part of kidney aging results from a chain of events. Here, the researchers show that DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which epigenetically suppress genes, are responsible for suppressing NRF2 and KLOTHO, two beneficial and antioxidant genes known to mitigate multiple aspects of aging, in the kidneys. This aspect of aging is suppressing the genes that fight other aspects of aging.





As the first step in demonstrating this, the researchers examined the kidneys of both naturally aged mice and mice that were artificially aged through the application of D-galactose (D-gal). In both sets of mice, KLOTHO and NRF2 were significantly downregulated. Fibrosis went up, macrophage infiltration went up, and the senescence marker SA-ß-gal was increased as well.





The researchers also analyzed DNMT levels in both sets of mice. Unsurprisingly, DMNTs and DNA methylation were elevated in both mouse models of aging. At 7 months in wild-type mice, DMNT1 was shown to be elevated; at 16 months, and further at 25 months, DMNT3a and DMNT3b were elevated as well. This was directly correlated with the decline in NRF2 and KLOTHO expression, whose gene sites were found to be heavily methylated.





Suppressing the suppressor





To determine a causal relationship between methylation and gene expression, and hopefully combat this aging, the researchers examined the effects of the synthetic drug SGI-1027 along with the potentially less cytotoxic OLP.





Both treatments worked as intended. Renal (kidney) DNA methylation was significantly decreased with both interventions, more so for SGI-1027 than OLP. Mice given both D-gal and OLP were shown to have only slightly higher amounts of DMNTs than control mice. The suppressor had been, itself, suppressed.





The researchers confirmed their findings by examining the downstream effects. As expected, NRF2 and KLOTHO expression were restored. The associated markers of kidney function were also restored: macrophage infiltration was largely absent; levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, two markers of kidney function, became closer to those of control mice; fibrosis was significantly reduced. As a whole, the intervention was shown to be highly effective in this model.





The researchers then broke this causal chain in multiple places to prove its existence. First, they showed that using dimethyloxallyl glycine to suppress the effects of SGI-1027 and OLP on DMNT (suppressing the suppressor of the suppressor) prevented the positive changes. They also used silencing RNA to render mice deficient in KLOTHO, and these mice did not benefit from this treatment.





Conclusion





As usual, while the results were stark and highly significant, this was a mouse study. While a human study is much more expensive and involved, the significance of these results suggests that a clinical trial of OLP’s effects on kidney function might be the first step in bringing a potentially effective treatment to market, alleviating the suffering of a great many people suffering from renal disease.







         
Wearable sensor measures airborne nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes


Some studies have shown that nicotine, an addictive substance in electronic cigarettes, increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. But to get a full understanding of its potential health effects, a real-time nicotine monitoring device is needed. Such a device could also help vapers — as well as non-vapers who encounter second-hand smoke — measure their exposure. Now, researchers report that they have developed a battery-free, wearable device that could accomplish this task.





Here’s our TLDR:





  • Other devices rely on sweat or sunlight, this new device is a battery-free sensor.
  • This device can measure the wearer’s exposure to vaporized nicotine in open air. 
  • This sensor will be capable of detecting nicotine in real time and sending the data wirelessly to electronic devices such as a smartphone.





This article is a repost which originally appeared on ScienceDaily
American Chemical Society - December 8, 2021
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels 
Study: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.1c01633





E-cigarettes are designed to heat and aerosolize a mixture of nicotine, glycerine, propylene glycol and flavoring additives, which the user then inhales. In the body, this mixture can affect multiple organs, including the respiratory system, where it alters airflow, increases oxidative stress and impairs immunity. In addition, nicotine exposure can lead to lung cancer. But assessing that exposure under real-world conditions has been difficult. Current assays for measuring ambient nicotine levels are carried out in laboratory settings and require large sample volumes and days to weeks of sampling. Portable nicotine sensors are being developed as an alternative, but the two that have been reported are impractical because they rely either on the presence of sweat or sunlight to function. So Madhu Bhaskaran, Md. Ataur Rahman and Philipp Gutruf set out to design a lightweight, wearable sensor capable of detecting nicotine in real time and sending the data wirelessly to electronic devices such as a smartphone.





The team chose vanadium dioxide (VO2) on a polyimide substrate as the basis for their sensor. They showed that nicotine can bond covalently to a thin film of VO2, thereby altering the film’s conductivity to an extent that depends on nicotine concentration. The device detects the change in conductivity, amplifies the signal and then transmits it wirelessly to a smartphone. When applied to skin, the battery-free sensor can measure the wearer’s exposure to vaporized nicotine in open air. The researchers say this approach expands the use of wearable electronics for real-time monitoring of hazardous substances in the environment.







       
PEGym is Changing to TheBiohacker
First, we want to thank everyone who has been with us the past couple months. We upgraded the forum and continue to work on improvements, but we wouldn’t have made it this far without your support. Our users are the backbone of PEGym and we are excited to tell you all about what’s coming next! 


PEGym has been a community since 2006 and we are going to be expanding this community soon. Within the next few weeks, we will be launching a brand new website to help prepare us for our future.


Onto our exciting news! The PEGym website will be changing to TheBiohacker. At PEGym, we’ve had the passion for improving men’s health and being the pioneers of Biohacking. That’s why we are aligning our mission and broadening our focus. 


The mission: Improve people’s lives. Give people the information, products, and community to take control of their lives and personal conditions while ultimately being happier, healthier, and living longer. 


We will still continue to focus on men’s health, but will expand our focus on longevity, diet, fitness, and sleep. We want to broaden our community to help impact more people’s lives. 


