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Vitality Unleashed: The Functional Medicine Podcast
Welcome to Vitality Unleashed: The Functional Medicine Podcast, your ultimate guide to achieving holistic health and wellness. Created and vetted, by Dr. Kumar from LifeWell MD a dedicated functional medicine physician, this podcast dives deep into the interconnected realms of physical, emotional, and sexual health. Carefully curated medical insights to expand your options, renew hope, and ignite healing—especially when traditional medicine has no answers.
Each week, we unpack the complexities of the human body-mind, exploring topics like hormone balance, gut health, mental resilience, difficult medical conditions, power performance and intimate relationships.
Join us as we bridge the gap between complex medical science and everyday understanding. We transform the latest research and intricate information from the world of medical academia into simple, actionable insights for everyone. Think of us as your Rosetta Stone for health—making the complicated easy to grasp. Enjoy inspiring and practical advice that empowers you to take charge of your health journey. Whether you're seeking to boost your energy, enhance your emotional well-being, or revitalize your sexual health, this podcast provides the tools and knowledge you need.
Embark on this transformative journey with us, and discover how functional medicine can help you live a vibrant, balanced, and fulfilling life. Subscribe to Vitality Unleashed today, and let's redefine what it means to be truly healthy—mind, body, and soul.
Vitality Unleashed: The Functional Medicine Podcast
Slowing the Clock: The Science of Biological Aging
Aging science is experiencing a revolution. Rather than merely treating diseases that appear with age, researchers at the National Institutes of Health are now focusing on understanding and addressing the aging process itself—the root cause behind many age-related conditions.
This approach centers on the crucial distinction between your chronological age (the years since birth) and your biological age (the actual molecular wear and tear accumulated in your body). People age biologically at dramatically different rates, which explains why some 70-year-olds appear decades younger than others of similar chronological age.
Scientists have developed sophisticated tools to measure biological aging, including Dundon PACE (Pace of Aging Calculated from the Epigenome)—essentially an "aging speedometer" that predicts how quickly your major organ systems are deteriorating compared to average. This breakthrough allows for truly personalized healthcare approaches, where preventive screenings and interventions can be tailored to your unique aging trajectory rather than standard age-based guidelines.
Fascinatingly, research suggests different organs within your body may age at varying speeds. Groundbreaking studies involving blood transfer from young mice to older ones demonstrated improved cognitive function in the older mice, identifying a protein called TIMP2 that appears critical for maintaining brain plasticity. When administered to aged mice, TIMP2 improved their learning and memory capabilities—suggesting some aspects of brain aging might actually be reversible.
While these advanced therapies continue development, the most effective anti-aging strategies remain surprisingly accessible. Physical activity stands as "the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth," with overwhelming scientific support. Moderate calorie reduction (around 12.5%) has shown measurable slowing of biological aging markers and beneficial changes in gene expression. Other fundamental practices—balanced nutrition, quality sleep, avoiding tobacco, and preventive healthcare—can potentially add up to a decade of healthy life.
Ready to implement these science-backed approaches to extend your healthspan? Visit LifeWellMD.com or call 561-210-9999 to explore how personalized wellness planning can help you optimize your aging journey.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your supplement regimen or health routine. Individual needs and reactions vary, so it’s important to make informed decisions with the guidance of your physician.
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If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with someone who might benefit. For more insights and updates, visit our website at Lifewellmd.com.
Stay Informed, Stay Healthy:
Remember, informed choices lead to better health. Until next time, be well and take care of yourself.
Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're diving into something that well. It touches all of us aging and if you're listening, you're probably already interested in understanding the nuances of health and longevity.
Speaker 2:Definitely, and we've got some really fascinating research today coming straight from the National Institutes of Health. That's really changing how we even think about getting older.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it seems like for years the focus was mostly on, you know, treating the diseases that often come with age heart problems, alzheimer's, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Exactly, but the newer science is pointing towards something more fundamental. It's about understanding and tackling the aging process itself as like the root cause of many of these issues.
