Diet and life span

[Johnny D ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Johnny D]

I hadn't considered this topic enough to realize just how much the study of inflammation is still in its infancy

"Discrepancies in diet-induced effects on inflammation may further be attributed to differences in measured biomarkers. A review by Calder et al. discussed the importance of measuring many biomarkers to capture changes, since there may be specific inflammatory markers associated with each chronic disease." and "Interestingly, there was no association between food groups and CRP alone"

Apparently there is still a lot of research to be done to come up with clearly useful indicators.

[Ashealth Administrator, Tech Admin, & Editor Find all posts View Profile Close Ashealth]

Good observation. I'd love to see a credible list, too. Something like the glycemic index list, right? But as a measure of elevated hs-crp levels or some other marker for inflammation.

My unfortunate experience with the elevated hs-crp marker is that the doctors just write it off because it's so general. If everything else comes back fine (which is what happened to me), they wrote said it could be caused my general stress :/

Same thing with a swollen lymph node, they said that means there's inflammation, but was most likely also caused my stress since all my other blood work came back fine. And I wasn't happy with that answer and saw a total of 5 doctors about this lol. All said they were both general markers. Definitely would like a better marker than that.

[Ashealth Administrator, Tech Admin, & Editor Find all posts View Profile Close Ashealth]

Also, has anyone taken any of the food intolerance tests? From my basic level of understanding (I'm definitely not an expert), the inflammation could be different for everyone. My OBGYN actually recommended a food intolerance test because she said if I'm trying to get pregnant, a food sensitive could impact any infertility issues, should I encounter them.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

Sigh it seems certain sections of the community have an idelogical bent against certain foods I ave mention meat previous . Dairy is another that some like to tout as inflamatory.

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.95)]Because of the inflammatory effects seen from saturated fat, higher-fat dairy products are considered inflammatory foods. But [/COLOR]a 2017 review[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.95)] that analyzed results from 52 human clinical trials looking at dairy and inflammation suggested that dairy appears to have a weak, yet statistically significant, anti-inflammatory effect in the body. And this effect was seen with full-fat dairy products as well.[/COLOR]

[18x13goalreached Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 18x13goalreached]

I'm not sure your going to find many long term studies on this exact topic because their are so many other factors to the study that revolve around the lifestyle element

Also some people are insanely healthy with their diet and lifestyle and die in their 30's of cancer...

Some drink themselves to the age of 100..

It's just such a hard topic to have definitive studies on because the diet tends to compliment the lifestyle

Their is also other factors like stress from a type of job and so many different factors that will effect the OP of "diet and extension"

(In saying this i'll try and scrounge some studies for you )

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism...131(18)30130-X

This one may peak your interest peg

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

• New research has identified lifestyle adjustments that may help reverse adverse DNA changes that are thought to contribute to aging.
• Analyzing saliva samples, researchers investigated how lifestyle adjustments such as diet, sleep, exercise, and relaxation affected the process of DNA methylation (structural changes in a DNA segment).
• The team cited scientific data to demonstrate that lifestyle adjustments helped decrease epigenetic aging and could possibly drive gains in healthspan and lifespan.

A new study has identified possible non-pharmacological (dietary and lifestyle interventions) approaches for reversing epigenetic age (aging based on the structure of DNA).

The research was published in the journal Aging in April 2021. It was completed by researchers from the National University of Natural Medicine in partnership with contributors from the American Nutrition Association, Institute for Functional Medicine, the University of California, and McGill University in Canada.

Manipulations to slow down aging and extend lifespan are increasingly important given the hefty societal and healthcare costs of our aging population. Indeed, advanced age is the leading risk factor for cognitive impairment and chronic, non-communicable diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration.

Economic models have predicted that delaying aging by 2.2 years could help save $7 over the next 50 years. A paper released by professor David A. Sinclair (a Harvard genetics professor) in collaboration with top economists based in the UK demonstrated that targeting aging is more economically viable than eradicating specific diseases. The work was published in Nature in July 2021.

Scientists are now expanding their scope in the quest to identify practical interventions that may help alleviate the public health and healthcare economics impact of aging.

One promising area of focus is epigenetic aging. DNA methylation is a biological process that causes structural changes to a DNA segment. It controls gene expression and is one of the three key markers of epigenetic aging. Indeed, the best biochemical markers of an individual’s age are all based on patterns of DNA methylation. Researchers typically use saliva or other tissue samples to analyze this process.

Years of research in epigenetics have helped scientists develop DNA methylation clocks. These are unique tools that estimate epigenetic aging by measuring systematic DNA methylation changes. Horvath DNAmAge (DNA methylation Age) is currently one of the best-studied clocks that predicts multiple morbidities and all-cause mortality better than calendar age.