What this immediately means for you: 


    

  • The forum will be the same layout
    • 

  • The logo will change from PEGym to TheBiohacker logo
    • 

  • URLs will be changing, but should properly redirect
    • 



Over the course of next year, we will be adding in the focus areas as discussed above (men’s health, longevity, diet, fitness, and sleep) but this will be progressive and with constant community engagement. 


How will we add focus in these areas? With these categories, will come new guides, products, experts, and articles. 


    

  • The articles will contain science based research and studies, community trends, and leading edge advances in these fields.
    • 

  • You will be able to browse the best biohacking products, all while connecting with like-minded people who are also interested in longevity. 
    • 



We invite you to come check out what’s new and we look forward to sharing TheBiohacker with you soon! In the meantime, feel free to hop over to our forum to discuss this announcement: Forum Discussion – PEGym is Changing to TheBiohacker


      
100 Ways to Live to 100: A Definitive Guide to Longevity Fitness
At this point, we’re all familiar with the trope. A local news station visits a retirement home to celebrate Muriel’s 106th birthday. She’s deaf or blind or both or neither, sitting in a wheelchair in the “good spot” next to the TV set, and a reporter asks her her secret. You’ve lived through both World Wars?! How’d you do it? Then Muriel gets to flash a mischievous grin and tells us she smoked a pack a day for 50 years.


This article is a repost which originally appeared on InsideHook
Tanner Garrity - October 21, 2021 
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels


Interacting with centenarians in this way has long made them seem like circus oddities. It trivializes the concept of lifespan and longevity, reducing the science to a throw-your-hands-in-the-hair “Who the hell knows!” It reinforces the idea that our time on this planet isn’t necessarily under our control. If my dad had a stroke and his dad had a stroke then one’s probably coming for me too, right? If I make it to 80, or — god forbid — 90, I’ve just beaten the odds. Right?


Not exactly. Since the mid-1990s, in fact, following the infamous Danish twins study, researchers have understood longevity to be “only moderately heritable.” For a while, this spawned estimates that genetics accounted for somewhere between 20 and 30% of one’s longevity. More recently, scientists have concluded that the true heritability of human longevity at birth is closer to just 7%.


Where does that other 93% come from? Your lifestyle. Your decisions. Your everyday habits, big and small. It’s possible to put years on your life, to surge past both average life expectancy and your own expectations, by resolving to live a certain way. The crazy part? This doesn’t involve some complex Ponce de Leónian quest. You don’t even have to search far and wide for the answers.


Thanks to the efforts of vanguard sociologists, geneticists and historians, we know where the world’s largest concentration of centenarians live and how they spend their days. (They’re called Blue Zones, and the way people cook, move and even happy hour in them is truly revelatory.) We also know, courtesy of a renowned doctor with whom we spoke last year, that certain behaviors can decelerate cellular aging and push the human lifespan into hitherto uncharted territories, and also that we should probably stop eating hot dogs.


You might wonder: Why would I want to live longer? Doesn’t the end of life look drawn out, expensive and horrible? Why would I sign up for decades of suffering? Well, the latest wave of longevity research isn’t focused on living years for the sake of years. It’s concerned with quality years.


Think about it. More years to travel, to exercise, to spend time with your family and whatever new family comes along. An entire life of creativity and challenges to enjoy after retirement. And consider this: those who make it to 100 are no more likely to die at 108 years old than 103. Genetics do start to factor in a bit more once you get way up there in age (hence how the Muriels of the world make it to 106), but overall, your risk of dying from any of the usual diseases plateaus. Longevity wizards only really suffer in the last couple years of their lives.


Take note — this movement is going to happen, with or without you. With an assist from modern medical care, scientists project there will be 25 million centenarians scattered across the world by 2100. (There are currently just 573,000.) But you don’t need to wait for Benjamin Button patents from the big pharmaceuticals. You can start living in the name of longevity today.


Below, 100 ways to live to 100, broken down by how you optimize your lifespan through diet, fitness, good choices and some truly wild wild cards. Before diving in, understand that you can’t do all of them; some of them are likely even incompatible. But the idea is to cherrypick those that work for your life. Ultimately, if nothing else, know this: making the call right now to act in the name of longevity — whether your “right now” is 35 or 65 — won’t just add life to your ledger. It’ll enrich and lighten every year along the way.




DIETARY DECISIONS


1. Eat fresh ingredients grown nearby


The planet’s longest-living communities all have access to food from farms and orchards down the road — that’s to say, within a 10-mile radius of their homes. These ingredients aren’t treated with pesticides or pumped with preservatives; they’re their original nutrient-dense, fiber-rich selves. Sound expensive? So are late-life medical bills.


2. Eat a wide variety of vegetables


So you’ll eat carrots, beets and cucumbers and that’s it. Okay. But if you want to unlock your true longevity potential — and lower your risk of everything from cardiovascular disease to macular degeneration — you need to regularly cycle through the whole menu: cruciferous veggies, dark leafy greens, edible plant stems, roots and marrows.


3. Eat until 80% full


Hara hachi bu is a Japanese saying that translates to “Eat until you’re 80% full.” It’s an alien concept in America, where portion sizes are the biggest in the world and somehow getting larger. But finding your “slightly full” will directly reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease or stroke while giving your body more energy and less bloating in the short term.


4. Eat home-cooked family dinners


As the godfather of nouvelle cuisine, Chef Fernard Point, once famously said: “Butter! Give me butter! Always butter!” Restaurants want customers to leave happy, so they use lots of flavor — salt, sugar and fat. It all adds up. According to one study, eating out twice a day increases your chance of an early death by 95%. Cooking is your best bet.


