William Faloon

A massive scientific review published in 2023 describes "aging" as a top global concern.¹

The authors of this review emphasize the urgent need for effective interventions to decrease late-life disorders and improve human healthspans.

The authors note that the number of compounds that have extended lifespan in laboratory models has nearly tripled in recent years.

These compounds largely affect differing biological mechanisms.

This prompted the authors to propose a rationale for the use of combinations of anti-aging interventions, something that most readers of this magazine attempt to do today.

In recent years, low-cost nutrients have been identified that are associated with longer lifespans.

One challenge is to ingest optimal potencies that target specific age-accelerating pathways. None of us wants to omit affordable nutrients that have life-extending potential.

A nutrient that has garnered attention in recent years is spermidine. Found in wheat and other foods, spermidine has been shown to increase median lifespan in different species, including:^2-6

300% in yeast
30% in flies
10% in older, aged mice 

Observational studies in people associate increased spermidine ingestion with lower risk of cardiovascular⁷ and cognitive disorders,^8,9 along with reduced mortality.^10-12

Spermidine functions via several mechanisms including boosting cellular housekeeping (autophagy).^4,13-15 Some scientists describe spermidine as a calorie restriction mimetic.¹⁶

We welcome randomized controlled trials that attempt to validate the lifespan-enhancing effects of differing interventions in people. For those seeking to delay degenerative aging now, we don't have time to wait for results from multi-decade clinical trials.

Taurine and Lithium

A landmark study published in the journal Science described the amino acid taurine as an "anti-aging intervention."¹⁷

The authors of this study demonstrated how taurine levels plummet as people grow older. They showed higher levels of taurine are associated with lower BMI and lower prevalence of abdominal obesity, inflammation, and type II diabetes.

When taurine was supplemented in middle-aged mice, life expectancy increased by 18%-25%. Taurine-fed mice appeared healthier, having less body fat, more bone mass, and better insulin sensitivity.

The dose of taurine found to be effective at supporting cardiovascular health in human trials is about 5,000 mgs a day.^18-20

It requires 1,500 mgs of wheat germ to obtain the desired potency of spermidine.^2,4,9-11,21

A mineral we've talked about for many years is lithium. In regions with higher lithium in drinking water, people tend to live longer.^22-24  

Managing the bottles and swallowing the capsules needed to obtain these potencies can be challenging.

This prompted the formulation of a combination of nutrients into a daily scoop of powder. The savings and ability to easily ingest higher potencies make compliance simpler than it has been.

The article on page 32 of this month's issue outlines the science that supports nutrients associated with longer life and enhanced healthspans.

The box on this page summarizes a massive review emphasizing the need for combination approaches to target aging.

What Can You Do Today?

The most important steps to avoid premature morbidities and mortality are to optimize blood pressure and have comprehensive blood tests.

Blood tests can identify correctable risk factors long before they manifest outwardly as serious illness or death.

The most popular test our supporters order is the Male or Female Blood Test Panels described on the next page.

Commercial labs charge over $2,500 for all these tests, but they are available once a year from Life Extension^® for only $224— a savings of around 90%.

Upon receiving your order, we'll send you a list of blood draw stations in your area where you can walk in at your convenience for a blood draw and then receive rapid reporting of the results.

Blood tests can be ordered 24-hours-a-day by calling 1-800-208-3444 or visiting www.LifeExtension.com/sales/lab-tests.

