Hosts: David Sinclair and Matthew LaPlante
6.2M Americans over 65 living with dementia
This number will continue to grow
If you reverse aging, Alzheimers and dementia can go away, you can recover memories
Epi-genome – computer that reads the genome (genetic) software
Ex differentiation – when a cell begins to malfunction, forgets its proper role
Horvath clock – your biological (aging) clock
Measures DNA methylation
Can measure this for a dollar
Measured 112 yo woman, and brain organs were much younger than all others
Brain ages slower than rest of body
Partially due to protective barrier (skulls)
Brain cellular turnover is low
Volume of brain after 40 reduces 5% per decade
For most of history, we only really needed brain until 40s / 50s – but now we live until 70s / 80s
Our fast changing world – need to constantly learn and adapt, need more brain plasticity
3 longevity pathways that respond to adversity
1. M-tor
2. AMPK – low glucose
3. Sirtuins
They all work together, protect body
Proper lifestyle changes generally benefit all three
M-tor role in autophagy – recycling and garbage collection
Sirtuins – 7 genes in body
Sirt1 (sp?) seems most important for brain aging
Need to up-regulate sirtuins, can do it with NAD boosters, resveratrol
Diet and exercise
Mediterranean diet – very clear benefits to brain aging, proven to reverse mild cognitive impairments, in fact its a spectrum the more Mediterranean your diet the better the outcomes
Olive oils (oleic acid, also in avocados), red wine (polyphenols, resveratrol), less red meat
Standard Western diet has much more fat and red meat
B-vitamins are important – especially vegetarians can be deficient
Aging is accelerated when lacking B-vitamins
Alcohol, smoking, also harmful – related to homo-cysteine
Doctors can see blood vessel lining in back of retina – if they see a lot of plaque, high chance of imminent heart attack / death
“Your eyes are your brain” – when you look at someone’s eyes, you’re looking at their brain
Fatty acids
Normal diets often lack omega3 fatty acids (like in fish) – help with wound healing, depression
Eat salmon, mackerel, sardines
If plant based, find ALA high foods – flax seeds, walnuts, linseed
Oleic acid in olive oil and avocados is important too
Seaweed
Why omega 3s?
Important fat compound in brain, insulating material for brain, protects against inflammation
Exercise
Even walking can > better memory and cognition
Activate sirtuins pathways
Relates to executive function
Study: 6 months of cardio exercise for 55+ showed dramatic improvement in aging indicators
Study: 10 weeks of strength exercise increased BDNF, marker of new nerve cells, brain re-growth
“Get moving before it’s too late”
Supplements
Metformin – AMPK activator (which also affects sirtuin pathway)
Fish study: metformin in their food > better performance on memory tests
Cells make more mitochondria, lower blood sugar in bloodstream
High blood sugar is bad for all tissues, especially cardiovascular system
2019 study: Metformin > 55% prevention in diabetes incidence
Metformin might directly impact NAD too
NAD levels go down over time, increasing degradation as we age
NAD boosters to help cognitive functioning, brain repair
2004 study: NAD-H treatment slowed Alzheimers
Sleep
Hypothalamus controls your daily rhythms
Sirt1 and NAD important role in your wake / sleep cycle
If you lose Sirt1 / NAD functioning, you won’t sleep well, age prematurely
As you get older, you lose ability to sleep
Intervene with diet, exercise, supplements
How to sleep well?
Supplements: MNN (sp?), magnesium, l-theanine
Get light right when you wake up
Can supplement with blue light machines
One night of sleep deprivation increases amyloid beta production by 5% (bad)
If you deprive rats of sleep, get diabetes in 2 weeks