5. Embrace complex carbohydrates


The bread aisle is a starting point for understanding the difference between foods rich in simple carbohydrates (Wonder Bread) and those rich in complex carbohydrates (100% whole-wheat breads). The latter, for instance, rocks a ton of fiber and fuels the body in a sustainable way. Seek out more complex carbs like brown rice, oats and barley.


6. Consider a plant-based diet


You don’t have to give up meat. But you should know that societies full of centenarians don’t eat very much of it. While meat dominates most American meals, it only appears in Blue Zone diets at a rate of five times a month, two ounces per serving. And when it does, it comes sourced from free-range animals that weren’t treated with hormones or antibiotics.


7. Substitute meat with fish


Keeping fish in the rotation not only takes pressure off your veggie cooking skills — it’s also a huge life-expectancy boon. One study found that “pesco-vegetarians” (who eat up to three ounces of fish daily) live longest, aided by omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. If you can, aim for non-farmed, mid-chain fish like trout, snapper and sardines.


8. Try not to eat just before bed


Your last meal of the day should be your smallest, and shouldn’t be eaten within three hours of heading to sleep. If you’re constantly pining for a huge dinner or bedtime snack, you’re probably not fueling properly throughout the day. It’s stress-eating dressed up as a reward, which leads to indigestion in the near term and weight gain over time.


9. Let yourself feel hunger


Don’t get bogged down with YouTube videos on “the right way to intermittently fast.” As renowned Harvard geneticist Dr. David Sinclair told us: “We don’t know the best method. We do know that if you’re never hungry,  if you’re eating three meals a day and snacking in between, that’s the worst thing you can do. It switches off your body’s defenses.”


10. Eat dark chocolate


Most people have heard this one. Dark chocolate is no elixir on its own, but cacao tree seeds are part of a family of environmentally stressed plants that “activate longevity pathways in other organisms when consumed.” Replace your cookies and cupcakes with a little square from time to time to reap the rewards of flavanols and resveratrol.


11. Make more PB&Js


Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are having a moment. A few years ago, ESPN devoted a profile to the NBA’s “secret addiction.” Tom Brady revealed not long after that the PB&J is his pregame meal of choice. And this year, a study concluded that the sandwich can add 33 minutes to your life. Remember to use whole-wheat bread and all-natural jelly.


12. Eat more beans


The backbone of the centenarian diet. Beans are high in fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, potassium and B-vitamins, and low in fat and calories. They fill you up as well as meat and cook easy (serve them on their own with olive oil and a bit of sea salt, or put them in a burrito or salad). David Buettner calls beans “the world’s greatest longevity food.”


13. Eat more nuts


Sure, you’ve heard it forever. That doesn’t make it any less true. One massive study that assessed nut consumption in approximately 119,000 Americans over 30 years found that regular nut-eaters (think a handful or two of almonds a day) reduced their risk of dying from cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease by 20%.


14. Cook with olive oil instead of butter


Olive oil giveth, butter taketh away. While butter increases “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood (low-density lipoproteins), olive oil is a longevity rockstar — in one study, people in the highest quintile for ingesting olive oil’s polyphenols lived an average of 9.5 years longer after the age of 65. Just make sure you’re buying extra virgin olive oil.


15. Put a cap on fun foods


You don’t have to ban salty and sugary treats from your life forever, but recognize that — in order to avoid empty calories and reduce your risk of heart disease — they can’t happen every time you have a tough day at work. That’s a self-defeating choice. Save them for the right time and place, like special celebrations, when you’ll appreciate them the most.


16. Eat slowly


For one, choking to death would really hamper your longevity goal (about one in 2,500 people die each year from choking). But slowing down while eating is also a great way to avoid overeating. Remember — it takes up to 20 minutes for the stomach to process what you’ve eaten. Take deliberate bites. Honor the meal and the effort it took to make it.


17. Drink more water


Here’s the rule: your optimal H20 per diem is one-half ounce to one ounce of water per pound of body weight. A 180-pound male, then, should aim for a little over 11 cups of water over the course of his day. There’s no need to exceed that (you’ll just piss it out), but reach it with regularity and your body’s command centers will repay you in kind.


18. Drink red wine at 5:00 p.m.


Like dark chocolate, red wine comes from a plant source that is rich in cholesterol-lowering flavanols. Some are wary of linking longevity to alcohol, but learning to moderately drink red wine can also recalibrate your relationship to the drug. Having a glass (keep it under three) at the end of the day, preferably with friends, is a stress-relieving behavior.


19. Drink tea every day


Green tea pops up everywhere in lifespan research. One famous study found that drinking the stuff three times a week pushes back your risk of “atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.” If you’re a fan, take up to two cups a day. It makes sure those “cardioprotective” polyphenols stay in your body long-term.


20. Coffee is also a good idea


A stimulant with side effects like jitters and trouble sleeping can help us live longer? Indeed. The chemical compounds in coffee aside from caffeine — a wealth of antixodiants — have a positive impact on mortality, especially when consumed in copious amounts. Drinking multiple cups of coffee each day can help stem chronic diseases from Type 2 diabetes to Parkinson’s.


21. Try the Mediterranean Diet


If you pick up some of the dietary habits above — eat locally, sub fish, use olive oil — you’re already well on your way. Nutritionists are rightfully skeptical on today’s litany of fad diets, but the Mediterranean diet remains well-respected for its capability to alter microbiomes, improve cognitive function, limit risk of heart disease and promote longevity.


