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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Seed Magazine - Longevity Research


This cool but brief article from Seed Magazine appeared a few days back.

Longevity research is all the rage these days as Boomers try to find ways to defeat time and death. But this research is also uncovering new ways for us to be healthy while we are here in these bodies, which is something most of us fund useful.

Here they offer three pathways for research and links to the studies.

ScienceBloggers discuss the latest developments in longevity research.

by Virginia Hughes • Posted December 24, 2008 07:56 AM

Calorie Restriction
In October 2006, Jonah Lehrer noted that the low-calorie link to longevity had received a spree of publicity in the popular press. Although a restricted diet has been shown to increase the lifespan of rodents and primates, Jonah points out that severe dieting has a major evolutionary drawback: your body won't have enough energy for sex. Furthermore, given many Americans' habits today, dieting may be culturally unrealistic: "since 40 percent of Americans are currently obese, mass starvation probably isn't a viable public health plan," he writes. About a year later, Mark Hoofnagle wrote about a study in PLoS suggesting that it's not just how little you eat that makes you live longer, but how little protein you eat.

Resveratrol.

Resveratrol
In November 2006, a Nature report found that resveratrol, a compound in red wine, can increase the lifespan of yeast, worms, flies, and mice by up to 20%. Shelley Batts explained the findings.

The results were so tantalizing, noted Abel Pharmboy, that the senior author of the paper, David Sinclair, raised $82 million in venture capital funding to continue the research.

This August, however, Jake Young reviewed the resveratrol research and brought up some lingering questions about the drug's biological mechanism. "While we are beginning to understand the molecular biology of aging, we should remember that mice are not humans," he wrote. "There are good reasons to be skeptical that inhibiting pro-aging pathways in humans will have the same effect that it has in lower organisms."

Sex Differences
Last year, Afarensis explained that studying the tooth size of hoofed animals can help us understand why women live longer than men.

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4 comments:

  1. trustinspaceDecember 30, 2008 at 8:24 AM

    I literally read this blog all day long. I loved the article on 'A changing Worldview' It's awesome!

    But ...

    I am a former vegetarian. I have had friends disown me for my decision to become pro-meat again. I can't stand the way animals are treated because I know they are my equal. I am very connected to my mind and body and have a hard time getting enough good calories without eating meat at every meal.

    That said, something needs to be done about the way animals are treated and also about how people are breeding because mass production of our needs is what is dangerous.

    There is absolutely no reason why eating more meat would make you live a shorter life. We really need protein for testostorone (in both men and women). We are talking about serious depression, sex drive, and the drive to accomplish anything, so this to me is more than obvious.

    High testostorone men and women built our cities, fought our wars, and continue to protect us. (not just police/military but citizens as well)

    You read T-Nation ...

    We need meat to have the correct calorie proportions to gain lean muscle mass rather than fat that weighs you down and makes you weak. Being phsyically weak definitely makes you mentally weak.

    There is enough variety of meat to not eat too much of one.

    Humans are animals. We need strength so that we can work hard, do the right thing when we need to, and make fully conscious decisions.

    The standards for my future are held really high and I must take care of myself the best that I can so that I have the necessary energy to carry out my plans.

    Soy is very harmful in large quantities. (breast cancer and dangerously high estrogen levels)

    Moderation is key in living a long life. Connection to other people, exercise (mind and body), carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins, and H2o are the essentials and basic needs.

    There are some things that we can not control in life and we can be removed from here without justification.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Peter KroescheDecember 30, 2008 at 5:53 PM

    Love your blog.
    As to resveratrol it is an antioxidant.
    Just as botanicals produce antioxidants to protect them selves, our body
    has it’s own antioxidant protection system. However after the age of twenty the production of this essential antioxidant slows down.

    Did you know glutathione is the most powerful, prevalent antioxidant in your body? Increasing your glutathione level will naturally increase your energy, detoxify your body and strengthen your immune system.
    Tests show these products are effective in those who are stressed, aging, lacking sleep, or with any prolonged illness. In these situations, you can stimulates the body's production of glutathione to compensate for the body's accelerated use of it, strengthening your natural defences, decreasing your risk of illness, and guarding against the effects of the body's aging process.
    It’s in your interest to learn more, have a look at:-
    http://max4me.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. dhynesokDecember 31, 2008 at 10:07 AM

    The wonder ingredient in wine is resveratrol. Dr. David Sinclair, Associate Professor of Pathology and Co-Director of the
    Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard Medical School is the leader in research into the anti-aging
    properties of resveratrol. The current studies performed by Dr. Sinclair and many other researchers have shown great promise
    for resveratrol treating the diseases of aging. There are numerous articles that I have linked to at my website -
    http://resveratrol.webiage.com - that document the findings for the potential health benefits in treating heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis,
    obesity, and other diseases.
    Concerning supplements containing a high quality and potency of resveratrol that is necessary to achieve the dosage levels
    utilized in the lab tests, there is a new product called Vivix. Shaklee Corporation, the number one natural nutrition company
    in the U.S. (http://www.shaklee.com/index.shtml), has produced a liquid resveratrol supplement that is 10 times stronger than
    resveratrol alone due to its patented formulation of polyphenols.
    Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz are both users and promoters of Shaklee products and Oprah has featured Roger Barnett, Chairman and
    CEO of Shaklee (http://www.shaklee.com/company_lead_ceo.shtml), on her show.
    So for a highly researched resveratrol supplement of exceptional quality, please visit -
    http://www.shaklee.net/davidhynes/vivix - to discover more about Vivix.

    ReplyDelete
  4. william harrymanDecember 31, 2008 at 4:15 PM

    Thanks for the comments!

    As for resveratrol, I know all about it and I highly recommend the Biotest brand - highest potency bar none. The NOW brand is also good. Too many have extra crap in them.

    Dezi - I hear you about meat. I was once a vegetarian many years back - couldn't sustain it and play college soccer as well. Now I NEED high protein intake, some of which is meat, to fuel my workouts and keep the muscle I have built over the years.

    I try to eat meat that is environmentally healthy (locally raised), but it's hard for many people to do this, I know.

    Peace,
    Bill

    ReplyDelete