Episode 2- Goodreads | Lifespan | Can We Reverse Aging?
Episode description
Hi there, I'm Lisa Chang and welcome to Lisa wanna talk.
Today's second episode is about a book that I think is very important, it's about ageing and longevity.
The book is called [ Lifespan: Why We Age, and Why We Don't Have To ] and is due out in 2019.
The authors are David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics and Co-Director of the Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, and Matthew LaPlante, Professor of Journalism at Utah State University.
The book Lifespan can be divided into 3 parts.
1. Part 1 explains the biological background of ageing. The authors argue that ageing is actually a loss of information in our epigenome. This theory implies that we may be able to slow down the process of ageing or ultimately stop it altogether.
2. Part 2 discusses current research and therapeutic approaches. The authors suggest that our 'longevity gene' can be activated by calorie restriction, fasting, exercise and cold exposure, and that some of the associated medications may become part of future anti-ageing treatments.
3. Part 3 discusses the implications of longevity for the future of humanity.
The book can be summarized in five key points:
1. Ageing is treatable: it is not inevitable.
2. The biological cause of ageing is the loss of information in the epigenome. Fixing such information deficits can help us fight ageing.
3. Calorie restriction or fasting can help us to live longer.
4. Physical activity is a positive stressor that activates the longevity gene, so it is important to exercise more.
5. Temperatures outside the comfort zone can also provide longevity benefits, such as short cold exposures or saunas.
A number of possible future agents or molecules that could activate longevity are also described. For example, short-term administration of rapamycin can inhibit mTOR and prolong life in small experimental animals. AMPK can be activated with the diabetes drug metformin, which significantly reduces the risk of cancer. Finally, anti-ageing is achieved by boosting the function of sirtuins with NAD precursors such as NMN or NR.
These are the highlights of today's Goodreads on ageing and longevity.
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