AGING THEORY: CAUSE 7: MISCELLANEOUS
OTHER CAUSES OF AGING: MISCELLANEOUS USEFUL WAYS TO EXTEND HEALTHSPAN
BRAIN – Three major pathways increasing the rate of aging are mTOR, AMPK, and NFkappaB. Strawberries inhibit mTOR, strawberries and blueberries protect the brain. For the average person, the first year after a stroke costs $100,000, and $40,000 annually thereafter. Vitamin C (500 mg twice a day) dramatically reduces stroke damage. 0.5 mg premarin/kg body weight within 2 hours after a stroke or traumatic brain injury dramatically helps, and OHSU Hospital administers a high dose of vitamin C to all brain injuries in their emergency room.
TRAITS – Traits of people noted in world regions where people are long lived include fewer carbs in the diet and more fiber. Insulin triggered by carbs induces fat storage leading to obesity.
NATURAL PRODUCTS – Natural products that maintain health and extend lifespan. Resveratrol, metformin, capsaicin, EGCG (green tea), and salicylate activate the AMPK pathway that causes burning stored fat. Mito-C is particularly designed to prevent protein misfolding and preserve the brain.NDGA is an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory that extends life span. Regular aspirin use increases male longevity 8%. Acarbose blocks polysaccharide uptake from the gut resulting in 12% weight loss in men and women. Resveratrol extends health span. Curcumin helps maintain proper protein folding, “proteostasis”, which is a new understanding of how to extend healthspan. Curcumin also improves expression of healthy genes. It extends lifespan, suppresses weight gain, drives fatty acid oxidation in animals. Lithium also promotes proteostasis at 100x less than clinical doses. Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory. Diadzein has life-extending properties. Caloric restriction works starting at any age. Late life caloric restriction in people decreases blood pressure, thriglycerides, and cortisol, increases HDL and testosterone. 2g Resveratrol per day (from RevGenetics or BioTivia) mimics caloric restriction in a trial in 10 older men. One suggestion was to store your own blood to use when you get older, as transfusing young blood into older animals in paired mice restores youth. 2 g of Spirulina daily has a potent effect preserving neurogenesis. Other especially useful things to consume are blueberries, green tea, vitamin D3, and carnosine. [Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is a dipeptide of the amino acids beta-alanine and histidine. It is highly concentrated in muscle and brain tissues. Carnosine can oppose glycation and it can chelate divalent metal ions. Chronic glycolysis is suspected to accelerate aging.] The combined effects of these are synergistic, so getting them all frequently is better than just a lot of one. Coconut oil contains high levels of short chain saturated fatty acids, and these are beneficial, even though it is saturated fat. The liver converts them to ketones, which counteract carbs. Exercise is so powerful that it can substitute for drug addiction, reduce food intake, and remove preference (addiction) to high fat diet. A high fat diet blunts the leptin response, which in healthy weight people makes them feel full after a meal. Percentage of people over age 70 who are deficient: vitamin E 73%; folate 50%; vitamin D 90%; vitamin B12 25%; vitamin B6 25%; fiber – most. Over 70 one should drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. Tufts University has developed an elderly food pyramid.
