Longevity is currently a talking point for many, driven by several popular online personalities and authors. Interest in longevity, and its natural partner 'healthspan', has brought Health to the public in a way that other health discussions have not. Fantastic! We need to be engaged in our health mentally before action can be taken.
With so many voices in the health and longevity forum, it can be difficult to know who to listen to, who is credible. One group to follow are scientists involved in the actual research, this is often a group whose voices are not often raised nor heard and yet they properly understand the research. Recently some of the leading scientists in the longevity field, those who do speak up, have caught our attention. So, we thought to capture and share what has been said.
In this instance we pick up on recent comments from leading longevity Professors Nir Barzilai, Luigi Fontana and Andrea Maier; on two key topics commonly discussed by biohackers and longevity influencers: supplements and exercise.
Click on the image above to watch the ABC news report, 11 mins.
If you are unfamiliar with Bryan Johnson, enjoy our article on him. Prof. Barzilai's biography can be found here.
Not only a leading longevity searcher, Dr. Fontana is an advocate for lifestyle medicine. Click on image above to access the study in full.
Note that Prof. Maier (Singapore based, at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine) is on the record as being 100% plant based. Notably, she does not take longevity/biohacking supplements even though the focus of her research is in this very field. Note her emphasis on "lifestyle" for health.
Unfortunately the article itself is locked behind a paywall: https://www.businessinsider.com/supplement-expert-doesnt-take-supplements-eats-vegan-2023-11
The decision to take supplements is highly personal and should be researched thoroughly before commencing. In our own conversations with doctors practising in the longevity field, a summary of their comments is that health testing is valuable (to identify risk factors, illness and, say, potential nutritional shortfalls) and that 'longevity supplements' are not always useful, perhaps even counterproductive.
The foundations of longevity and healthspan - those to be focused on for maximum effect and return on investment - are to be found in lifestyle: eating practices, exercise, sleep, managing stress and a positive social life. A more complete list is to be found in the pillars of health. These are all part of parcel of the practice of lifestyle as medicine, and what we call living a whole health lifestyle.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
Ps. Want to read up on longevity? This reading selection will be of interest.
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