How to Not Die | David Sinclair | Knowledge Project 136
In this enlightening episode, Dr. David Sinclair, a leading biologist and genetics expert, delves into the science of aging and how to slow it down.
He discusses the significance of diet, exercise, a positive mindset, and sleep in promoting a longer, healthier life.
He also reveals the three supplements he takes daily and reassures listeners that it’s never too late to slow down the aging process.
Exercise and Longevity
Exercise is crucial in slowing down the aging process.
Three types of exercise are recommended for longevity: yoga or pilates for joint stretch, weight lifting to maintain muscle mass, and aerobic exercise to lose breath at least once a week.
Fasting and Longevity
Fasting is beneficial as it mimics adversity, which activates the sirtuins.
When our body perceives a threat, such as running out of food or danger, it invests energy into survival and defending the body against toxins and damage.
This leads to longer life and slows down the clock of epigenetic changes.
Never Too Late to Slow Aging
Sinclair reassures listeners that it’s never too late to slow down the aging process.
Even if you’ve lived a life of unhealthy habits, you can still make changes that will have a significant impact on your health and longevity.
Sleep and Aging
Sleep is important for longevity and lack of sleep can lead to premature aging and health issues like diabetes.
However, it might be possible to ‘hack’ your way around it.
Techniques such as meditation and a bed that reduces body temperature in the middle of the night can help achieve deeper sleep.
NMN and Sleep-Wake Cycle
NMN, a NAD boosting molecule, plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle.
By taking NMN in the morning, it simulates the morning response, which gives the alertness and energy one would have had if they’d had more sleep.
It’s possible to hack the body clock using these chemicals, which activate sirtuins and control the clock.
Decoding Aging
Aging is a consequence of the loss of information that we receive in the womb.
This information is not just genetic but also epigenetic, which are the control systems that tell the cell which genes to turn on and off.
Over time, this epigenomic information breaks down, leading to diseases and tissue dysfunction.
Every day over 100,000 people die from aging itself and it’s something that I’d like to alleviate if not extend lifespan by a century. – Dr. David Sinclair
Biological Age
Biological age can be measured through a panel of blood tests or through a DNA methylation clock.
This clock measures the ‘scratches’ on the DNA molecule that indicate gene activity.
People who follow a Mediterranean diet, exercise regularly, and avoid unhealthy habits like smoking and obesity tend to have a lower biological age.
Adversity and Longevity
Introducing stress to our bodies, such as through saunas or hot tubs, can contribute to longevity.
Evidence supports the benefits of heat stress and cold stress on the body.
Sleep Health
Getting less sleep can accelerate aging, and as we age, we tend to sleep less.
However, by taking NMN and modulating the body clock, it’s possible to counteract this cycle.
What we’ve done as a medical community is to look at the end stage of this process and we call these things diseases and try to treat them with drugs and you’re basically putting band-aids on the problem forgetting what got us to that point in the first place which is aging itself. – Dr. David Sinclair
Supplements for Longevity
Sinclair takes three supplements daily – resveratrol, NMN, and metformin.
Resveratrol is a molecule found in red wine that activates sirtuins, NMN boosts NAD levels, and metformin is a diabetes drug that has been shown to extend lifespan in animals.
Positive Attitude and Longevity
Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial for longevity.
Sinclair believes that it’s possible to keep people younger for longer so that when you’re 80, you can actually be 60.
Diet and Aging
A healthy Mediterranean diet, which includes olive oil and red wine, contains chemicals that activate the sirtuins and slow down the clock of aging.
Eating less protein, experiencing hot and cold, and eating the right types of food are other ways to mimic adversity and activate the sirtuins.
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