Category Archives: David Sinclair

In this episode, David Sinclair, Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, returns to the podcast to discuss the content of his new book, Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Dont Have To. This conversation focuses on the biological mechanisms involved in what David terms the Information Theory of Aging which provides insights into the clock that determines our aging and to what degree it can be manipulated. Our discussion on aging of course leads us into interconnected topics of epigenetics, sirtuins, cellular senescence, as well as what compounds David is personally taking for his own longevity. Additionally, we discuss the most up to date information related to NAD and longevity by looking at the potential benefits (if any) of supplemental agents (NAD precursors, NR, NMR, etc.) that pose a promise of increasing NAD.

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The SIR gene silent information regulator is a gene that controls other genes

The SIR enzyme is the master regulator of this cellular survival circuit

Figure 1. When SIR enzyme proteins detect stress in the cell (e.g. DNA breakage) the protein leaves the silent region to go and repair the DNA. When the problem is fixed, it returns to its original post, silencing genes. Image credit: (Alves-Fernandes and Jasiulionis, 2019)

Overtime, in the back-and-forth of repair SIR genes lose track of which genes should be silenced or not

We have some early evidence from mice that we can actually find that hard disk drive and reinstall the software so that its pristine again and we find that we can actually improve the health quite dramatically in parts of a mouses body. David Sinclair, Ph.D

What does Claude Shannons Information Theory of Communication have to do with aging?

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David A. Sinclair, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging.

He is best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects. He obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the University of New South Wales, Sydney in 1995. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at M.I.T. with Dr. Leonard Guarente where he co-discovered a cause of aging for yeast as well as the role of Sir2 in epigenetic changes driven by genome instability. In 1999 he was recruited to Harvard Medical School where his laboratorys research has focused primarily on understanding the role of sirtuins in disease and aging, with associated interests in chromatin, energy metabolism, mitochondria, learning and memory, neurodegeneration, and cancer. He has also contributed to the understanding of how sirtuins are modulated by endogenous molecules and pharmacological agents such as resveratrol.

Dr. Sinclair is the co-founder of several biotechnology companies (Sirtris, Ovascience, Genocea, Cohbar, MetroBiotech, ArcBio, Liberty Biosecurity) and is on the boards of several others. He is also co-founder and co-chief editor of the journal Aging. His work is featured in five books, two documentary movies, 60 Minutes, Morgan Freemans Through the Wormhole and other media.

He is an inventor on 35 patents and has received more than 25 awards and honors including the CSL Prize, The Australian Commonwealth Prize, Thompson Prize, Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Award, Charles Hood Fellowship, Leukemia Society Fellowship, Ludwig Scholarship, Harvard-Armenise Fellowship, American Association for Aging Research Fellowship, Nathan Shock Award from the National Institutes of Health, Ellison Medical Foundation Junior and Senior Scholar Awards, Merck Prize, Genzyme Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Science Award, Bio-Innovator Award, David Murdock-Dole Lectureship, Fisher Honorary Lectureship, Les Lazarus Lectureship, Australian Medical Research Medal, The Frontiers in Aging and Regeneration Award, Top 100 Australian Innovators, and TIME magazines list of the 100 most influential people in the world. [medapps.med.harvard.edu] His new book, Lifespan, explains why we age and why we dont have to.

David on LinkedIn: David A. Sinclair, Ph.D. A.O.

David on Twitter: @davidasinclair

David on Instagram: davidsinclairphdDavids book website: lifespanbook.com

BOSTON, MA - MAY 16: David A. Sinclair, Professor of Genetics and Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, poses for a portrait in the lab at Harvard Medical School in Boston on May 16, 2018. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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#70 - David Sinclair, Ph.D.: How cellular reprogramming could ...

Joe Rogan interviewed Dr Sinclair for 2 1/2 hours last week, and aired on his popular podcast on Jan 29th.

We were looking forward to this for weeks, as Dr Sinclair is always a great interview and probably the most knowledgable person on the planet regarding the current state of research on NAD+.

In case youre not that familiar, research with NAD+, and compounds to boost it like NMN and NR, are showing incredible results for health and longevity.

