Life Hacks for Longevity
Is radical life extension a costly endeavor, is it seen as having a high barrier to entry? The Lifespan Society of BC tries to focus on technologies that anyone can have access to. Today, we will be talking to you about three easy longevity hacks you can incorporate into your everyday lives for little to no cost.
Disclaimer: Do not take this as medical advice, always consult a physician before trying any of these techniques.
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
Intermittent fasting primarily focuses on the frequency of eating, while calorie restriction is a consistent pattern of reducing average daily caloric intake. Intermittent fasting is usually a pattern of fasting for 12-16 hours, and eating food during a short window of time during the day. This primarily focuses on the frequency of eating. Another approach is the 5:2 approach, which is eating regularly for 5 days of the week, and limiting calorie intake to 500-600 calories the other 2 days. There is a third approach of fasting every other day and eating freely on non-fasting days. During the times you are not eating, water and zero-calorie beverages are permitted.
A study shows that people who routinely fast have a 45% lower mortality rate than those who did not fast regularly. There are several benefits to intermittent fasting that are linked to an increase in longevity. Intermittent fasting activates autophagy (regeneration of new healthy cells, clearing of unhealthy cells). This has been shown to help increase resistance of healthy cells in chemotherapy. A mice study showed a 50% reduction in tumors after fasting. Additionally, IF has been shown to suppress inflammation (increase immune response), and help with DNA repair. In a fruit fly study, flies improved muscle and neuron function, reduced age-related protein aggregation, and delayed the onset of aging markers in muscles and intestinal tissues. This can be correlated to humans due to the similar genetic makeup, as well as the fact that human cells use the same cell-cleaning processes, hence IF could delay age-related disease and extend lifespan. Alternate day fasting, specifically, improves markers of oxidative stress, which is a measure of longevity.
Fasting increases metabolism by switching from burning glucose to burning fat. This increases stress resistance and cell survival, which results in a decrease in incidences of disease and increased longevity. This improves organ health. Fasting also secretes a growth hormone which is beneficial for fat loss and muscle gain, which improves mobility with age.
Prevention is better than cure. A study posted by the Office of National Statistics (2018) has shown that the leading cause of death in older adults in England is cardiovascular disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce blood pressure, decrease the resting heart rate, improve circulation, help control blood sugar levels, and help prevent/treat some forms of cancer. Hence, fasting protects us from age-related diseases.
Disclaimer: Be careful with fasting if you are underweight, female, or have an illness that requires a specific diet. Make sure that your body is receiving the amount of calories it requires, and that you have a balanced diet with the correct amount of macronutrients and micronutrients. This is not health advice, consult a physician.
Improving Grip Strength
What is grip strength? It's the amount of crushing force we produce when we make a fist or grip something as tightly as we possibly can. This force is connected to our whole body, hence grip strength is an indicator of overall body strength. Research shows that greater grip strength, balance and gait improves longevity regardless of weight. It is correlated with upper limb function, bone mineral density and fracture risk, as well as brain health, depression and nutritional status. A stronger grip strength also has been shown to strongly correlate with a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. A study from the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics has shown that individuals with a lower grip strength (see chart below) tend to have a stronger likelihood of mobility impairment with age. This is because a strong grip indicates muscular force, aka how much muscle mass your body has.
Some simple exercises that can be used to increase grip strength include ball squeeze (squeezing a tennis ball repetitively), general resistance training/use of free weights, climbing, as well as finger and palm stretches to alleviate strain in the hands. There are also grip strength devices you can purchase to increase your grip. Lifespan Society of BC has a grip strength measuring device (dynamometer) that members can ask to use at events or privately, by contacting us. An image of this is shown below.
Chart of grip strength measurements base on age and sex.
Cold Therapy
Cold therapy can be practiced through daily cold showers, cold baths, cold mineral spa treatments, swimming in open water, living in colder climates, and participating in outdoor activities in the colder months. Alternating between heat and cold also works as an alternative to just cold therapy. Cold therapy has been associated with an increase in longevity.
In small doses, cold therapy allows the body to adapt to better handle oxidative stress. Oxidative stress in mild doses protects the body from infection and disease. Additionally, cold therapy activates brown fat reserves, which is associated with reducing cholesterol levels, improving glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity and bone health. Other benefits are an accelerated recovery from injury; an increase in metabolic activity; improving immune function, fatigue, memory and mood; as well as being beneficial for cognitive functioning and mental health (anxiety, stress, depression). All these factors lead to an increase in longevity.
Cold therapy also activates cold shock proteins, which allow cellular survival in colder temperatures, and are involved in various mechanisms such as protein synthesis, transcription, and supercoiling of DNA. Cold shock proteins are associated with enhancing DNA/RNA stability and are expressed in higher levels in anti-aging models. Short exposure to lower temperatures also stimulate the longevity gene pathways and increase mitochondria production. Mitochondrial health decreases with age, and is associated with lower energy levels in older adults, hence mitochondrial production is important for longevity.
Cold therapy or prolonged exposure to extreme cold temperatures can be risky for people with certain health conditions, and/or could lead to hypothermia. Do not consider this as medical advice, and consult your physician before trying cold therapy. If you try cold therapy, start off small and then build your tolerance to colder temperatures.
