Early in my research, I noticed common preventive measures across various diseases. I wondered how could it be that the same foods and lifestyle practices help reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and on and on, unless these chronic diseases had the same root cause.
So started my long decent into the world of scientific research and into the causes of ageing, and much to my pleasant surprise, I didn’t find a world of ninety year olds been spoon-fed in nursing homes (well, I did, but that was the other group), I found a world of fit, tennis playing, marathon running, cognitively active self-employed and socially engaged ninety year olds, and older. All enjoying life with their extended families and filled with hope for the future.
And I thought, that’s the gang I want to be in.
My research led me firstly to longevity genes, specific genes that influence lifespan. They impact ageing, our resistance to stress and our overall health.
They interact with lifestyle factors like exercise, diet and calorie restriction, as well as environmental ones such as exposure to toxins and heat/cold. They are capable of being switched on and off by our lifestyle and contribute to how long we live and how healthy we age.
And secondly to natural food compounds, sometimes known as functional foods, which are foods that benefit our health beyond the basic nutritional needs. These are foods that contain components such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and multiple micro-nutrients essential for better health.
Longevity genes, like all other genes are usually known by a mix of acronyms and numbers such as SIRT1, mTOR, APOE2, FOXO3, IGF-1 and typically impact lifespan through several mechanisms, including repair of damaged and broken DNA, by helping to remove damaged cells before they cause harm, helping cells to cope with oxidative stress and reducing inflammation.
So what do we have to do to activate the genes that should be active and silence the ones that need to be silent, and more to the point if it works why doesn’t everybody do it.
To answer the second point first, most people don’t know about these genes and just accept that there’s nothing can be done about ageing. It’s inevitable and will eventually get all of us. And while the latter may be true, the former isn’t, and it is what we do to slow down the ageing process that will reduce our risk for disease, compress the period we spend sick and may even extend our life by a few years.
It is not the life extension that I care so much about as the compression of morbidity. If I’m going to live to my nineties then I want to do it playing tennis and enjoying a glass of red wine, rather than being chair bound in a care home.
Sounds good, so where do we start? Let’s start with stress, not the bad chronic stress, but a little temporary acute stress, the kind of stress that is good for us.
And exercise provides that kind of good stress. It puts our body out of its comfort zone telling systems to make changes to survive. It activates a longevity pathway known as AMPK, slowing down cellular activity and promoting longevity. It increases blood flow, building new blood vessels; it improves heart and lung health and it increases telomere length.
Telomeres are a biomarker of cellular ageing and the relationship between chronological age and telomere length is strong. Studies show that people who exercise regularly have longer telomeres and a reduced risk of diseases associated with ageing. A study conducted by the National Institute of Health in the US found that on average regular exercisers had telomeres that were nine years younger than those who didn’t exercise.
While all movement is good and better than sitting on a sofa, vigorous exercise is needed to move the clock backwards. If it doesn’t get our hearts pumping fast and get us out of breath then the benefits are minimal. So walk fast, run, cycle or swim for 30 minutes a day, and try to do it at least 5 times a week.
Another beneficial practice that will stress our body systems is exposing ourselves to cold and heat outside normal temperature zones. So the habit of cold water swimming, a cold shower, or the reverse, a hot sauna have all been shown to activate survival and longevity systems forcing our bodies to work to regain normal body temperatures. It is not the cold or heat that gives the benefit but the work our body needs to do to regain control. So walking on a cold day with light clothing will have a similar effect. In fact exercising in the cold will bring the double whammy of exercise and cold exposure.
A third way to activate longevity pathways is through calorie restriction. Studies have shown that regardless the animal tested calorie restriction extended lifespan.
In much the same way that in lean-times a household might be forced to cut spending and conserve, our bodies, when short of calories, will be forced to recycle and re-use metabolic waste, clear up mis-folded proteins and re-purpose damaged cells. And when our body is recycling it’s not burning through its limited number of cell replications, and so is extending life.
One of the easiest ways to reduce calories is to restrict the time window in which we eat. Time restricted eating is somewhat flexible and usually means eating all meals in an 8-hour or 10-hour time window, leaving the other 16 or 14 hours free of all foods. It sounds difficult, I know, but in reality it’s not. I take my cue from my sleep schedule. For best sleep it is said that really we shouldn’t eat for at least 3-4 hours before bed, otherwise our bodies are still in work mode, so as I usually go to bed about 23.00, I stop all eating by 19.00. In the morning, I get out of bed about 06.30-07.00 but I won’t eat before 09.00. I drink a glass of water and I make some green tea (no milk or sugar). I go for a walk and by the time 09..00 or sometimes 10.00 comes I’m ready for breakfast.