So if you want to be amazed and excited about the potential of stopping, or even reversing damage from aging (who doesnt?) check out Joe and David having a great chat

Heres a few notes taken by our friend David, from the NAD Boosters Facebook group

33:45 The epigenome and the cause of aging. Your DNA contains all your genes and the epigenome controls which genes are actually expressed, so that a liver cell can be a liver cell and a brain cell a brain cell. Over time, cells lose the ability to read the DNA, similar to a laser trying to read a scratched CD. Cells then become dysfunctional. In older people a liver cell might show up in the brain and a brain cell in the kidney, all because its becoming harder to read the CD and the wrong genes are getting expressed. So how do you polish the CD to get the information that was easy to read in your teens and twenties restored again, resetting your age? They havent actually polished the entire CD yet but they are currently working on ways to do this in order to reset the entire epigenome back to a younger age. See further explanation of this further down at 1:51:45. Theyve already figured out how to polish parts of the epigenome and repair tissue.

43 Advances in ability to reprogram the epigenome. Clinical trials in early 2020 will focus on restoring eyesight, repairing spinal injuries and more.

1:45:40 Sinclair has a company called Metro Biotech that makes super NAD Boosters. They are testing this developmental drug (called MIB-626) along with NMN.

1:51:45 New bioage test called the DNA clock. The epigenome changes over time due to methyls that bind to the DNA. The older you get the more methyls you accumulate (sunlight and x-rays are 2 examples of many that cause methyls to bind). Sinclair compares this to scratches on a CD that make the DNA harder to read. These build up over time, causing aging. They can now read the methyls (scratches) on your DNA and give you a precise bioage. Sinclair said they believe that they can now reverse these scratches on the CD. They are testing it now to reprogram the epigenome and re-grow optic nerves as well as reverse glocoma. Published results will be soon. As mentioned clinical trials in early 2020.

1:53:30 Gives a sneak preview they are about to announce a new academy for aging research made up of the top 20 longevity scientists in the world to produce white papers and opinions, sort of like a Manhattan Project for longevity research.

The official notes from the Joe Rogan Podcast:

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David Sinclair on Joe Rogan Podcast - chatting about NMN and ...

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Harvard professor Dr. David Sinclair reports that the NAD boosting NMN compound reverses aging in blood vessels and restores muscle strength in a new study published March 22nd. [This article firstappeared onLongevityFacts. Author:Brady Hartman.]

Using the NAD boosting molecule NMN, Dr. David Sinclairs team reversed blood vessel and muscle aging in mice, while boosting their exercise endurance. As Dr. Sinclair says

Weve discovered a way to reverse vascular aging by boosting the presence of naturally occurring molecules in the body that augment the physiological response to exercise addingThe approach stimulates blood vessel growth and boosts stamina and endurance in mice and sets the stage for therapies in humans to address the spectrum of diseases that arise from vascular aging.

The team says the achievement paves the way for similar therapies for humans and published the results of their study on March 22 in the journal Cell.

David A. Sinclair, Ph.D. is best known for his research on the NAD molecule and its role in increasing health in aging bodies. Dr. Sinclair is a professor in the Department of Genetics and a Co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard Medical School (HMS) as well as a Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

In a video accompanying the new study, published by Harvard News, Dr. David Sinclair describes the compound NMN boosts levels of NAD in the bodies of aging mice, and how that restores muscle function.

Vascular aging leads to a deterioration in many organs and tissues throughout the human body, as Dr. David Sinclair says:

As we age, the tiniest blood vessels in our bodies wither and die, reducing the blood flow to organs and tissues. Vascular aging causes many diseases cardiovascular, neurological, muscle wasting, frailty, and even aging. Here at Harvard Medical School, weve reversed the process in mice, setting the stage for radical new therapies to help people. The new study has unraveled the cascade of interactions between blood vessels and muscles.

Dr. David Sinclair also describes the how aging of the cells lining our blood vessels leads to a decline in our vascular systems and muscles, saying:

Endothelial cells, which line the walls of blood vessels, are essential for the health and growth of the vessels. And as endothelial cells age, blood vessels begin to atrophy and die. Blood flow to many parts of the body diminishes, organs and tissues begin to function less well. Blood vessel demise hits muscles especially hard because muscles rely on a robust blood supply for their function. This process can be slowed down with regular exercise, but only up to a point. Over time, even exercise fails to stave off blood vessel demise and muscle loss.

The newstudy suggests that this loss of blood flow is a key driver behind age-related muscle loss and frailty. Even if we exercise, our muscles shrink as we get older, as Dr. David Sinclair says

The new findings have cracked the mystery behind this process. As our blood vessels age, they become deaf to the signals from exercise muscles. This actually leads to the muscles shrinking as we get older, and therefore were less able to exercise and grow new blood vessels. A vicious cycle indeed.