Speaker 1:Right, Instead of just like playing whack-a-mole with every new health problem that pops up. The idea is to get down to the basics, the molecular and cellular level. It kind of reminds me of this analogy I heard from Dr Tony Waskory over at Stanford.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He compared aging to a car. You know it rolls off the lot. Perfect, oh yeah. But mile after mile you start seeing wear and tear, even if it technically still runs.
Speaker 2:That's a great way to put it. And well, just like that car, our bodies collect damage over time damage to molecules, to cells.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:But here's the really cool part, especially for you know, for you listening Unlike a car, we actually have these amazing built-in repair systems.
Speaker 1:Ah right, Self-repair.
Speaker 2:Exactly. The catch is, though, those repair systems also get a bit less efficient as the years go by.
Speaker 1:And that's where this NIH-funded research really steps in, isn't it? The big goal seems to be figuring out how to actually measure the speed of that wear and tear.
Speaker 2:Right, how fast are we really aging inside?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then the crucial part finding ways to maybe slow that down or even potentially reverse some of it. Yeah, and then the crucial part finding ways to maybe slow that down or, you know, even potentially reverse some of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Imagine what that could mean for preventing or treating those age related diseases we worry about.
Speaker 2:It's a huge shift, moving from just managing symptoms to potentially fixing the underlying cause. It's pretty revolutionary, really, and central to this whole idea is the difference between your chronological age.
Speaker 1:Your birthday number.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly your birthday number and what scientists call your biological age.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's dig into that biological age concept a bit more, because you hear that term thrown around. But what does it actually mean for you as an individual, and why is it so important if we're talking about trying to slow down aging?
Speaker 2:Well, think about it like this your chronological age just counts the years, but your biological age, that reflects the actual amount of, let's say, molecular wear and tear that's built up inside your body.
Speaker 1:Okay, the real damage.
Speaker 2:Right, and that damage is what ultimately bumps up your risk for those age-related diseases, and you know functional decline bumps up your risk for those age-related diseases, and you know functional decline. What's really fascinating and something for you to consider is that people age biologically at really different speeds. You probably know people who are the same age on paper but seem way younger or older.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely. We all see that. So how on earth do scientists even start to measure this biological age for someone like well, like you or me?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's not like we have a little dial showing our aging score huh, not quite yet, but that's where the exciting science of aging clocks and biomarkers comes in. Researchers like uh dr daniel belsky are looking at all sorts of markers in your body like what kind of things? Things like um cholesterol levels, inflammation markers, even tiny changes on your DNA. They compare your profile of these markers to population averages for people of different chronological ages.
Speaker 1:So you could be 65, but your markers look more like an average 55-year-old.
Speaker 2:Exactly. In that case, you might be considered biologically younger. It gives you a kind of snapshot of your internal aging compared to the average.
Speaker 1:That's amazing, like getting a peek under the hood.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But Dr Belsky and his team, they went even further. Right, they didn't just build an aging clock, they came up with this idea of an aging speedometer.
Speaker 2:Dundon pace.
Speaker 1:Yes, dundon, pace. That sounds like it could give you a sense of how fast you're heading down that road.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's a really powerful idea for understanding your own aging path. So Dr Belsky worked with Dr Terry Moffitt and the Dundon Longitudinal Study, which is this incredible long-term study in New Zealand.
Speaker 1:They developed Dundon PACE. That stands for Dundon PACE of Aging calculated from the epigenome.
Speaker 2:Okay, epigenome, break that down a bit.
Speaker 1:Right, so think of your DNA as the body's main blueprint. The epigenome is like a layer of chemical notes, or switches, written on top of that blueprint. These switches control which genes get turned on or off.
Speaker 2:Got it Like sticky notes on the blueprint.
Speaker 1:Kind of and these patterns of switches they change predictably as you get older. Duden and Pace specifically looks at one type of switch called DNA methylation.
Speaker 2:Methylation.
Speaker 1:So they look at data from over 1,000 people tracked from age 26 all the way to 45. They measured these DNA methylation patterns and they looked at 19 different biomarkers showing how well major organ systems were working.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's comprehensive.