The timings are in line with my circadian rhythms allowing for ease of going to sleep and usually waking without the need for an alarm. Some days I wait an extra 1-2 hours before eating, just to give a boost and change the routine to promote hunger, but other than that it stays pretty much the same every day.
A different time window might suit you better, but try to allow at least 3 hours free from food, before bed, for good sleep and 1 hour in the morning before breakfast to help set your circadian rhythm for the day.
“As we age everyone is in fear of losing their cognitive ability. Well, we have good news, Alzheimer’s disease is substantially preventable”
David Katz, MD MPH, founder Yale University School of Public Health
And finally we come to diet and functional foods. What are the best foods to eat to extend health-span and reduce disease? Well, that’s easy, it’s plants.
But our bodies do okay with a little meat, in small amounts, not that often and definitely not processed.
Meat is a source of amino acids, the building blocks for every protein and cell in our bodies. We would die quickly without amino acids. Children, that are growing need plenty of protein, if you don’t want to stunt their growth, but as fully grown adults our need for protein diminishes. Yes, meat provides all of the 9 essential amino acids that our body can’t make, so a little meat is fine, but plants, especially beans, nuts and seeds, provide enough protein for older bodies to survive and thrive. And if you eat a wide enough variety of these, then you’ll get all 9 essential amino acids.
mTOR is a growth pathway activated when food is in abundance. This is what happens when we eat a big meal with a large piece of meat, chicken or fish. But when mTOR is activated the longevity pathway, AMPK is switched off, saying times are good, grow baby grow. With this comes excess cell production accompanied by mis-folded proteins and increases in blood glucose levels. Not what we want, as this also increases the rates of cancer and heart disease. On the other hand, when our diet is predominantly plant based, so fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, our adult bodies get enough protein to maintain muscle mass (so long as we exercise) but growth is slowed to a trickle, and as we have limited number of cells, slowing growth means extending life.
The great thing about functional foods is that whether you want to activate longevity pathways, boost your gut microbiome, reduce your risk for disease such as cancer, heart disease or cognitive diseases, or simply lose weight, the foods are all the same. You don’t need a different diet for each one.
For example, Spermadine is an amino acid found in wheatgerm, mushrooms, green peppers, citrus fruit, soy beans and green tea, that protects plants but when eaten by humans is known to reduce inflammation, control cell growth and activate cell recycling and DNA repair, reduce cholesterol and is a longevity agent.
Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a vitamin like compound found in green tea, tofu, green peppers, spinach, kiwi, soy beans and papaya, that is a powerful antioxidant that protects our energy producing mitochondria improving their function and boosting the growth of new mitochondria.
SIRT foods, known to shut down the mTOR (growth) pathway and activate the AMPK (conserve) pathway include cabbage, kale, onions, leeks, garlic, cucumber, celery, apple, beans, herbs, broccoli, berries, green tea. These are also foods high in the fibre Inulin, known to boost our microbiome and possibly prevent Parkinson's disease.
Another active food ingredient is Phloretin. It is known to be anti-inflammatory and also acts against cancer, as it inhibits the glucose transport mechanism needed by cancer cells to grow and spread. Foods that contain Phloretin, include apples, pears and tomatoes. It’s especially effective when used in conjunction with vitamin C.
The key to maximising the benefits from foods, is to to eat a variety of plant foods and minimise the animal foods. Oh, and avoid processed foods and sugar.
But some of the most important factors underlying longevity come from momentary wellbeing. Being present and connected to other people while being engaged with purpose and meaning in our lives. This is when we experience happiness. Not when we are thinking about ourselves and seeking to fulfil personal needs, but when we are connected with others, exercising kindness and compassion, living with purpose and doing good.
When we practice kindness and compassion we are actually strengthening and growing a part of our brain known as the anterior cingulate, which in turn boosts overall brain health, significantly improving our emotional awareness and bolstering our cognitive function. It also increases our sense of faith in ourselves, in others and in God, if we believe. And it increases our feelings of optimism.
Optimism has a significant impact on our health and wellbeing. Studies regularly show that optimistic people are generally healthier, happier and tend to live longer.
Meditation will also exercise the anterior cingulate, promoting the growth of new cells and driving us to survive, giving meaning to life, promoting hope, without which we risk slipping into the world of fear, anger, despair and resentment.
But the best advice is always to use a combination of lifestyle practices that will work together to get optimum results. When Dr. Dean Ornish developed his now famous ‘Healthy Lifestyle to Reverse Heart Disease’ he included a mix of diet, exercise, breathing exercises and meditation to get the best outcomes. The old adage of “We’re stronger together” rings true across many fronts.