The declining levels of NAD in our bodies cause this aging process. However, using NMN to boost levels of NAD stimulates a sirtuin protein called SIRT1, asDr. David Sinclair describes

The two key players in the crosstalk between blood vessels and muscles are a molecule called NAD and a protein called SIRT1. NAD boosts SIRT 1, which in turn enables the conversation between muscles and blood vessels. But both NAD and SIRT1 decline as we age. They can no longer perform their role as the interface between muscles and blood vessels.

Finally, the researcher describes how giving the compound NMN to mice boosted their levels of NAD, producing remarkable results, as Dr. David Sinclair says,

In our new study, we gave mice NMN, a chemical compound commonly found in the body and previously shown to boost NAD levels, which in turn boosts SIRT1. These mice had better endothelial function, blood vessel growth and improved blood supply to their muscles.

The most striking effect of was a significant boost in the mices ability to exercise. The aging mice treated with NMN gained between 56 and 80 percent greater exercise capacity, compared with untreated ones by being able to run much farther on a treadmill. According to Dr. Sinclair, the mice treated with NMN had improved exercise capacity due to improvements in vascular function, saying

And what was most striking? These animals capacity for exercise improved dramatically. In fact, the old mice treated with NMN had up to 80 percent greater exercise capacity, compared with the untreated old mice.

Sinclair believes that the results achieved in mice can eventually be translated to humans, helping to counter age-related diseases with a vascular component, such as frailty, heart attack, stroke or even forms of dementia such as Alzheimers disease. As Dr. David Sinclair says in his parting words,

These results, I believe, can help millions of people who have lost their mobility, or simply can no longer exercise, either through frailty, disability or old age. This sets the stage for new medicines that will be able to restore blood flow in organs that have lost it, either through a heart attack, a stroke or even in patients with dementia.

Related: Trial suggests nicotinamide riboside (NR) may help vascular health.

Photo Credit: All images courtesy of Dr. David Sinclair / Harvard Medical School.

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Advice:This article is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for qualified, professional medical advice. The opinions and information stated in this article should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Consult a qualified and licensed physician for the diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Experimental treatments to boost NAD such as NMN carry a much higher risk than FDA-approved ones. Dial 9-1-1, or an equivalent emergency hotline number, for all medical emergencies. As well, consult a licensed, qualified physician before changing your diet, supplement or exercise programs.Photos,Endorsements, & External Links:This article is not intended to endorse organizations, companies, or their products. Links to external websites, mention or depiction of company names or brands, are intended for illustration only and do not constitute endorsements.

Tags: Dr. David Sinclair, NAD, NMN

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NMN and NAD Reverse Aging of Blood Vessels in New Study

Science is investigating some intriguing clues suggesting that aging and death may not be as inevitable as we thought.

David Sinclair believes aging is a disease, the most common disease, and he believes it should be aggressively treated. His bookLifespan: Why We Age and Why We Dont Have Towas published in September 2019.

He believes a loss of information is the singular reason why we age. Not just digital information, but epigenetic information that is analog rather than digital. He characterizes the genome as a computer and the epigenome as software. The genetic information is the same in every cell; the epigenome is what instructs a cell to develop into a kidney cell rather than a heart cell.

Experiments with stem cells and cloning are intriguing. Gene therapy shows great promise but there are ethical concerns. Genetic analysis and new technologies are making great strides.

If even a few of the therapies and treatments that are most promising come to fruition, it is not an unreasonable expectation for anyone who is alive and healthy today to reach 100 in good health. [Sinclair said].

Read full, original post: Aging: Is It a Preventable Disease?

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Aging as a preventable disease and why living to 100 should be easy - Genetic Literacy Project

After two weeks of light racing, trail running and ultrarunning came back with some figurative thunder and lightning. There were two World Mountain Running Association championships in Argentina, and the U.S. won three individual gold medals there, and then there was the prize-money-rich The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships in California too. Weve got all that as well as a quick look at next weekends JFK 50 Mile. Its just another manic Monday, friends.

Thanks to Boa for sponsoring this edition of TWIR!

