The original source for this topic is Dr. Anne Brunet, PhD, a video from the Stanford University YouTube channel. This is very much from an academic, research point of view. So not a big-picture view of what causes a shorter or longer lifespan. Some of it is actionable, but some is just research. specifically on ‘model organisms’ – animals that have similar aging profiles to humans. Mice. Worms. But very interesting in terms of some things that could have a big impact on longevity.
Dr. Brunet, being French, also mentioned Jeanne Calment (see episode 170), the longest-lived person ever (documented), who was also from France.
Genetics are a big factor in aging and longevity, but still only 30%, and the older you get, the less those genes come into play. The rest is environmental, and here are some of factors that have come out of the research that Dr. Brunet reviewed:
1. Exercise. This keeps coming up. Tom Petty said “You never slow down, you’ll never get old.” There’s something to that!
2. Dietary Restriction. Dr. Brunet says 1200 calories per day. We saw this in the Blue Zones research. You can also mimic this by intermittent fasting. See also the Running: A FEVER episode on caloric restriction and longevity:
3. Rapamycin, a compound found in soil on Easter Island.
4. Metformin, a compound which comes from french lilac plants.
5. Resveratrol, found in skin of grapes, the red wine compound which you can now buy in pill form in grocery stores.
Be sure to check out the original video for more details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sppJywBkKB8
Weight 7-day Avg. (change since Jan 2018): 221 (-53)
Workout time: 37 Minutes
Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 1.73 Miles (591.78)
Steps: 4,129
Muscle Mass 7-day Avg. (change since Aug 2018): 153.93 (+11)
Body Fat 7-day Avg.: 30%
Daily Sleep Duration 7-day Avg: 6 hours
2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat