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December 2021 Longevity Review

Posted by Chris Pollyanna , 04 January 2022 · 1,615 views

longevity supplements lifestyle nmn resveratrol metformin rapamycin curcumin astaxanthin spermidine

As we head into a new and hopefully much better year, there’s one last month from 2021 to take a look at from a longevity perspective. I might have taken a good chunk of time off to finally reconnect with family, but the publishing of scientific studies continued unabated.

For those of you making new year’s resolutions to change your diet, the diet section contains plenty of food for thought. Personally, I don’t follow a “named” diet, rather I fast for at least 12 hours a day and try to eat as many different plants as possible. I try to limit, but not cut out, red meat, while ensuring I eat plenty of seafood. Having said that, I also don’t beat myself up when I do succumb to the temptation of junk food. As for exercise, I just try to get as much movement in my day as I can. However, I will be trying to incorporate more resistance exercises like squats and pushups in my daily routine.

Not a lot of longevity news from me apart from having had the chance to meet and thank Dmitry Kaminskiy in London, whose Deep Knowledge Group was crucial in helping to incorporate the Canadian Longevity Association. Also today I had a good chat with Tina Woods, who helped set up the All Party Parliamentary Group for Longevity in the UK.

Stay safe!

Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPollyanna1 for the latest updates.

For previous updates, you can find them in the Canadian Longevity Association Facebook group, and also my Patreon account, which includes bonus material for supporters.
Don’t forget to check out Lifespan.io’s Rejuvenation Roadmap - the best resource for seeing the state of progress towards longevity therapeutics.

Finally, if you are interested in helping grow a Canadian longevity non-profit, then please contact me via the Canadian Longevity Association website.
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December Round-Up:

Although this review is for December, we are in January already, and many people will have made the resolution to lose weight. Intermittent fasting is one way to potentially achieve that, and in a timely fashion, here is an umbrella review of various fasting regimens in obesity. The winners, with a greater than 5% reduction in weight, were Modified Alternate-day Fasting and the 5:2 method.
*Intermittent Fasting and Obesity-Related Health Outcomes Full Text

Sticking with New Year’s resolutions, the next study will not yet unfortunately excuse you from getting off your comfy couch and doing some exercise. However, in the future, we might be able to encapsulate the benefits in drug form to enjoy the holidays guilt free!
Blood from marathoner mice boosts brain function in their couch-potato counterparts Abstract

This past month saw a smorgasbord of senolytic papers, and rather than try to pick out just one, I’ll highlight the most interesting ones. Leading the bunch is a paper which uses vaccination to eliminate senescent cells, followed up by yet another new senolytic derived from a natural source - this time grape seed extract. Then there are two papers showing how immune function and muscle regeneration can be improved with senolytics.
A Potential Vaccine for Senescent Cells Abstract
Grape seed extract reverses aging in mice Full Text
A Relationship Between Senescence and Respiratory Infections Full Text
Senolytics Improve Muscle Regeneration Only in Old Animals Full Text

Epigenetic reprogramming is the hot new field in longevity research, but rather than wholesale epigenetic remodelling, these two papers take a more nuanced approach by targeting specific epigenetic suppressors of genes. Interestingly one of them is found in olive oil, which encourages me to guzzle it even more!
Olive Derivative Fights Epigenetic Kidney Aging Full Text
Epigenetic therapy attenuates oxidative stress in BMSCs during ageing Full Text

Finally - I do love me a combo, especially when it comes to longevity interventions, and especially when they show synergistic benefits, as was the case here with resveratrol stopping any liver toxicity from rifampicin, and enhancing its cognitive benefits.
Oligomer-Targeting Prevention of Neurodegenerative Dementia by Intranasal Rifampicin and Resveratrol Combination – A Preclinical Study in Model Mice Full Text

Covid-19 Longevity Related Papers:
Potential role of nicotinamide analogues against SARS-COV-2 target proteins Full Text
The Immunomodulatory Function of Vitamin D, with Particular Reference to SARS-CoV-2 Full Text

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2021 Supplemental Information

***Disclaimer 1 – As should be self-evident to anyone receiving these emails, I am NOT a doctor or indeed a scientist. All the information pertained within is for information purposes only; use at your own risk. Please consult with a healthcare practitioner if you need medical advice.***

**Disclaimer 2 – In no way should supplements be a replacement for an unhealthy diet or lifestyle. A varied, plant dominant dietary pattern is the cornerstone for health. Try to eat the rainbow – the greater the variety, the greater the benefit. Even though I might take a supplement derived from a plant source, I still eat the plant in question. Also, make sure you move as much as possible – that is what we evolved to do.**

*Also bear in mind that most of the studies mentioned below are in rodents, not humans. Rodents, needless to say, do not always react the same way to drugs as humans do – witness the countless times cancer or another disease has been cured in rodents only to subsequently fail human trials. I have *bolded any human trials.*
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Lifestyle