Fridays up-and-downWorld Mountain Running Championships were marked by heavy rain. The men and women raced on a 14-kilometer course with a river crossing that swelled to waist deep, and the junior boys and girls competed on a weather-altered, two-loop 8k route. It was the first time since 2006 that the championships had been held outside of Europe, and the first time ever that it was held in South America. That perhaps made for a cool race location, but it mightve also thinned the field. 106 men finished last years race, and just 77 this year. 61 women finished this year, against 77 in 2018. Lets not let that overshadow a great day for many though.

Women

Grayson Murphy (USA) is pretty much a trail running rookie and, get this, now a mountain running world champion. It sounds contradictory, but Murphy, 24 years old and a five-time All-American while at the University of Utah, went to the front right away and finished in 1:15:20.

Murphys quick entry into the discipline also includes a first- and second-place finish at two Cirque Seriesraces, a second at this yearsBridger Ridge Runrace in Montana, and of course a win at theU.S. Mountain Running Championshipsin New Hampshire earlier too.

Elise Poncet(France) chased to a second-place 1:15:41, and Phillipa Williams(U.K.) was third in 1:16:45.

The 2019 World Mountain Running Championships womens podium (l-to-r): 3. Phillipa Williams, 1. Grayson Murphy, and 2. Elise Poncet. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

The rest of the top 10 ran as:

4 Adela Stranska(Czech Republic) 1:17:535 Lizaida Thalia Valdivia Margarino(Peru) 1:18:106 Christel Dewalle(France) 1:18:167 Anais Sabrie(France) 1:18:308 Elisa Sortini(Italy) 1:18:579 Amily Colling(U.K.) 1:19:0310 Tereza Hrochova(Czech Republic) 1:19:39

Dewalle previously served a four-month doping ban after a positive test for the stimulant Heptaminol at the 2016 Skyrunning World Championships.

Other U.S. runners were:

Kenyan and Ugandan runners took three of the top-four finish positions a year ago, but logistical issues prevented them from attending this years race.

France won the team gold, the Czech Republic team silver, and the U.K. bronze.

Men

Joe Gray(USA) won this race back in 2016 in Bulgaria in an all-uphill year, and did it again. A perennial member of the U.S. mountain running team, Gray won his second mountain running world championships in form just like womens winner Murphyby going to the front at the start and leading the entire way. Gray finished in 1:05:13, though second-place Cesare Maestri(Italy) was just eight seconds back. Marek Chrascina (Czech Republic) was a surprise third in 1:05:57.

Joe Gray, 2019 World Mountain Running Champion. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

The rest of the top 10 included:

4 Jan Janu(Czech Republic) 1:06:005 Alexandre Fine(France) 1:06:076 Manuel Innerhofer(Austria) 1:06:157 Andrew Douglas(U.K.) 1:06:228 Jacob Adkin(U.K.) 1:06:339 Xavier Chevrier (Italy) 1:07:2110 Jachym Kovar(Czech Republic) 1:07:27

Other U.S. runners included:

The Czechs scored an upset win in the team competition, besting second-place U.S. and third-place Italy. Uganda had won team gold each of the last two years, but as noted above, did not compete this year.

Full results.

For the first time, the shorter, or classic, World Mountain Running Championships, and the World Mountain Running Long Distance Championshipswere held on back-to-back days at the same locale. That allowed a few ambitious runners to double, but similar to the classic race, race numbers were down. Just 29 women finished versus 52 a year ago, for instance.

Women

Admit it armchair quarterbacks, Cristina Simion(Romania) wasnt on your radar. Four days shy of her 28th birthday, Simion shocked the world and won individual gold in 3:49:57. French teammates Adeline RocheandBlandine LHirondel ran 3:51:56 and 3:52:07 for second and third. LHirondel won the Trail Running World Championshipsearlier this year.

Cristina Simion, 2019 World Mountain Running Long Distance Champion. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

Also in the top 10 were:

4 Silvia Rampazzo(Italy) 3:565 Sheila Avils(Spain) 3:566 Ainhoa Sanz(Spain) 3:577 Charlotte Morgan(U.K.) 3:588 Denisa Dragomir(Romania) 3:599 Eli Gordon(Spain) 4:0110 Emily Schmitz (USA) 4:01

Other U.S. runners were:

Men

Much like in the mens and womens short-course races,Jim Walmsley(USA) bolted from the start line and led the entire way, finishing in 3:12:16. Francesco Puppi(Italy) never gave up the chase and surrendered only a small gap. He was second in 3:13:04. 2019 Skyrunner World Series runner-up Oriol Cardona(Spain) was a distant third in 3:20:24.

