The Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with longer telomere length — a marker of slower aging and thus long life, a study published in the BMJ this week suggests.
The Mediterranean diet has been consistently linked with health benefits, including reduced mortality and reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease.
The diet is based on a high intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes (such as peas, beans and lentils), and (mainly unrefined) grains; a high intake of olive oil but a low intake of saturated fats; a moderately high intake of fish, a low intake of dairy products, meat and poultry; and regular but moderate intake of alcohol (specifically wine with meals).
Scientists discover how to slow down aging in mice and increase longevity Blocking a specific protein complex in the hypothalamus and injecting a hormone slow aging and cognitive decline
Their discovery of a specific age-related signaling pathway opens up new strategies for combating diseases of old age and extending lifespan.
While young people are not so enthusiastic about having many children, and older ones will be getting even older, what will the human society look like?
The tiny freshwater polyp Hydra is a remarkable creature. It does not show any signs of ageing and appears to be immortal. Researchers from Kiel University have examined this phenomenon and uncovered an important link to the ageing process in humans that could lead to the development of advanced rejuvenation therapies.
How does the polyp Hydra do this? It accomplishes the feat of apparent immorality by reproducing through budding rather than mating. Each polyp contains stem cells capable of continuous proliferation. Without this endless supply of regenerating stem cells, the animals could not reproduce.
Following a healthy lifestyle can lead to a significantly longer life, even among people who are already well into their 70s, new research shows.
This study followed people in their mid-70s and older for almost twenty years. Researchers found a strong association between lifestyle and life expectancy.
"Physical activity was the single biggest predictor of longevity."
A few weeks ago, PBS NewsHour ran a 10-minute piece with Kurzweil titled “As Humans and Computers Merge…Immortality?” from correspondent Paul Solman for his economics-focused Making Sen$e of Financial News.
Solman probes Kurzweil for some insights about where technology is headed in the coming decades, covering topics like artificial intelligence, extending lifespans through supplementation, and digital resurrection of the deceased as avatars.
Gerontologists and demographers have argued about this for a long time, with the balance of opinion heavily influenced by the changes seen in the wealthiest nations’ “survival curves” — graphs showing, broadly speaking, the proportion of an initial population that survived to a given age.
People who restrict their caloric intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that function more like those in people who are 20 years younger.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a key measure of the heart's ability to adapt to physical activity, stress, sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood, doesn't decline nearly as rapidly in people who have significantly restricted their caloric intake for an average of seven years.
Alzheimer's may strike 100 million people by 2050. Gregory Petsko, Chair of the Department of Biochemistry at Brandeis University, asks: We know our populati...
The latest in the fight against ever dying is a gene therapy that gives mice a healthy dose of telomerase, the enzyme that keeps our chromosomes – and thus our cells and bodies – “young.”
The therapy extended the lifespans of mice by 24 percent and, at least so far, the therapy appears to be completely safe...
In a study at Kings College London using groups of identical twins, genes were identified that are switched on or off by epigenetic factors - natural mechanisms other than the underlying DNA which change the gene expression, and could include external factors such as...
What about this: “Middle-aged people can do more, earn more and, in short, they run the world”
Don’t despair the rearranging of fat deposits and the gradual decline of some physical characteristics that accompany middle age, says this author. Instead, celebrate the continued cognitive development and success that goes along with life experience.
LONDON (Reuters) - More people in developed countries are overweight or obese than ever before, dooming them to years of ill health, pushing up healthcare costs and piling more pressure on health systems,...
While obesity in some countries has stabilized, this is not true in the US and Canada. The cost is high. “Experts say severely obese people die on average eight to 10 years sooner than people at normal weight, with every 15 extra kg increasing risk of early death by around 30 percent.”
In a recent study, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), say that activating a gene, AMPK, in fruit flies’ intestines was found to add 30% to their average lifespans—up to eight weeks from the typical six weeks.
Beyond simply boosting lifespans, the flies stayed healthier too.
Researchers from UCLA and UC Berkeley have, for the first time ever, solved the puzzle of how the various components of an entire telomerase enzyme complex fit together and function in a three-dimensional structure.
The telomerase enzyme, which is known to play a significant role in aging and most cancers, represents a breakthrough that could open up a host of new approaches to fighting disease.
The creation of the first complete visual map of thetelomerase enzyme, which is known to play a significant role in aging and most cancers, represents a breakthrough that could open up a host of new approaches to fighting disease, the researchers said.
"Everyone in the field wants to know what telomerase looks like, and there it was. I was so excited, I could hardly breathe," said Juli Feigon, a UCLA professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a senior author of the study. "We were the first to see it."
Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer of SENS Foundation and the world’s most prominent advocate of anti-aging research, argues that it makes no sense to spend the vast majority of our medical resources on trying to combat the diseases of aging without tackling aging itself, writes ethicist Peter Singer on Project Syndicate.
De Grey believes that even modest progress in this area over the coming decade could lead to a dramatic extension of the human lifespan.
Ray and Terry's 's insight:
We are working towards a point in history when we can add a year to life expectancy for every year we age.
An efficient, high-volume technique for testing potential drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease uncovered an organic compound that restored motor function and longevity to fruit flies with the disease, according to new research that could help...
SIRT1, a protein that slows aging in mice and other animals, also protects against the ravages of a high-fat diet, including diabetes, according to a new MIT study.
Damaged and aged heart tissue of older heart failure patients was rejuvenated by stem cells modified by scientists, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2012 Scientific Sessions.
The research could one day lead to new treatments for heart failure patients, researchers said.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Ex-smokers live longer than those who haven't kicked the habit, no matter what age group you look at, according to a new report.This fact calls for effective smoking cessation...
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who are at high risk of falls should have physical therapy and take vitamin D supplements to reduce their chance of injury, according to new recommendations from...
Research extended mouse lifespan by up to 24% using gene therapy.
The therapy also decreased the signs of aging. For example, it improved muscle health and delayed the diseases of aging such as osteoporosis and insulin resistance.
Myostatin is a muscle-inhibiting protein. There is evidence that the gene responsible for this protein is involved with the loss of muscle mass that human experience with age.
In a mouse experiment, researchers found that “Mice with the myostatin gene removed grow more muscle." Using this knowledge, scientists have been working on therapies to combat muscle loss.
Here is another confirmation that myostatin is involved in age-related changes in muscle mass and strength via its effect on stem cells...
Since when is boosting fat an anti-aging secret? Well, there is finally good news on the fat front. Brown fat is hyperactive and burns energy. Yes, it's true! These researchers learned more about tumor suppressors and suggest future treatments may boost brown fat to fight aging and cancer.
"In a perfect world, we could eat to our heart's content without sacrificing our health and good looks, and now it appears that maybe we can. Mice with an extra dose of a known anti-cancer gene lose weight even as their appetites grow."
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