Fasting/Dietary Restriction – certainly the cheapest & also one of the most effective anti-ageing interventions currently available. It comes in many flavours, but I fast for at least 12 hours every day.
*Randomised controlled trial of intermittent vs continuous energy restriction during chemotherapy for early breast cancer Full Text
*Impact of Dietary Restriction Regimens on Mitochondria, Heart, and Endothelial Function: A Brief Overview Full Text
NADH inhibition of SIRT1 links energy state to transcription during time-restricted feeding Full Text
Late-life fasting imparts resiliency and protein persulfidation Full Text

Diet – let food be thy medicine…
*Prospective Association of the Portfolio Diet with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Risk in the Mr. OS and Ms. OS Study Full Text
*Adherence to a MIND-Like Dietary Pattern, Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution, and MRI-Based Measures of Brain Volume: The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study-MRI Full Text
*The role of Mediterranean diet in the course of subjective cognitive decline in the elderly population of Greece: results from a prospective cohort study Full Text
*Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Function: The 2-Year Longitudinal Changes in an Older Spanish Cohort Full Text

Exercise – if you could bottle the benefits of exercise, it would be the biggest blockbuster drug of all time.
*Device-measured physical activity, adiposity and mortality: a harmonised meta-analysis of eight prospective cohort studies Full Text
Late-life exercise mitigates skeletal muscle epigenetic aging Full Text
*Targeting the Molecular & Cellular Pillars of Human Aging with Exercise Full Text
*Effects of Exercise Training on Anabolic and Catabolic Hormones with Advanced Age: A Systematic Review Full Text

Non-prescription Supplements (in alphabetical order)
*Due to concerns about engendering homeostasis, I’ve begun varying my intake of supplements so that I’m not taking all of them every day. Haven’t worked out a rota so far.

Astaxanthin – which is behind the pink colour of salmon & shrimp. Considered the most powerful carotenoid, it has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neuro-protective and skin-protective qualities. I take 4 or 8 mg intermittently.
Protective effect of astaxanthin on experimental ovarian damage in rats
Astaxantin and Isoflavones Inhibit Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Normalizing Ca/Mg Balance Full Text

Curcumin – the spice which gives curries their yellow colour. Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective. I take 1 gram intermittently. Needs to be taken with black pepper (piperine) to improve bioavailability.
*Curcumin and Its Analogs as Potential Epigenetic Modulators: Prevention of Diabetes and Its Complications Full Text
*Effect of Curcumin on Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials Full Text
*Evaluation of the Impact of Different Doses of Curcuma longa L. on Antioxidant Capacity: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Pilot Trial Full Text

Fisetin – a flavonoid found in highest concentrations in strawberries. Senolytic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neuro-protective & Sirt1 activator. I take 100mg intermittently.
Fisetin suppresses cigarette smoke extract-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition of airway epithelial cells through regulating COX-2/MMPs/β-catenin pathway

Melatonin – a natural hormone produced in the pineal gland, it makes us get to sleep every night, but it has many other functions, including as a mitochondrial antioxidant. I take 3mg every night primarily as a sleep aid.
*Safety of higher doses of melatonin in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis Full Text
Melatonin Alleviates Age-Associated Endothelial Injury of Atherosclerosis via Regulating Telomere Function Full Text
Melatonin improves the quality of maternally aged oocytes by maintaining intercellular communication and antioxidant metabolite supply Full Text

Nicotinamide MonoNucleotide (NMN) – newer NAD+ precursor. I take 250 – 500mg on days I exercise. (For some reason I missed a bunch of NMN studies which came at the very end of their respective months. I’ve included them below.)
NMN Maintains Intestinal Homeostasis by Regulating the Gut Microbiota Full Text (July)
Nicotinamide mononucleotide: An emerging nutraceutical against cardiac aging? Full Text (Aug)
Nicotinamide mononucleotide augments the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells in young and elderly mice Full Text (Sep)
The Impacts of Short-Term NMN Supplementation on Serum Metabolism, Fecal Microbiota, and Telomere Length in Pre-Aging Phase Full Text (Nov)
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Prevents Free Fatty Acid-Induced Reduction in Glucose Tolerance by Decreasing Insulin Clearance Full Text

Pterostilbene – found in blueberries. Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and Sir1 activator. Similar to, but with greater bioavailability than resveratrol. Taking 50mg intermittently in the same pill as resveratrol. Works better in conjunction with NAD+ precursors.
Pterostilbene ameliorates the disrupted Adars expression and improves liver fibrosis in DEN-induced liver injury in Wistar rats: A novel potential effect

Resveratrol – found in the skin of grapes. Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and Sir1 activator. Taking 250mg intermittently in the same pill as pterostilbene. Works better in conjunction with NAD+ precursors & Spermidine.
Identification of the Resveratrol Potential Targets in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis Full Text
*Resveratrol treatment does not reduce arterial inflammation in males at risk of type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial
Hypoxia: Role of SIRT1 and the protective effect of resveratrol in ovarian function Full Text