The researchers in this study analyzed 43 healthy adults aged between 50 and 72 years. Participants were educated for a period of one week and diet and lifestyle interventions were then employed over a duration of eight weeks. Saliva samples were used to extract high-quality DNA for assessment via the DNAmAge clock.

The goal of the study was to see whether the DNAmAge clock could be potentially slowed. The 8-week treatment program included diet, exercise, sleep, relaxation guidance, and supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients.

Dietary recommendations used were largely based on biochemistry and generalized health guidance. Study subjects were required to focus on a plant-centered diet containing nutrients that are used in methylation pathways, along with fish and limited nutrient-dense animal proteins such as liver and eggs. Carbohydrates were restricted and mild intermittent fasting was included. The researchers observed a modest but significant reduction in DNAmAge in individuals who followed the highlighted dietary practice.

Lifestyle measures included a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily for at least 5 days per week. This was at an intensity of 60 – 80 percent of maximum perceived exertion. Exercise is widely recognized to be beneficial for nearly all aspects of health and has been shown to extend mean lifespan in animal models. A past study assessing the impact of regular tai chi practice in 500 women showed that it helped slow down age-related DNA methylation losses.

Participants were also required to engage in twice-daily breathing exercises to elicit the Relaxation Response for stress reduction. Recent studies have demonstrated that 60 days of relaxation practice, at 20 minutes twice daily, could significantly reduce DNAmAge of healthy candidates.

Another lifestyle intervention incorporated in this study was sleep optimization. Participants were required to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night (which is generally considered to be healthy). In a past study sampling 2078 women, insomnia was linked to the acceleration of the DNAmAge clock. Similar studies have associated poor quality or fewer hours of sleep with age acceleration.

This multimodal intervention was entirely based on dietary and lifestyle adjustments that are widely considered to be safe even over the long term. The researchers observed that compared to the control group, the diet and lifestyle treatment led to a 3.23 years reduction in DNAmAge. This was the first randomized controlled study suggesting that specific dietary and lifestyle interventions could reverse DNAmAge epigenetic aging in healthy adult males.

This study offers valuable insights and signifies that simple lifestyle adjustments may be enough to reverse epigenetic aging. However, it is important to note that scientists have not yet fully established that interventions that slow the methylation clock could necessarily lower the risk of age-related disease. A larger study group still needs to be assessed to optimize the program for efficacy, scalability, and affordability.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

iving to a wise old age is an aspiration many people have and in some parts of the world, it appears to be much easier to accomplish. Blue Zones are areas of the world where people more commonly live to become centenarians (a person who lives to 100 years old or more). In these areas dubbed Blue Zones, people reach age 100 at 10 times greater rates than in the United States. (1) Despite vast cultural differences between these societies, Loma Linda (California, USA); Nicoya (Costa Rica); Sardinia (Italy); Ikaria (Greece); and Okinawa, (Japan) (1) all appear to have a way of life that is synonymous with ageing well.

Let’s take a look at the diet and lifestyle factors that are believed to influence the health, wellbeing and longevity of these populations and how to take a leaf out of their book to help achieve living a more natural life.

The Power 9

There are nine characteristics common to all Blue Zone regions that can be used to make healthy lifestyle changes. Importantly, these elements encompass all aspects of wellbeing including physical, mental, social and emotional health and spiritual wellbeing. They include a daily routine of low-intensity physical activity, finding purpose, stress reduction techniques, eating less, eating predominantly plant-based and moderating meat intake, drinking wine, having a sense of belonging, putting family first and having good relationships with friends. (2)

Most of these characteristics may seem quite natural and relatable to aspire to in our own daily life and making small changes now can have a big impact. Believe it or not, by optimising your lifestyle, you may gain back an extra decade of good quality of life. In fact, by adopting any one of these aspects of the Power 9, you can immediately improve your life expectancy at any age. (2) That’s good news considering how relatively easy these characteristics are to achieve. After all, drinking wine (and coffee) with friends comes naturally to many of us and are beverages many people would like to justify consuming!

Eat and drink your beans.

Legumes and coffee are on the centenarian menu. A heavily plant-based diet featured in each Blue Zone community, with beans, including fava, black, soy, and lentils, was found to be the cornerstone of most centenarian diets.(1) In the community of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, their vegetarian diet is thought to be the most likely cause of their extraordinary longevity. (3) Perhaps the most famous of ‘beans’ (but actually classed as a fruit), coffee is one of the most popular and widely consumed beverages worldwide. Daily coffee consumption was found to be abundant among more than 85% of the Nicoyans and more than 75% of the Sardinians observed in one study. With a complex mixture of more than 800 volatile compounds, research suggests that coffee consumption may help to prevent several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and liver disease. (4)

A guilt-free Sunday roast.