For longer life,

William Faloon, Co-Founder, Life Extension®

References

1. Rybina OY, Symonenko AV, Pasyukova EG. Compound combinations targeting longevity: Challenges and perspectives. Ageing Res Rev. 2023 Mar;85:101851.
2. Soda K, Kano Y, Chiba F. Food polyamine and cardiovascular disease--an epidemiological study. Glob J Health Sci. 2012 Sep 28;4(6):170-8.
3. Rhodes CH, Zhu C, Agus J, et al. Human fasting modulates macrophage function and upregulates multiple bioactive metabolites that extend lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans: a pilot clinical study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Feb;117(2):286-97.
4. Eisenberg T, Knauer H, Schauer A, et al. Induction of autophagy by spermidine promotes longevity. Nat Cell Biol. 2009 Nov;11(11):1305-14.
5. Hofer SJ, Simon AK, Bergmann M, et al. Mechanisms of spermidine-induced autophagy and geroprotection. Nat Aging. 2022 Dec;2(12):1112-29.
6. Eisenberg T, Abdellatif M, Schroeder S, et al. Cardioprotection and lifespan extension by the natural polyamine spermidine. Nature Medicine. 2016 2016/12/01;22(12):1428-38.
7. Yu Z, Jiao Y, Zhang J, et al. Effect of Serum Spermidine on the Prognosis in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Cohort Study. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 27;14(7).
8. Wirth M, Benson G, Schwarz C, et al. The effect of spermidine on memory performance in older adults at risk for dementia: A randomized controlled trial. Cortex. 2018 Dec;109:181-8.
9. Pekar T, Bruckner K, Pauschenwein-Frantsich S, et al. The positive effect of spermidine in older adults suffering from dementia : First results of a 3-month trial. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2021 May;133(9-10):484-91.
10. Wu H, Wang J, Jiang H, et al. The association of dietary spermidine with all-cause mortality and CVD mortality: The U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003 to 2014. Front Public Health. 2022;10:949170.
11. Kiechl S, Pechlaner R, Willeit P, et al. Higher spermidine intake is linked to lower mortality: a prospective population-based study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Aug 1;108(2):371-80.
12. Madeo F, Hofer SJ, Pendl T, et al. Nutritional Aspects of Spermidine. Annu Rev Nutr. 2020 Sep 23;40:135-59.
13. Madeo F, Bauer MA, Carmona-Gutierrez D, Kroemer G. Spermidine: a physiological autophagy inducer acting as an anti-aging vitamin in humans? Autophagy. 2019 Jan;15(1):165-8.
14. Abdellatif M, Sedej S, Carmona-Gutierrez D, et al. Autophagy in Cardiovascular Aging. Circ Res. 2018 Sep 14;123(7):803-24.
15. Wirth A, Wolf B, Huang CK, et al. Novel aspects of age-protection by spermidine supplementation are associated with preserved telomere length. Geroscience. 2021Apr;43(2):673-90.
16. Hofer SJ, Davinelli S, Bergmann M, et al. Caloric Restriction Mimetics in Nutrition and Clinical Trials. Front Nutr. 2021;8:717343.
17. Singh P, Gollapalli K, Mangiola S, et al. Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging. Science. 2023 Jun 9;380(6649):eabn9257.
18. Guan L, Miao P. The effects of taurine supplementation on obesity, blood pressure and lipid profile: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Pharmacol. 2020 Oct 15;885:173533.
19. Waldron M, Patterson SD, Tallent J, Jeffries O. The Effects of an Oral Taurine Dose and Supplementation Period on Endurance Exercise Performance in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2018 May;48(5):1247-53.
20. Caletti G, Cardoso MV, Scheffel RS, et al. Effect of taurine on glycaemic, lipid and inflammatory profile in individuals with type 2 diabetes: study protocol of a randomised trial. Br J Nutr. 2023 Jun 14;129(11):1871-6.
21. Eisenberg T, Abdellatif M, Schroeder S, et al. Cardioprotection and lifespan extension by the natural polyamine spermidine. Nat Med. 2016 Dec;22(12):1428-38.
22. Araldi E, Jutzeler CR, Ristow M. Lithium treatment extends human lifespan: findings from the UK Biobank. Aging (Albany NY). 2023 Jan 11;15(2):421-40.
23. Fajardo VA, Fajardo VA, LeBlanc PJ, MacPherson REK. Examining the Relationship between Trace Lithium in Drinking Water and the Rising Rates of Age-Adjusted Alzheimer's Disease Mortality in Texas. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;61(1):425-34.
24. Zarse K, Terao T, Tian J, et al. Low-dose lithium uptake promotes longevity in humans and metazoans. Eur J Nutr. 2011 Aug;50(5):387-9.