Gray is the New Gold
2008 State of the Science Report from the Kronos Longevity Research Institute
Moving beyond the Obvious to Define Healthy Aging
Take away the chronological age, wrinkles and gray hair and what do you have left when it comes to evaluating someone’s true age? Quite a lot, it turns out. From measuring levels of oxidative stress and hormones to defining healthy aging through diet, researchers from the Kronos Longevity Research Institute (KLRI) and their scientific peers have been moving beyond the obvious to identify underlying markers of aging and develop ways to slow their effects.
Only through this process of scientific discovery can the real contributors to aging and age-related diseases be identified and, when possible, reversed.
This State of the Science report provides information on several key areas of aging-related research involving KLRI scientists and their peers around the country, specifically: oxidative stress, hormones, caloric restriction, and nutrition.
Every time you breathe, metabolize food, or exercise, every time your cells create energy to keep you going, damaging byproducts called oxygen-free radicals are also created. Think of them as a cellular form of exhaust, similar to the exhaust your car creates as a byproduct of the gasoline it uses for energy. Only instead of polluting the air, this form of biochemical “exhaust” can damage nearby tissues, leading to age-related diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. In essence, the very processes that promote life inevitably lead to death.
Caloric Restriction; Slow the Damage
Eat less and you’ll live longer, it sounds simple on the surface. At least, that’s what studies in animals ranging from fruit flies, worms, and rats to dogs and primates find: Cutting calories by one-third to one-half significantly increases life spans and reduces disease.[i],[ii] Since few people want to trim their calories by a third (what would life be without molten chocolate cake and ice cream?), one of KLRI Scientific Advisor and his team are searching for compounds that mimic the biochemical effects of eating less, “fooling” cells into behaving as if they were deprived of energy
Hormones; Diminishing Hormones
The impact of hormones is a key focus in the area of longevity research, particularly at KLRI, especially the ones that decreases as we age. Researchers have launched a national, multicenter study to evaluate the effects of estrogen therapy in women just before and after menopause—something the highly publicized Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) tried to do. KLRI have also launched a large, national study to evaluate the risks and benefits of testosterone therapy in older men. KLRI researchers have also developed a unique study to evaluate the effects of increased levels of human growth hormone—without supplementing with the hormone—on markers of aging.
Nutrition; Teasing Out the Impact of Diet on Age-related Conditions
KLRI researchers are beginning to tease out the impact of diet on aging-related conditions such as insulin resistance, which is thought to contribute to a variety of diseases common in older people. The first study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, “healthy” fats found primarily in fatty fish like salmon and tuna and in some seeds.
Click here for full State of the Science: 2008 document (PDF)
This content is brought to you by NRTA: AARP's Educator Community and the Kronos Longevity Research Insitute.