Further comparative studies of Sardinian and Nicoyan elders showed that like coffee, potato consumption was high in both populations and that in both groups the most consumed type of meat was pork, in moderate quantities. (4) While potatoes and pork may seem like unusual contenders for longevity, there is some perceived logic in relation to why these particular foods might be healthier than commonly perceived. Since potatoes are mostly boiled and consumed with fats this reduces their glycemic index, while meat may preserve the elderly from excessive loss of muscle mass, indirectly promoting longevity. (4)

Ageing gracefully.

Testament to both a healthy diet and lifestyle, Blue Zone centenarians are shining examples of how to live well. The take-home message is simplicity. Walk when and where you can as often as you can, make time for friends and family on a regular basis, develop your own daily ritual to help to reduce stress – whether it be taking a nap, listening to music or meditation practice and nurture your sense of purpose. The age-old saying respect your elders rings true and when it comes to leading by example, the path has been paved.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

Longevity Link: How Wine Helps You Live Longer


By Aislinn Kotifani

Living to 100 doesn’t have to mean a strict regimen of steamed vegetables and joyless meals. A healthy, balanced, and stress-free life includes happy hours, time spent with family and friends and the occasional glass of wine with delicious dinners. You can consume alcohol and live to a happy 100, even up to one drink daily for women, two for men. We know from blue zones centenarians that this is true: People in four original blue zones areas drink alcohol moderately and regularly. The trick is to drink one to two glasses per day with friends and/or with food. And no, you can’t save up all week and have 14 drinks on Saturday.

Here is some of the research and studies that give us a better understanding of how wine can help lead to a longer lifespan.
Cardiovascular Can-Do with Cannonau


Sardinians are famous for their daily consumption of the robust, regional red wine called Cannonau. Cannonau wine has two to three times the level of artery-scrubbing flavonoids as other wines. Small doses of this antioxidant-rich beverage throughout the day could explain fewer heart attacks and lower levels of stress among men in this region of the world. Another reason Sardinians may experience these wine health benefits is the way they consume it – always surrounded by good friends and good food. If you’re unable to find Cannonau at your local market, dry red wines in general offer similar health advantages.

[Editor’s Note: Cannonau is the Sardinian name for the red wine grape known elsewhere as Grenache or Garnacha.]
Mediterranean Mindset


Wine in moderation has been shown to be beneficial if consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet, which is defined by a high consumption of beans, greens, nuts, olive oil, and whole grains and a low consumption of meat and processed foods. This means that wine, as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be beneficial to your health. It does not mean that wine will somehow “cancel out” the negative effects of a poor diet (high in processed foods and saturated fat).

Consuming wine alongside a meal can help the body absorb more of the flavonoids, the artery-scrubbing antioxidants, from the food eaten with it. Among many others, this recent study published in Advances in Nutrition showed that consumption of wine as part of a Mediterranean-style diet could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, perhaps helped by the anti-oestrogens found in extra-virgin olive oil.
Movement + Wine


Sardinian shepherds often walk up to five miles a day tending to their flocks and carry with them a lunch of unleavened bread, fava beans, a small bit of Pecorino cheese, and a generous supply of local Cannonau wine. Daily activity is built into the ecosystem of life in the blue zones areas – every trip to the store or to a neighbor’s house occasions a walk. Centenarians move naturally all day long and according to a study completed by the European Society of Cardiology, moderate wine drinking and regular exercise is a combination that can be protective against cardiovascular disease.
A Drink to Remember


Resveratrol, the polyphenol found in the skin of grapes, is known to protect the body against damage that puts it at higher risk for cancer, heart disease, and dementia. According to a study by Philippe Marambaud, PhD, a senior research scientist at New York’s Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders, this compound can combat the formation of the plaque that is found in the brains of dementia patients.

In another study published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, those who consumed alcohol at least once a week (hello, Wine @ 5), had significantly better cognitive function in old age than those who did not drink at all.
Live Longer, Better


Besides these more focused studies above, other research backs up the link between wine intake and a reduction in all-cause mortality. Moderate alcohol consumption (especially with meals and friends) could help you not only de-stress and loosen up, but also live longer.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

https://www.pegym.com/sugar-and-agin...-need-to-know/

[Ashealth Administrator, Tech Admin, & Editor Find all posts View Profile Close Ashealth]

Came across this today: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1018112513.htm but still only working with mice

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

Came across this today: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1018112513.htm but still only working with mice

Yeah like I have said previous these studies do not translate well to monkeys so meh .