Lifespan: Why we Age and why we don't have to - Sinclair

New book by David Sinclair, Harvard genetics/longevity researcher I've posted about here. 

Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To


I've been reading it and recommend this to the forum as a book you'll very likely enjoy and get a lot from (I got a copy from the Library). It's a book for the popular press but more 'upscale' then you typically get, and just right for the scientifically literate educated people on this forum. 

In particular it's already a wonderful resource for helping me synthesize where we are, and at least his theory of where we are going in aging mitigation. In particular why the anti-oxidation theory of aging is incorrect, and why his information theory of aging is, if not correct, then certainly the best theory we have with present day knowledge. 

In short he breaks aging down to a loss of information in two forms - genetic (the 'hardware' and epigenetic (the 'software'). So far the things we discuss here are addressing the hardware - such as mitochondrial function and senolytics. He discusses what he believes the second stage which is the software, or epigenetic restoration. 

Well worth a read, discussion welcome. 

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    • dantheman
    • 4 yrs ago
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    First takeaway: I'm considering whether to continue to pursue further supplementation for aging. For example; sulforathane. Rhonda Patrick has extolled its virtues as has Sandra Kaufman, but it's hard to get and/or expensive in capsule form and dealing with broccoli sprouts is a pain. As it is I am heavily invested in antioxidant lifestyle and supplementation. According to Sinclair while this isn't a negative and has some preventative benefit, it's clear that it won't increase total lifespan. 

    Also of note; I'm finding a much correspondence between what he is saying and  sandra kaufmann  protocol. OK Sinclair worked on Sirtuins, but if you're trying to figure out the core of your supplement program than you'd probably be hard pressed to find a better starting place than the Kaufmann Protocol. 

    Idea being considered: stick with the approach we have here which is diet, exercise, hormones, senolytics & supplementation but probably little benefit from going overboard. This is "Phase I", which is preserving what we have and staving off the worst of aging. Meanwhile wait for "Phase II" which is epigenetic reprogramming, probably available in the next decade. 

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    • dantheman
    • 4 yrs ago
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    We were speaking of plant and animal based diets elsewhere on the forum, here's duplicate post with notes from the book on the subject

     

    Followup, in David Sinclair's new book he discusses how certain Amino Acids - prevalent in animal foods, promote the aging process via mTOR (c.f. p99*). Current thinking is that it's nutrient sensing that tells our system whether times are good (lots of food = time to breed and grow) or bad (not much food = time to repair and wait it out). Specifically (pp 100-101)  

    There's a lot of methionine in beef, lamb, poultry, pork, and eggs, whereas plant proteins, in general, tend to contain low levels of that minor acid - enough to keep the lights on, as it were, but not enough to let biological complacency set in.  

    The same is true for arginine and the three branched-chain amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, all of which can activate mTOR. Low levels of these amino acids correlate with increased lifespan ... 

    Now of course research is always evolving and it's difficult to know the right approach in the early days. However, FWIW personally I started my age reversal program in the 80's and back then all we suspected was "eat plants and exercise" - based on the early data we had back then (I've been a vegan since and have documented my biological age and measurements around the forum). Now we know much more, including the mechanisms by which animal foods, via specific amino acids, turn off the rejuvenation processes. Personally I'm scratching the amino acids off the list. 

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  • For those who havent read the book, this video gives a good overview. I fast forwarded past the intro. Interesting theory that its all epigenetic. https://youtu.be/9nXop2lLDa4?t=336

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