Dr Mercola on Longevity and Things That Might Hurt It

Some Longevity Strategies Might Actually Be Killing You Slowly

Dr Mercola recently ran an article about "Longevity Strategies That May Be Highly Counterproductive." Here are a few interesting excerpts from that article.

Highlights "At A Glance.."

• Longevity studies have found that tryptophan restriction helps achieve the longest lifespan extension, followed by cysteine and methionine restriction. Tryptophan and methionine are essential amino acids, so you do need some, but your daily requirement of these amino acids is very small.
• Research shows that restricting daily methionine intake to a maximum of 2 milligrams per kilogram body weight can reverse obesity in obese Type 2 diabetics
• While studies have shown that calorie restriction extends lifespan, a closer look suggests it’s not the fasting itself that is beneficial, but rather the restriction of inflammatory amino acids. Less food also means you’re exposed to less endotoxin that promotes chronic systemic inflammation
• Gelatin and/or glycine supplementation, can help counteract muscle breakdown in the elderly. Research shows that women given 20 grams of gelatin daily have a drastic decline in biomarkers for muscle breakdown
• Resistant starch can feed endotoxin-producing gut bacteria, thereby promoting inflammation. So, avoid low-glycemic starches, including cooked and cooled rice or potatoes, semi-raw oats, green mango and green bananas

Another discovery: NMN and why you need a supplement

If you listen to the podcast in the video link above, you will find out that it should be heard a couple times. It covers a lot of material.

But in essence, the straight vegan diet might not be so good for you after all.

Interestingly enough, those fed a vegan diet ended up faring the worst. So, fasting, eating a vegan diet, and engaging in strenuous exercise may actually be highly counterproductive.

According to Dinkov, while studies have shown that calorie restriction extends lifespan, a closer look suggests it’s not the fasting itself that is beneficial, but rather the restriction of inflammatory amino acids and undigested starch.

Less undigested food reaching your large intestine provides less fuel to feed the bacteria there and radically lowers the production of endotoxin (Lipopolysaccharide LPS) that promotes chronic systemic inflammation.

Soooo.... you can read the whole article HERE if you have a subscription to Dr. Mercola's site on Medium. But if you don't, here are the important parts to note.

‘No Pain, No Gain’ Is Likely False for Exercise Too

Saladino also highlights research showing that five minutes of high-intensity interval training per week produces equivalent or better cardiovascular fitness than one hour of running, six days a week.

Protein Is Essential for Muscle Maintenance

As noted by Saladino, many in the longevity community (Dr. Ron Rosedale comes to mind) also recommend limiting protein, especially animal protein, but the fact is you simply must have sufficient protein to maintain muscle mass.

And gelatin. Who knew?

Gelatin Helps Counteract Muscle Breakdown in the Elderly

Dinkov reviews research showing that women given 20 grams of gelatin daily have a drastic decline in biomarkers for muscle breakdown. So, gelatin had an anabolic effect. Another study demonstrated that in older people, dietary protein fails to trigger the same muscle protein synthesis that occurs in younger people.

According to Dinkov, even in younger individuals, the benefits of protein intake maxes out for most people at 35 grams per meal, simply because your body cannot utilize more. Above that, he says, the protein gets deaminated and converted to glucose, which is something you don’t want. 

As with most things, moderation is a good principle to follow.

Here are a couple I didn't know about. But worth adding to the regimen: aspirin and activated charcoal.

Life Extending Benefits of Aspirin and Activated Charcoal

Dinkov also reviews how chronic inflammation and the accompanying chronic elevation of cortisol causes muscle wasting or sarcopenia in the elderly. This can be blocked, he suggests, by lowering inflammation, and one way to do this is a daily aspirin regimen. This will help lower cortisol, thereby helping you build muscle without staying in a chronically catabolic state.

Charcoal tablets may also be helpful. Dinkov reviews studies showing that if you give animals activated charcoal, they retain most of their lean muscle mass and look relatively young even in advanced age.

Charcoal does not absorb into your bloodstream, so whatever it’s doing is happening in the gut. Dinkov suspects these benefits are related to the fact that activated charcoal absorbs and eliminates endotoxins from gut bacteria. This in turn suggests that endotoxins play a role in the aging process.

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