22. Let food be


We want food that fits our wacky preferences (separating yolks to make egg whites), has a lot of flavor (peanut butter with added sugar) or would look good on TikTok (deep-fried macaroni and cheese casseroles). But these concepts don’t square away with the traditions of long-living communities, who treat and cook whole foods as they’re naturally cultivated.


23. Stop drinking cow’s milk


Why can’t 68% of the global population digest cow’s milk? We’re not supposed to drink it. Milk — and dairy, at large — is too high in fat and sugar to justify its long-time anointment as the best place to turn for protein and calcium. At the very least, cow’s milk has no impact on longevity, so feel free to sub it for a more environmentally friendly alternative.


24. Know it’s never too late


One month of healthy eating will confer immediate results in the realms of cell regeneration, decreased inflammation and improved digestion. Starting young is great, but it doesn’t matter how old you are. Meet with your doctor beforehand to get your bloodwork done. Then come back after and note the changes, specifically in vascular health.


25. Stick to your dietary changes


Your body will rebel once you ditch your unhealthy ways for a few days. It will undoubtedly feel easier to go back to butter, processed foods and the two vegetables that you actually like. But note all the positive little changes — from your trips up the stairs to your trips to the bathroom. Eating healthy will change your life, then let you live more of it.




BUILD THE BODY


26. Sleep more than seven hours a night


Quality sleep is non-negotiable if you want to live a long, healthy life. Entertain a pattern of undersleeping, and exhaustion will seep into everything you do: exercise, diet, interpersonal relationships. Sleeping five hours a night doubles your risk of death. Try to log seven, and keep it right there. Too much sleep isn’t great for longevity, either.


27. Practice yoga


No surprises here. Yoga slows down the effects of stress on cellular aging. Multiple studies (see here and here) have sung the praises of just three months of dedicated yoga. The combination of physical effort, breathwork and meditation slows the tide of inflammation while balancing hormones (like cortisol) that cause chronic stress.


27. Meditate for 15 minutes a day


Even if you can’t commit to an intensive yoga practice, finding time each day to “quiet” your brain is likely a life-extending habit. When we stage personal interventions to decrease brain activity, the brain increases activity of RE1-Silencing Transcription factor, a protein that “allows the brain to function at a higher capacity with less strain.”


28. Schedule an annual physical


“Physician-dodging” is a disturbing status quo for men between the ages of 35 and 54. Only 43% of that middle-aged cohort reported seeing their doctors for annual physicals. Blame it on busy-ness (or more likely, a mix of toxic masculinity and unacknowledged vulnerability), but too often men are late to diagnoses and die earlier because of it.


29. Start strength training


“Functional fitness” takes on an entirely new meaning by age 70, at which point most of us have a lost a quarter of the strength we had at 30 and struggle to perform basic tasks. In fact, people with low muscle strength are 50% more likely to die earlier. Start strength training early and focus particularly on grip strength, which will aid you best in old age.


30. Move every day


Walking for just 11 minutes each day can tangibly protect the body from the mortality risks of hours spent sitting in front of a computer. Leaving the house for a walk each day — like drinking tea and eating beans — is something all Blue Zone communities share. Find a time of day that works for you and pencil in a daily constitutional, rain or shine.


31. Optimize your workplace


A dose of reality on all the longevity chat: most of us aren’t herding goats on a bluff over the Aegean. We spend most of the day answering emails. Within that less-than-ideal situation, make sure your screen is raised to eye level, your back is set against an ergonomic chair and your feet are planted against the floor. Spinal health is critical as you age.


32. Keep an active sex life


Or at the least, an active orgasm life, especially as you age. One Welsh study of men between the ages of 45 and 59 discovered that a “high orgasmic frequency” can lower mortality risk by as much as 50%. Regular sex with a partner, meanwhile, reduces stress and risk of prostate cancer, while lowering blood pressure and improving mood.


33. Hang from a bar for one minute a day


In the “text neck” era, a daily dead hang will bring mobility back to your shoulders. The practice decompresses the spine and builds strength in the upper back. One minute at a time is really hard, so feel free to break the challenge into multiple increments. Oh, and don’t be surprised when the move improves your grip strength, too.


34. Turn the volume down


Damage done to the ossicles is irreversible. Train yourself to listen to AirPods and the like on low volume. Pumping 90-decibel noise (80% of an iPhone’s allotted volume) into your ears for just 10 minutes will put you on the path to tinnitus. The effect this has on quality of life is likely why people with extensive hearing loss die earlier.


35. Breathe through your nose


When we breathe through the nose, the nasal passageway humidifies and pressurizes the air. It produces nitric oxide, a molecule that “screens” air particles before they make it to the lungs. Once there, the lungs have an easier, more efficient time circulating oxygen throughout the body. This isn’t an easy switch (more than half of Americans breathe through their mouths), but it’s worth it — the practice can increase lung capacity, which improves cardio-respiratory function.


36. Relax your jaw


“Bruxism,” also known as teeth grinding or jaw clenching, is a natural response in an age of constant anxiety, but it leads to terrible sleep and even tooth fractures. When you’re stressing, take extra care to put space between your teeth and focus on your breathing. And while sleeping, consider a nighttime mouth guard.


37. Exercise in the cold


Cold-temperature exposure turns white fat (the inflammatory fat linked to heart disease) into brown fat (the naturally occurring fat that produces heat) though a process called thermogenesis. Basically, your body has to burn more energy to stay warm, which jumpstarts your metabolism. Norwegian research suggests 120 minutes outside a week in winter.


38. Get off the toilet


According to the “hydromechanics of defecation,” it takes the average person only 12 seconds to do his or her business. But men often linger in the bathroom, to the point that it’s played for laughs in sitcoms. The habit is less than ideal: stretching across the seat inflames the veins of the anal canal and over time can lead to hemorrhoids.


39. Use sunscreen


When melanoma metastasizes, the five-year survival rate nose-dives from 99% down to 25%. Here’s an even crazier statistic: between 1995 and 2014, 60% of those who died from head or neck melanoma were men between the ages of 15 and 39. The sun is no joke; it can snatch life away early if you aren’t using sunscreen and scheduling regular screenings.


40. Take power naps


Careful — napping for more than an hour in the middle of the day has been linked to all-cause mortality. But a 15- to 30-minute “power nap” actually increases cognitive ability and alertness. It solidifies memories in the brain, relieves stress during an exhausting day and energizes afternoons for exercise or social interaction.


41. Pick up HIIT


One of the beauties of modern exercise? It can be quick. Like, really quick. In the past decade, studies have extolled the benefits of exercising for 15 minutes, four minutes … even four seconds. The rationale remains the same throughout: high-intensity, “all out” bursts of physical effort foster muscle growth, clean up arteries and put years on your life.


42. Learn to play again


The only thing that’s inherently “childish” about playing is that children are more likely to do it.  Playing, in whatever form it may take — tennis, pick-up hoops, chasing your kids with a super soaker — is essential for mental health at all ages, and a crucial deviation from exercise measured solely in pain and progress.


43. Worry less about weight loss


Wait, shouldn’t we make weight loss a priority? The issue’s a bit more nuanced. Studies indicate that overly stressing about weight loss often leads to “weight cycling,” defined as a process of losing weight only to regain it all over again. This strains the body. Focus on building sustainable practices instead of aiming to shed fat from your frame.


44. Screen for cancer regularly


This one piggybacks on both the issue of physician-dodging and the need for sunscreen. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, with lung, colon and liver cancer accounting for the most deaths. It’s imperative that you take it seriously. Start screening regularly at age 45.


45. Make sure to floss once a day


There’s a reason dental hygienists get so terse when you admit to only flossing “once in a while.” Flossing doesn’t just prevents gum disease. It can stop heart disease. When bacteria gets into the bloodstream through the mouth, arteries narrow in an immune response. This taxes vascular health. Flossing for two minutes directly influences life expectancy.


46. Practice sleep hygiene


That doesn’t refer to washing your sheets once a week. Sleep hygiene is “an upkeep of behaviors that help you sleep.” Essentially: treating the process around sleeping as sacred. Learn to keep a calm, cool, uncluttered, sleep-only bedroom and follow methods (from shutting down caffeine intake to getting blackout curtains), that shorten your sleep latency.


47. Start running


Running helps people live longer. That much is clear. But researchers concluded recently that the pace and distance of your run doesn’t necessarily matter. Any sort of running routine (up to four-and-a-half hours total per week) will lead to a 30% reduced risk in all-cause mortality. FYI: going over that amount won’t cause any harm. Just be wary of injuries.


48. Get into swimming


In the battle of cardio routines, though, swimming might take the cake. The activity is perfect for aging: it’s low-impact, burns a ton of calories, works the whole body and encourages flexibility. No wonder that over one 32-year study, swimmers were an amazing 50% less likely to die than regular walkers and runners. Time to fish out the goggles.


49. Forget the six-pack


Listen: chasing a six-pack is a waste of time that has no bearing on how long you’ll live on this planet. Overworking “show muscles” too often comes at the expense of a functional, full-body routine. Double down on a diverse workout scheme and a diet without non-processed ingredients and you’ll naturally arrive at a tighter core, anyway.


50. Ask for help


Recruiting a family member or friend for advice on your fitness journey — or hiring a personal trainer or scheduling a consultation with an exercise physiologist — is not a sign of weakness. It’s the ultimate sign that you’re ready for change, committed to turning your life around and determined to get more life out of it in the process.




THINGS TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS


51. Don’t ride a motorcycle


Motorcycles look great, but their mortality numbers don’t. According to the NHTSA, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to have a fatal accident than car drivers. Even survival comes with a cost: 96% of motorcycle accidents result in injury.


52. Don’t take up BASE jumping


One of the bleakest databases you’ll ever see? The BASE fatality list. BASE jumping carries a risk up to eight times greater than skydiving. Its even more dangerous cousin, meanwhile — wingsuit flying — has a rate of one death per 500 jumps. Unsurprisingly, virtually everyone involved with the sport has a friend who died young.








53. Don’t eat processed foods


Foodstuffs with added sugar, sodium and fat are killing us all. Processed food isn’t supposed to be easy to give up (it comprises over half the “dietary energy consumed” in the United States and United Kingdom). But it’s critical that you cut back. Frozen pizzas, mayonnaise, Oreos and the like drastically increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.


54. Don’t take hard drugs


Aside from the obvious in-moment risk of overdose (deaths from opioids and psychostimulants have been going up since 1990), chronic and high-dose drug use decelerate dopaminergic function. In simpler terms: most of the things you rely on for healthy living — motor control, motivation, arousal, etc. — become seriously compromised over time.


55. Don’t ingest tobacco


Not to sound like an elementary school health teacher, but it really is this simple. Right behind diet, tobacco use is the leading cause of “premature, preventable death” in the United States. And while we normally associate cigarettes with lung cancer, nicotine use can also cause cancer in the throat, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder and cervix.


56. Don’t smoke e-cigarettes


The majority of e-cigarettes have nicotine in them, but all of them have chemicals that will irritate your lungs. Consider: they contain propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin (which are toxic to cells), acetaldehyde, formaldehyde (which can cause lung or heart disease) and acrolein (a herbicide that’s usually used to kill weeds).


57. Don’t binge drink


The CDC: “A a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 g/dl or above.” Think seven drinks or so per binge, with several binges a month. Health experts unilaterally agree that this is a bad idea. One study even determined that drinking 25 drinks per week at age 40 can shorten life expectancy by up to five years.


58. Don’t eat hot dogs


Twitter had a lot of fun with this one, but it’s actually true — according to a recent University of Michigan study, eating a hot dog takes 36 minutes off your life. That doesn’t exactly compare to a single hit of heroin (24 hours off your life!), but it could put you in a bad cycle of salty, highly processed “meat.” Avoid them, or save solely for the odd ballgame.


59. Don’t have unprotected sex


While STIs are most definitely not more fatal than traveling in a car (as one group of volunteers misestimated in a study), they can cause infertility, urinary tract problems and half a dozen different cancers. Not to mention: unprotected sex can bring overwhelming mental stress to an activity that otherwise helps us stay healthy and happy.


60. Don’t drive under impairment


Every hour, someone dies from a drunk-driving incident in America. That’s over 30% of annual road deaths in the country. Even if you’re a responsible driver, remember to prepare for those who aren’t (always wear a seat belt!) and assess other ways you engage in distracted driving. Sending one text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds.


61. Don’t live in the middle of nowhere


Living close to nature decreases your risk of depression and obesity, indirectly adding years to your life. But there’s such a thing as too much solitude. Rural living can also mean a repressed social life, too much time in the car, relying on Walmart for food, fending for yourself during natural disasters and traveling over an hour for emergency medical care.


62. Don’t blindly pop OTC pills


We’re so accustomed to taking corner-store drugs like Tylenol and Advil that we can forget they’re, well, drugs. Always follow capsule instructions to a tee. The former contains Acetaminophen (which can cause liver issues in high doses), while the latter is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding when taken improperly).


63. Don’t overeat


Calorie restriction can play a small part in adding years to your life, but unchecked calorie intake plays a very loud role in taking them away. The average American eats 3,600 calories a day (up nearly 25% from the 1960s), and the national obesity rate sits at 42.4%. Obesity coincides with common comorbidities like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.


64. Don’t eat more protein than you need


The scientific research on this is pretty clear, as much as it may shock the biggest guy at your gym. A reduced protein intake “plays a critical role in longevity and metabolic health.” Most American men currently average twice the amount of protein they actually need in a day. That comes with too much IGF-1, a growth factor that accelerates aging.


65. Don’t stay in a stressful job


A study published in 2015 found that sticking with a tough job — with an unreasonable boss, little social support or looming layoffs — can literally take two years off your life. A paycheck is a paycheck, but when a job starts exerting massive mental stress over you, the body can’t tell if the initial trigger is mental or physical. It’ll fall apart either way.


66. Don’t hold a grudge


Happy people live longer. Improve your happiness by practicing “epistemic humility,” an intellectual virtue predicated on the idea that one can ever know something for sure. It’s meant to help us admit our imperfections and forgive others. Sounds too good to be true in the 2020s? All the more reason to give it a try.


67. Don’t blame your genes


When just 25% of your genetics are accountable for your personal longevity, it doesn’t make much sense to deterministically pin your fate (or blame your behaviors) on what happened to your parents or grandparents. Learn your familial risks, yes, but approach your daily actions and decisions with confidence and hope.


68. Don’t sit around all day


Online publications really ran with the “sitting is the new smoking” tagline. Not quite, but sitting should be taken seriously as a public health issue. American adults sit seven hours a day, which disrupts the body’s ability to break down body fat, slows metabolism and elevates blood pressure. Get moving, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.


69. Don’t doomscroll


New phrase for you? Doomscrolling is “excessively scrolling through news or social media feeds looking for negative updates.” It’s at the intersection of smartphone addictions, a terrible news cycle and our primordial need to anticipate danger. But this sort of behavior wreaks havoc on your mental health and (unsurprisingly) never solves anything.


70. Don’t binge-watch Netflix


A full eight years ago, 61% of Netflix users admitted to binge-watching content on the platform. We’ve added five major streaming services since then; each has a revolving door of content and most employ hyped full-season releases. While cranking through episodes feels like a reward, it causes eye strain, backaches, weight gain and sleep deprivation.


71. Don’t binge on screentime


American adults spend up to six hours on their phones each day. Some of those hours are spent doomscrolling, others pushing back sleep (66% of adults bring their phones to bed), and far too much of it involves poring over the airbrushed life updates of others. Little wonder Instagram has been likened to addictive painkillers by reputable researchers.


72. Don’t play American football


The “Should you let your kids play football?” became a culture war topic in the early 2010s on the heels of unprecedented CTE research. Honest answer: probably not. At least, avoid the full-contact version of the game, which has the highest concussion rate outside of rugby and can cause irreversible damage to the brain.


73. Don’t fool around in National Parks


Or state parks. Or the woods behind your house. Or any public lands where you can hike, swim and camp without a professional ranger on hand to help at a moment’s notice. People die constantly from drowning, falls, exposure, animal encounters … selfie sticks. The issue is more relevant than ever, as novice hikers flock to nature in the pandemic era.


