Optimal Being

A novel antibody therapy makes the immune system of old mice appear younger, allowing the animals to better fend off infections and reduce inflammation. Antibodies are proteins that can target and attack certain cells. An experimental therapy has been found to rejuvenate the immune systems of older mice, enhancing their capacity to combat infections. Should this treatment prove effective in humans, it could potentially reverse the age-related deterioration in immunity that renders older individuals more vulnerable to diseases. This decline in immunity might stem from alterations in our blood stem cells, which have the potential to evolve into any blood cell type, including vital elements of the immune system. With age, an increasing number of these stem cells are inclined to generate certain immune cells rather than others, according to Jason Ross from Stanford University in California. Such an imbalance compromises the immune system's infection-fighting abilities and contributes t...

New findings reveal that the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting. The results demonstrate evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss, but also show that any potentially health-altering changes appear to occur only after three days without food. New findings reveal that the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting. The results demonstrate evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss, but also show that any potentially health-altering changes appear to occur only after three days without food. The study, published today in  Nature Metabolism,  advances our understanding of what's happening across the body after prolonged periods without food. By identifying the potential health benefits from fasting and their underlying molecular basis, researchers from Queen Mary University of London's Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PH...

Summary :  Researchers discovered a link between educational attainment and biological aging, using data from the Framingham Heart Study. Their findings, utilizing the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock on genomic data, reveal that higher levels of education are associated with a slower pace of aging and a reduced risk of mortality. This landmark study highlights the potential of educational interventions to promote healthy longevity, underscoring education as not just a socio-economic benefit but a key factor in biological resilience and lifespan extension. By focusing on upward educational mobility and sibling comparisons, the study offers robust evidence that the benefits of education extend deeply into our biological makeup, influencing our health trajectories and mortality risks. Key Facts: Link Between Education and Aging : Two additional years of schooling were found to correlate with a 2-3% slower pace of aging, as measured by the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock. Educational Mobilit...

  Doctors call physical exercise a “polypill,” because it can prevent and treat many of the chronic diseases that are associated with aging. A new study of muscle fibers from mice and humans shows how exercise affects gene expression. The exercise-induced changes “reprogram” the epigenetic expression of the fibers to a more youthful state. The findings could provide leads for the development of drugs to mimic these benefits in people who are unable to exercise. Research shows that people who exercise regularly not only strengthen their muscles but also improve their overall health, regardless of how late in life they start. For example, recent studies have found that exercise reduces the risk of  cardiovascular disease , as well as  Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s  in older people. Conversely, reductions in muscle mass and strength are associated with lower quality of life and  higher mortality from all causes . As a result of its proven ability to prevent and treat...

Summary:  Researchers uncover a link between acylspermidines, a family of metabolites, and sirtuins, enzymes critical in aging and disease. Recent studies indicate sirtuins’ role in age-related diseases, making them promising therapeutic targets for longevity and health span. The discovery of sirtuin-linked acylspermidines in C. elegans and mammals opens new avenues for understanding and potentially manipulating these pathways. This breakthrough in biochemistry brings us closer to uncovering the roles of acylspermidines in lifespan and cell proliferation. Key Facts: Acylspermidines, newly discovered metabolites, reveal an unexpected connection between sirtuins and cellular metabolism. Sirtuins are enzymes implicated in age-related diseases and are potential targets for extending health span and longevity. This study highlights the importance of uncovering hidden biochemical pathways in understanding aging and disease processes. Source:  Boyce Thompson Institute In a significan...

People over 60 who inhale essential oils of eucalyptus, rosemary or lavender, for example, improve their memory at night. They can better remember what they just heard. For 6 months, neurologists at the University of California at Irvine had 20 people over 60 sleep while an aroma diffuser in their bedroom diffused essential oils for 2 hours. The researchers had the diffuser filled with a different aroma every day of the week. The researchers used essential oils from roses, oranges, eucalyptus, limes, peppermint, rosemary and lavender. During the same period, 23 over-60s in a control group fell asleep every night while a diffuser in their bedroom diffused no detectable essential oils. Before and after the 6-month experimental period, the researchers tested the mental abilities of the subjects with a battery of tests. Results Overall, the researchers found no statistically significant changes in the test results. [Table] However, there was one exception: on the Rey Auditory Verbal Le...

You can boost your speed by taking 100 mg of the co-enzyme  Q10  every day. To be more precise: your ability to perform fast and explosive movements in quick succession will increase slightly, according to a human study done by Turkish sports scientists at Selcuk University and  published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. You can boost your speed by taking 100 mg of the co-enzyme  Q10  every day. To be more precise: your ability to perform fast and explosive movements in quick succession will increase slightly, according to a human study done by Turkish sports scientists at Selcuk University and  published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The results of these studies are mixed. Many show no effect, some show a little effect.  A 2008 study  showed that if you get people to cycle to the point of exhaustion Q10 supplementation will improve their endurance capacity a little. Endurance athletes who have been tra...

Metformin is widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes; it improves glucose metabolism and thereby reduces diabetic complications. How it works is not well-understood, but we know that metformin mostly interacts with signaling molecules in the liver, gut, and kidney. Results vary according to the dosage and duration of metformin treatment. Metformin has multiple mechanisms of action, which likely account for its anticystic, antitumor, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and longevity effects. Metformin and glucose metabolism Diabetes is an age accelerator. Compared to non-diabetic individuals, the phenotypic age (PhAge) of individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is 12.02 and 16.32 years higher, respectively [1]. Metformin helps normalize glucose levels and therefore may slow changes in PhAge. Metformin’s journey in the body begins with gut cells called enterocytes. Metformin carries a positive charge, which makes it relatively easy to cross the negatively charged cell membrane. Further,...