Our DNA contains the instructions to build our cells, and so our body. Consider the DNA as an instruction manual for how to build a human. DNA contains the code for making thousands of different proteins, which build up our cells and carry out most of the functions of...
The mitochondria are the powerplants of our cells. They generate the energy cells need to function properly. The reason why we eat food and breathe oxygen is to mainly keep our mitochondria going. The sugars, fats and amino acids from our food, and the oxygen we...
Each cell in our body contains millions of proteins. Proteins are the building blocks of our cells. Proteins are also the working horses given they carry out most of the functions in our cells. For example, there are proteins that form channels (gates) in the...
The epigenome plays an important role in aging. The epigenome determines which genes are switched on or off. As we get older the epigenome becomes more dysregulated, leading to genes that are switched on that should be switched off, like pro-cancer or pro-inflammatory...
Slowing down aging is one thing, but reversing aging is something completely different. “Reversing aging” means making old people young again. This would be far more interesting than just “slowing down aging”. In the last few years, scientists discovered it’s possible...
What are some of the best supplements for longevity? Which are the anti-aging supplements I take as a medical doctor and longevity hacker? First, it’s important to differentiate between “longevity supplements” and “health supplements”: “Longevity supplements” act...
We are often being told - especially by sellers of food supplements and skin cremes- that antioxidants slow down the aging process. Antioxidants would delay aging by mopping up reactive free radicals that otherwise damage our DNA. These dreadful free radicals are...
Progeria is often called a disease of accelerated aging. Patients mostly die of a heart attack at age 13, looking frail and old with bald heads, a wrinkled skin, a beaked nose, tin lips and tired looking eyes. It’s a very rare disease, afflicting about 1 in 8 million...
The older we get, the more our brains are susceptible to brain shrinkage. This shrinkage is accompanied by a steady cognitive decline, meaning difficulty to concentrate, forgetfulness or difficulty in retrieving words. However, research has shown that this brain...
Many genes involved in the aging process have been discovered. These genes can in part predict our life span and our risk of aging-related diseases. A well-known gene is the APOE gene. This gene is the most important predictor of the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s...