Speaker 1:It really is. Then they use machine learning, you know sophisticated computer analysis, to find patterns in the DNA methylation at age 45. They could actually predict how quickly those 19 organ function markers changed over the next 20 years.
Speaker 2:Whoa. So Dundon-Pace could basically tell you if your internal aging is hitting the gas or pumping the brakes compared to other people your age based on these tiny chemical changes.
Speaker 1:That's the idea, and what's really important for you to know is that later studies confirmed it People with a faster done-and-pay score generally have a higher risk for poor health, chronic diseases and even dying earlier. It's a serious predictor.
Speaker 2:That gives us a really powerful tool, then, for understanding your unique aging journey.
Speaker 1:It really does, and this has huge implications for how you might approach your own health care, right? You mentioned tailoring preventive care earlier. Can you give an example of what that might mean for someone listening?
Speaker 2:Sure. So imagine your Dundon-Pace score comes back at age 75, and it suggests you're aging biologically faster than average. Your doctor might then say hey, you know what, Maybe we should start thinking about things like colonoscopies or checking your cardiovascular risk a bit earlier than the standard guidelines suggest for your age.
Speaker 1:Ah. Proactive screening based on your biological pace.
Speaker 2:Exactly or, conversely, if your biological pace is slower, maybe you and your doctor decide you can safely wait a bit longer for certain screenings. It's about moving towards health care that's personalized to your rate of aging, not just your birth date.
Speaker 1:That makes so much sense. It feels much more targeted, potentially way more effective for managing your health long term. Now, something else I read was that it's not just your whole body aging at one speed. Different organs within you can age differently.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's another fascinating layer to this. Dr Weiss-Corey's research. The Stanford professor you mentioned earlier, has been really key here.
Speaker 1:Right, the car analogy guy, that's him yeah.
Speaker 2:His lab showed that we can actually get clues about how fast individual organs are aging by measuring specific proteins floating around in your blood.
Speaker 1:Seriously so my heart could be aging faster than my brain, or vice versa.
Speaker 2:Potentially, yes, your liver might be on a different timeline than your kidneys. It opens up this really exciting, though maybe still future, possibility of even more targeted health care, focusing interventions on the specific organs in your body that seem to be aging faster.
Speaker 1:Wow, this is all incredibly groundbreaking. It really feels like we're getting down to the nitty gritty of how aging works inside us. Okay, so let's shift gears a bit. Let's talk about the brain, because I think that's a major concern for a lot of people, including you. Know you listening? Brain health as we age.
Speaker 2:Definitely a hot topic, and rightly so.
Speaker 1:What does this new science say about? Well, the potential for maybe rejuvenating older brains.
Speaker 2:This is a really exciting area, honestly, with a lot of hope for keeping our minds sharp as we get older. So one thing that tends to happen with age is a decline in something called synaptic plasticity, especially in the hippocampus.
Speaker 1:Hippocampus.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's memory central right.
Speaker 2:Exactly Crucial for learning and memory and synaptic plasticity is basically the ability of your brain cells, the neurons, to strengthen their connections with each other. When that declines, it can contribute to those cognitive changes we sometimes associate with aging.
Speaker 1:Okay, and this is where that young mouse blood research comes in. I remember reading about that. It sounded almost like well, like science fiction.
Speaker 2:It definitely caught people's attention. Back in 2014, Dr Weiss-Corey's lab did these really remarkable experiments. They found that giving blood from young mice to older mice actually seemed to benefit the older mice's brains.
Speaker 1:Oh so.
Speaker 2:They saw changes in gene activity related to that synaptic plasticity we just talked about and, importantly, the older mice actually got better at learning and memory tasks.
Speaker 1:That is astonishing. And then didn't they find something similar with human umbilical cord blood in mice? I mean?
Speaker 2:Yes, that was another huge step. They found that plasma, the liquid part of blood from human umbilical cords, also had these rejuvenating effects on gene expression plasticity and cognitive function in the aged mice.
Speaker 1:Wow, so something in young blood, maybe even human young blood, could potentially help older brains.
Speaker 2:That was the implication. It suggested there might be factors present in young blood, maybe across different species, that are important for brain health and decline with age.
Speaker 1:And they actually pinpointed one of those factors, didn't they? A protein called Tent-IMP2.
Speaker 2:Exactly Tent-IMP2. Exactly TEMP2. That was a major breakthrough. By carefully comparing all the proteins in young versus old blood, they zeroed in on this one, temp2, which stands for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:They found that TEMP2 levels naturally go down in the hippocampus of mice as they age. But here's the kicker when they directly gave TIMP2 back to the aged mice just the protein itself it improved their synaptic plasticity and cognitive function.
Speaker 1:Incredible. And if they took TIMP2 out of the cord blood?
Speaker 2:Then the beneficial effects disappeared. It really pointed to TIMP2 as being a key player, at least in these mouse models, for maintaining some aspects of youthful brain function.
Speaker 1:Wow. So Timpy, too, seems pretty crucial for you potentially. I know Dr Weiss-Corey even started a company based on this.
Speaker 2:Yes, he co-founded a company called Alkahest Inc. They've been running clinical trials exploring if plasma-based treatments might help with neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's.
Speaker 1:Okay, so those kinds of treatments are still being researched. Definitely for the future.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. These are not things available now, but the broader message from this research is really hopeful. I think it suggests that at least some parts of the aging process, especially in the brain, might not be a one-way street. Maybe some aspects are reversible.
Speaker 1:That offers a lot of hope for maintaining, you know, cognitive vitality as we get older. So, while those therapies are still down the road, what about things you, the listener, can actually do right now to potentially slow down your own aging? I'm guessing it's not as dramatic as young blood transfusions.
Speaker 2:No, you're absolutely right. As Dr Belsky said, the most effective things you can do right now are often quote not very exciting.
Speaker 1:Okay, bring on the not so exciting but important stuff. What should you be focusing on?
Speaker 2:Top of the list. Physical activity. Seriously, Dr Belsky calls it the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth, and the science backing that up for your overall health and slowing age-related decline is just overwhelming.
Speaker 1:Movement is medicine, right, okay, what else Diet has to be in there? There's so much noise about food. What does the science actually say about eating for healthy aging?
Speaker 2:Healthy eating is definitely critical for you. A balanced diet rich in nutrients plays a huge role in fighting off aging's effects. And then there's this area of calorie restriction that's been studied a lot in terms of longevity.
Speaker 1:Calorie restriction. Okay, that sounds challenging for most of us. What did they find when they actually studied this in people?
Speaker 2:It does sound tough, but there was this big NIH funded study called Calorie. People in the study cut their daily calories by about 12.5 percent on average for two years.
Speaker 1:OK, 12.5 percent manageable. Maybe what happened.
Speaker 2:Well, they lost weight about 10% on average and, importantly, most of that was fat loss.
Speaker 1:Right. What about the aging itself? Did cutting calories actually slow down their biological clocks? That's what you'd want to know.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was the really interesting finding. The calorie restriction group showed a slower pace of biological aging based on those blood biomarkers we talked about, and they even saw a small but statistically significant dip in their Dundon pace score.
Speaker 1:So their aging speedometer actually slowed down a bit.
Speaker 2:It seemed to yes, suggesting that reducing calories, even moderately, might impact your rate of aging.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay, that's compelling, but what about muscle? That's always a concern with weight loss or restriction, especially as you get older. Did they lose a lot of muscle?
Speaker 2:That's a great question. They did see a small decrease in muscle tissue in the calorie restriction group, but and this is really interesting for you they didn't see a significant drop in their muscle strength.
Speaker 1:Less muscle mass, but strength stayed roughly the same.
Speaker 2:Exactly, which suggests maybe the quality or the efficiency of the muscle they had actually improved, even though there was slightly less of it.
Speaker 1:So maybe better quality over quantity for your muscles, that's a neat idea and I think there was even more follow-up research looking directly at the muscle tissue.