74. Don’t mess with firearms


There are 120.5 guns for every 100 people in America. An insane 73% of homicides involve a gun.The disturbing truth is you can easily find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time in this country. Still, the least you can do is keep guns out of your home: 27,000 people go to the hospital for accidental firearm injuries each year.


75. Don’t ignore air quality


Dirty air kills more people than all transportation accidents and shootings combined, accounting for the premature deaths of one in every 25 Americans. Train yourself to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the weather app on your iPhone. Anything over 100 means the air “is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Your run can wait until tomorrow.




THE WILD CARDS


76. Check your household products


We knew we hated shampoo. Chemicals called phthalates are found in shampoos, fragrances, cleansers and plastics. When they get into the body, they reduce the body’s stress hormone cortisol, meddle with metabolism, negatively affect the reproductive system, and can lead to extremely preventable premature deaths.


77. Live with a purpose


The Okinawans say ikigai, the Nicoyans in Costa Rica say plan de vida. Each phrase translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Finding that “why” can feel random and frustrating, but it often brings people to pursuits and causes outside of themselves. And — science backs this up — once you believe your life matters, you get to live more of it.


78. Manage negative thought loops


Negative thought loops trick us into thinking we’re being productive (we psychoanalyze uncomfortable memories, prepare for imaginary dangers, relitigate life decisions), but in reality we’re just willingly drowning ourselves in a puddle of anxiety, activating a hormone-fueled “fight or flight” response that can’t be addressed in the given moment.


79. Have a plan after retirement


Not necessarily a financial plan, though that’s also a good idea. One surprising study displayed that working longer can help people live longer. Remember, jobs can be real-world lifelines for many — they offer social engagement, days out of the house, challenging projects. It’s important to have goals and communities for filling your time after retiring, too.


80. Pick up “forest bathing”


In Japan, shinrin-yoku refers to “forest bathing,” or the act of taking in nature using all of your senses. Recent studies show adults spend 93% of their time indoors, which takes a toll on mental health (“stir crazy” is scientific). But the exact opposite is true for spending time outdoors. A single forest “bath” decreases scores for depression, fatigue, anxiety.


81. Settle down near a body of water


Take a look at a map of the world’s Blue Zones. Each is concentrated along a coastline. Settling down by the sea — in a so-called “blue space” — has been linked to a 17% reduction in mortality rate. One study suggested that living within 250 meters of a seaside environment helps reduce stress levels, with the smell and sounds offering a “wonderful tonic.”


82. Play board games


People who regularly play non-digital games are more likely to score well on memory and thinking tests in their 70s, a study determined in 2019. Games like cards, chess and crosswords aren’t just stress-relievers; they aid in cognitive function and slow down cognitive decline. Fortunately, that holds true if you come to them later in life, too.


83. Join a team


Team sports are a longevity motherlode. They combine consistent social interaction, vigorous exercise and play, all of which convey dynamite benefits for your physical and mental health. One study even discovered that making an adult soccer league your primary mode of exercise (over solo activities like jogging) could add five years to your life.


84. Tell the truth


Another reason not to get into politics — lying takes years off your life. The emotional stress that comes from telling mistruths often manifests as physical stress. Whatever the momentary reward, lying increases your risk of anxiety and depression, can sabotage relationships over time and shatters your self-esteem.


85. Listen to live music twice a month


Take the fortnight frequency with a grain of salt (it comes from a study commissioned by British entertainment operator O2), but we do know that live concerts are mindful, socially rich experiences. Assuming you don’t need to binge drink or trip on acid every time you attend one, plugging concerts into the calendar each month is a great idea.


86. Take colder showers


Make like Ian Fleming’s James Bond and finish your showers with an ice-cold “Scottish” rinse. Up to a minute (after a morning workout) is best, if you can handle it. The ritual will lower blood pressure, stimulate your immune system and can even hack your mood, releasing happy neurotransmitters like dopamine, adrenaline, norepinephrine and serotonin.


87. Read before bed


According to one study from the Yale University School of Public Health, “people who read books for at least 30 minutes a day live nearly two years longer than non-readers.” Reading lowers heart rate and eases tension in the muscles, fosters empathy (especially if you’re reading fiction) and helps defeat insomnia. Start with a chapter a day.


88. Keep a journal


Personal journal-keeping can predict an astonishing 53% reduction in all-cause dementia risk. The action boosts your “cognitive reserve” in the long term while sharpening memory in the short term. Oh, and, taking notes with pen and paper is crucial; it makes it easier to summarize and retain information than taking notes with computers.


89. Embrace behavioral activation


The phrase refers to performing an activity that necessitates  presence of mind. Think: cooking, gardening, walking the dog. While these sound like chores, they’re actually back doors to positive thinking and productivity. It’s an effective treatment for depression and other mood disorders, whereas languishing only worsens symptoms.


90. Avoid social jetlag


Social jet lag occurs when the body’s sleep-wake cycle is suddenly thrown out of whack. When you choose to stay up late on a Saturday, you’re pushing the “midpoint” of your sleep forward. You then have to scramble back to your usual internal clock in time for Monday morning, which affects everything from body temperature to metabolism.


91. Learn a language


Similar to “eat a bowl of almonds,” we’ve all heard this one. But it’s also absolutely true. Bilingual brains age slower than monolingual brains, delaying neurological diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s never too late, and don’t stress if fluency feels out of reach — the simple act of learning and studying a second language has a positive impact on the brain.