Jim Walmsley, 2019 World Mountain Running Long Distance Champion. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

Well go top 10 here too:

4 Jonathan Albon(U.K.) 3:225 Andreu Simon(Spain) 3:256 Hayden Hawks(USA) 3:267 Antonio Martinez(Spain) 3:278 Gabrielle Bacchion(Italy) 3:289 Nicolas Martin (France) 3:2810 David Sinclair(USA) 3:29

The fourth U.S. runner was 31st-placeMario Mendozain 3:42.

Despite putting three runners in the top 10, Spain did better than the U.S. and won team gold. The U.S. was second, and Italy was third.

Full results.

iRunFar was atThe North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships race with its full build of pre- and post-race interviews, and in-race coverage. The greater race dynamics have been featured in more detail separately. The races $10,000 first-place prize remained, but for me at home on my couch (or actually at the North Pole amusement park in Colorado Springs, Colorado), it did feel like this years race lost a bit of its starpower relative to prior years. The finish times when measured against the 2017 edition on this same course bear that out too.

Women

Fifty-mile ace YiOu Wangruled her home trails, particularly in the races second half, and won in 7:21. The time was 13 minutes back of whatIda Nilsson(Sweden) ran here in 2017.

Anne-Marie Madden(Canada) edged Addie Bracy for second, 7:38 to 7:39, though there was officially 88 seconds between the two. The separate results post has already gone 10 deep, but 26 women were included in the pre-race preview and well recap how each did.

The 2019 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships womens podium (l-to-r): 3. Addie Bracy, 1. YiOu Wang, and 2. Anne-Marie Madden. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell

Drops included Elise Delannoy (France), Anna Mae Flynn,Taylor Nowlin,Katelyn Steen, and Lindsey Ulrich.

Were not completely certain, but it appears that Shelley Doucet(Canada),Nicole Freitag,Heather Lieberg,Kim Magnus (Canada),Julia Stamps Mallon, Roxanne Vogel, and Jana Willsey did not start the race.

Men

Second at this yearsLake Sonoma 50 Mile, just like womens winner Wang,Sbastien Spehler(France) returned to the Golden State and came away victorious. Spehler was near the front all day and won in 6:27. Also just like with the womens race, this winning time too didnt threaten that of the 2017 edition when Tim Frerikswon in 6:02.

Darren Thomasmade a late pass to advance into second in 6:32, andThibaut Garrivier(France) held on for third in 6:35.

Sebastien Spehler, 2019 TNF 50 Mile champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

Excluding known non-starters, 40 men were on the pre-race preview, and heres how they all did:

Drops among those named in the preview article were limited to Matt Daniels.

It appears that none of Mathieu Blanchard, Patrick Caron, Brian Condon,Dustin Franta, Ryan Kaiser,Bryan Kerl, Hal Koerner, Ryan Montgomery,Hans Paul Pizzinini, Adrien Prigent,Carlos Ruibal, andPaul Weeksstarted the race.

Full results.

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k Championships

The 50-mile race is the marquee event atThe North Face Endurance Challenge Championships, but the 50k had a good field too.Corinne Shalvoywas just on the wrong side of five hours, but won in 5:00. Race local Jenny Comiskey was second in 5:15, and two-time Olympian Kara Goucher was third in 5:30.Nicholas Handel, um, handled the mens group with a convincing 3:58 win.Brian GillisandJustin Grunewaldwere second and third in 4:11 and 4:15, respectively. Deeper results includedAlex Varner, sixth in 4:35. Full results.

Corinne Shalvoy, The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k Champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

The North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon Championships

Several well-known names dotted the events marathon distance race. Lauren Johnsonwas sixth overall and first woman in 3:27, andLindsay AllenandNina Carsonwere second and third in 3:48 and 4:00.Jared Smithjumped the mens field and won in 3:06.Seth SwansonandChristopher Concannonwere second and third in 3:10 and 3:18.Rob Krarwas fourth in 3:20, andMike Footewas seventh in 3:39. Full results.

Dead Horse Ultra

The Mad Moose EventsDead Horse Ultrain Moab, Utah had 50-mile, 50k, and 30k races.Anne FlowerandJeason Murphyfinished atop the 50-mile race in 7:43 and 6:25.Nora Weatherwon the 50k in 4:05, just 36 seconds in front of second-placeAbigail Moore. The mens race was close too with only three minutes between the front five. Jesse Wesolowskiescaped the group though to lead in 3:41, 19 seconds better thanTyler Hagen. And then in the 30k, Reese RulandandTimmy Parrwon in 2:12 and 1:46, respectively. It was a new course record for Parr, beating a record he set in 2018.Full results.

Wild Hare 50 Mile

Breanna FancherandThomas Orfwon the Tejas Trails Wild Hare 50 Milerace between Austin and Houston, Texas. The two frontrunners prevailed in 9:52 and 7:24.Shandra MooreandWade Barrettwon the accompanying 50k in 4:39 and 4:16. Full results.

NYRR NYC 60k

It doesnt have the same kind of race size as the recentNew York City Marathon, but theNYRR NYC 60k(37.2 miles) still had a Central Park finish. In fact, the race course was entirely in Central Park with nine loops. Tiffany EnglandandJames Gormandid it the fastest with 4:47 and 4:04 finishes. Full results.

Itll be the 57th year for the point-to-pointJFK 50 Milerace. The start list is some 28 pages long, sorted alphabetically, but we spotted a few familiar names.

Women

Men

Full entrant list.

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This Week in Running: November 18, 2019 - iRunFar

The oldest-known living person is Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman who is a mind-boggling 116 years old. But in accordance to what Harvard professor David Sinclair, hed argue that 116 is just middle age. At least, he thinks it should be. Sinclair is one of the leading scientists in the field of aging, and he believes that growing old isnt a natural part of lifeits a disease that needs a cure.

Sinclair is a scientist that made Times list of the 100 most influential people back in the world in 2014, will acquiesce that everyone has to die at some point, but he argues that we can double our life expectancy and live healthy, active lives right up until the end.

In his new book, Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Dont Have To, he details the cutting-edge science thats taking place in the field of longevity right now.

A short synopsis would be that scientists are tossing out previous assumptions about aging, and theyve discovered several tools that you can employ right now to slow down, and in some cases, reverse the clock.

In the 90s, as a postdoc in an MIT lab, Sinclair caused a stir in the field when he discovered the mechanism that leads to aging in yeast, which offered some insight into why humans age. Using his work with yeast as a launching point, Sinclair and his lab colleagues have focused on identifying the mechanism for aging in humans and published a study in 2013 asserting that the malfunction of a family of proteins called sirtuins is the single cause of aging.

Sirtuins are responsible for repairing DNA damage and controlling overall cellular health by keeping cells on task. In other words, sirtuins tell kidney cells to act like kidney cells. If they get overwhelmed, cells start to misbehave, and we see the symptoms of aging, like organ failure or wrinkles. All of the genetic info in our cells is still there as we get older, but our body loses the ability to interpret it. This is because our body starts to run low on NAD, a molecule that activates the sirtuins: we have half as much NAD in our body when were 50 as we do at 20. Without it, the sirtuins cant do their job, and the cells in our body forget what theyre supposed to be doing.

Sinclair splits his time between the U.S. and Australia, running labs at Harvard Medical School and at the University of New South Wales. All of his research seeks to prove that aging is a problem we can solve and figure out how to stop. He argues that we can slow down the aging process, and in some cases even reverse it, by putting our body through healthy stressors that increase NAD levels and promote sirtuin activity. The role of sirtuins in aging is now fairly well accepted, but the idea that we can reactivate them (and how best to do so) is still being worked out.

Getting cold, working out hard, and going hungry every once in a while all engage what Sinclair calls our bodys survival circuit, wherein sirtuins tell cells to boost their defenses in order to keep the organism (you) alive. While Sinclairs survival-circuit theory has yet to be proven in a trial setting, theres plenty of research to suggest that exercise, cold exposure, and calorie reduction all help slow down the side effects of aging and stave off diseases associated with getting older.

Fasting, in particular, has been well supported by other research: in various studies, both mice and yeast that were fed restricted diets live much longer than their well-fed cohorts. A two-year-long human experiment in the 1990s found that participants who had a restricted diet that left them hungry often had decreased blood pressure, blood-sugar levels, and cholesterol levels. Subsequent human studies found that decreasing calories by 12 percent slowed down biological aging based on changes in blood biomarkers.

Source: outsideonline.com

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Scientists believe that aging might be optional - Mail Herald