Speaker 2:There was Dr Luigi Ferrucci, and his team did a deep dive, analyzing muscle biopsies from people. In the calorie study they found over 1,000 genes whose activity changed in the calorie restriction group 1,000 genes.
Speaker 1:What were they related to?
Speaker 2:All sorts of crucial things for you Muscle building and repair, regulating your body's internal clock, the circadian rhythm and, importantly, inflammation, which actually decreased.
Speaker 1:So eating less wasn't just about weight. It was fundamentally changing how genes were working in their muscles, affecting repair rhythm, inflammation. That's profound.
Speaker 2:It really is. They even found it affected something called RNA splicing. That's a process where one gene can actually produce slightly different versions of a protein. Calorie restriction changed which versions were being made, including some involved in muscle function and aging.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Dr Ferrucci seems pretty optimistic that even relatively small amounts of calorie restriction might have real benefits for preserving your health as you age, though of course he stresses more research is needed.
Speaker 1:It's encouraging, though, for you listening, that maybe you don't need extreme measures. Small, consistent changes could add up. But Dr Ferrucci also circled back to those other, maybe simpler steps you can take right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. He really hammered home the power of those well-known healthy habits for you. He echoed Dr Belsky saying being physically active is just huge.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Plus, obviously not smoking. Maintaining a healthy weight, getting good quality sleep that's crucial keeping up with vaccinations and recommended cancer screenings, and managing things like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, if you have them.
Speaker 1:Basic stuff, but maybe the most powerful.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He even said something quite striking about a magic pill already being here for you, didn't he?
Speaker 2:He did. He basically said look, if you consistently do these achievable things stay active, don't smoke, manage weight, sleep well, get screenings, manage blood pressure you could potentially add 10 years to your life expectancy.
Speaker 1:Wow, 10 years.
Speaker 2:His point was the real magic pill for healthier aging isn't some fancy future drug. It's the consistent application of these proven lifestyle strategies that you can start doing right now.
Speaker 1:That is a really empowering message. It really highlights how much control you actually have over your own aging path. Okay, so let's try to wrap this up. What are the main takeaways for you, the listener, from this whole deep dive into slowing aging?
Speaker 2:Well, I think, first, you've learned aging. Is this really complex process that scientists are now studying right down to the molecules? Second, your biological age how fast you're really aging inside can be different from your birthday age. And we're getting better at measuring Right the clocks and speedometers.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Third, there's exciting research suggesting some parts of aging, like in the brain, might even be reversible someday. But fourth, and maybe most importantly for right now, there are practical things you can do Lifestyle choices like exercise, healthy eating, maybe even some calorie moderation. They can genuinely impact your aging process.
Speaker 1:It really underscores taking proactive steps today for a healthier tomorrow for yourself, and this ties in so directly with the kind of work you and Dr Kumar are doing there at LifeWellMDcom in Florida.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Our whole mission at LifeWellMDcom is helping individuals like you understand the science and actually implement these strategies for healthy aging and longevity. Dr Kumar and our whole team, we're focused on creating personalized wellness plans based on the latest understanding. It's all about empowering you to take charge of your health for the long run.
Speaker 1:So if someone listening is thinking OK, I want to explore this further. I want to have a personalized plan guided by the science. How can they connect with you and LifeWellMDcom?
Speaker 2:We'd love to hear from you. The best way is to visit our website. That's LifeWellMDcom L-I-F-E-W-E-L-M-Dcom, or just give us a call directly at 561-210-9999.
Speaker 1:561-210-9999.
Speaker 2:That's right. Our team is ready to answer your questions and talk about how our services can help you on your specific journey towards a healthier, longer life. We're really here to be your guide.
Speaker 3:Excellent. Well, this has been incredibly informative, giving you, our listener, some real insight into the cutting edge of aging science and, crucially, those actionable steps. So, on that note, here's a final thought for you to ponder Knowing that different organs inside you might be aging at different speeds, what specific part of your own health and well-being are you most curious about understanding and maybe optimizing for the years ahead? Thanks for joining us for this deep dive.