92. Show up to events


Researchers are convinced: “Social connections are probably the single-most important feature of living a long, healthy, happy life.” Showing up to functions with family and friends (as opposed to stressing out and skipping them) proves you can be a light, reliable presence in other people’s lives. The invites will keep coming, and you’ll be better off for it.


93. Maintain friendships


Swimming in centenarians, Sardinia was the first Blue Zone region ever identified. The island’s men have a habit of finishing each day at a local bar to talk with lifelong friends. In America, where 15% of middle-aged men report having no close friends, that sort of dynamic everyday interaction (whether at a bar or book club) could prove revelatory.


94. Make time to travel


Make time for vacation, first off — overworked Americans leave hundreds of millions of vacation days on the table each year in fear of looking replaceable to employers. Then use that time to actually go and see the world you’ve read so much about; taking just two trips a year raises feelings of contentment while lowering your risk of heart disease.


95. Visit museums


Or visit the ballet. Or visit some experimental art show that your friend’s friend is putting on (even if you have no interest). Those who afford themselves a regular “culture fix” have a 14% lower risk of passing away earlier than a typical lifespan. There is a correlation-over-causation argument to be made, but taking in art is always beneficial.


96. Find your spiritual side


You may want nothing to do with religion. But the findings are indisputable. People of faith people live longer, and in some cases, by up to four years. Congregations show up at the same time each week, they tell stories, they volunteer in their communities. From a longevity perspective, these rituals are extremely potent. It’s worth finding your equivalent.


97. Change your mind


Never in the history of the internet has anyone said “My bad, I’ve changed my mind.” Perhaps people should start. Challenging yourself to look past your imperfect point of view is a next-level stress-reliever that unshackles your entire mindset. Stop arguing in circles. Embrace that other people know things. Then live longer for it.


98. Have a family


It’s a good idea to grow old around younger people. Adults with at least one child tend to have more social interactions and lower mortality rates. On a somewhat less wholesome note, men who end up with younger partners also live longer, too. Younger spouses are a positive psychological influence, and more capable caretakers in the twilight years.


99. Summon some empathy


The whole of society is in an “empathy crisis” right now, so it’s okay if thinking of others takes a little extra effort. But monitoring and augmenting your empathic capacity isn’t just beneficial for your friends, family and colleagues — it’s associated with with life satisfaction and positive “interaction profiles” (how you do with others), regardless of age.


100. Celebrate aging


Not just in the birthday cake sense. Those who approach aging with a positive outlook end up aging easier than others. Proactively acknowledge what’s to come instead of fretting about the wrinkles under your eyes. Maybe you’ll make it to 100. Maybe you won’t. But your absolute best chance comes from living your best life along the way.


         
Glucose Level Detector Will Help You Check Blood Sugar Using Perspiration; Here’s How It Works
Have you been apprehensive about pricking your fingers to know your glucose level? Fear no more as American scientists have recently developed the model of a portable glucose monitor.


This article is a repost which originally appeared on The Science Times
Marie Morales - October 18, 2021
Edited for content and readability Images sourced from Pexels
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113606


In the study, Laser-induced graphene non-enzymatic glucose sensors for on-body measurements, published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, a team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University initially developed a device with laser-induced graphene or LIG, a material comprising layers of carbon and thickness of an atom in various types.


While the said LIG seemed to be an ideal setting for the monitoring or detecting device, the report specified that it was “not at all sensitive to glucose.”




People apprehensive about pricking their fingers to monitor their glucose level will fear no more as American scientists have recently developed the model of a portable glucose monitor.






















Nickel for Strong Sensitivity to Glucose


Addressing the flaw, the team then opted for nickel due to its strong sensitivity to glucose and combined it with gold to lessen the possible risk of an allergic reaction.


While the glucose concentration in sweat is roughly 100 times lower than the concentration in blood, this new device of the team is sensitive enough to measure glucose accurately in the seat and have the concentration reflected in the blood.


According to Huanyu “Larry Cheng,” a Penn State Department of Engineering and Mechanical Sciences professor, the sensitivity of the nickel-gold alloy enabled the team to rule out enzymes, which are frequently used to measure glucose in more invasive, not to mention commercially available devices.


Nevertheless, non-enzymatic sensors necessitate an alkaline solution, which can impair the skin, and in general, limits the device’s portability.


Microfluidic Chamber Attached to the LIG


To control the possible damage, the researchers attached a microfluidic chamber to the LIG allow, which is linked to a collection inlet that enables sweat to pass through the solution minus enabling it to touch the skin.


The basic solution is interacting with the glucose molecules to generate a compound that is reacting with the allow.


Such a reaction is activating an electrical signal that indicates the concentration of glucose in sweat, explained Cheng.


Conducting a proof-of-concept test, the study authors used an adhesive that’s safe to use in skin, to attach to the wearable device, specifically worn over the arm of a person, one hour and three hours following a meal.


A Decline in Glucose Concentration


Before every measurement beat, the subject was tasked to perform a brief training session, just adequate to generate sweat.


After a few minutes of collecting the seat, the researchers discovered that the detected concentration of glucose dropped from the initial measurement to the succeeding one.


Essentially, glucose readings from the device were validated by measurements made using a glucose meter that’s commercially available.


Commenting on the invention, Cheng said they want to work with doctors, as well as other healthcare providers to find out how their technology can be applied for the patient’s daily monitoring. He added this glucose sensor serves as an ultimate example to show that the detection of biomarkers in sweat can be enhanced at very low concentrations.


Related information about non-invasive glucose monitoring devices is shown on TechCrunch’s YouTube video below: