Resveratrol — Can You Really Eat Whatever and Live to 120?
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This seems incredible! But it's all very plausible if you understand the root causes of obesity, aging, and disease. Those causes are blood sugar control and the health, number, and function of your mitochondria.There is nothing wrong with either. But in order to find the real secret to longevity and to healthy aging and fitness, we need to look at how this compound works and learn from that how to keep ourselves healthy. The secret lies in our mitochondria. Mitochondria: The Real Secret to Healthy Aging and Lifelong Fitness Mitochondria are the little organs in every cell that turn oxygen and food into energy. For now, let's examine two recent studies that shed light on these mighty little organs that hold the key to health, weight loss, and longevity. In the first study, published in Nature, Dr. Sinclair and his colleagues gave one group of mice a diet high in fat (60 percent of calories). What happened then was interesting ... In middle age they all became obese, got diabetes and fatty livers, and died early. Another group of mice were fed the same diet, but also received resveratrol at a dose of 24 mg/kg of body weight. That's the equivalent of the amount of resveratrol found in about 750 to 1,500 bottles of wine a day! What happened to those mice was even more interesting ... They still got fat -- but lived longer and did not develop diabetes. They were also more agile and had more endurance than the rats that didn't get the resveratrol. Interestingly, their cholesterol profiles didn't improve -- BUT they didn't get heart disease, showing that cholesterol is not the big evil we think it is. Let's take a closer look at what these findings really mean. In this study, resveratrol produced changes associated with longer lifespan and produced the following biologic effects:
- It increased insulin sensitivity, leading to better blood sugar control.
- It reduced levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), a molecule related to the growth hormone that promotes cancer growth.
- It increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a signaling system in the body that controls insulin sensitivity and can prevent diabetes.
- It increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 (PGC-1) activity. This is a critical signaling system that turns on genes that improve blood sugar control and improve mitochondrial function.
- It increased the numbers of mitochondria, which boosts the capacity to turn food into energy and burn calories.
- It improved motor function, making the old rats more agile.
- And finally, the resveratrol helped prevent the effects of aging by modifying 144 out of 153 metabolic pathways that are controlled by genes.
- They did NOT gain weight, and reduced the size of fat cells.
- They didn't develop pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
- They increased the number of energy-producing mitochondria in their muscle cells.
- Their metabolic thermostat was turned up and they increased fat burning by increasing thermogenesis.
- They increased their endurance and aerobic capacity (without exercise).
- They maintained their cells' sensitivity to insulin, resulting in better blood sugar control.
Taking a magic pill just won’t do the trick. Especially with all the other real-life insults that affect us, such as poor diet, stress, environmental toxins, and a sedentary lifestyle — all of which affect blood sugar control and mitochondria.Recently, I was at a conference on longevity and aging and had a chance to converse with Dr. Leonard Guarente from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1995, Dr. Guarente discovered a gene called SIR-2 in yeast that controls longevity. He was a teacher of David Sinclair, who authored one of the recent studies on resveratrol I discussed above. I asked Dr. Guarente what REALLY was at the root of the effects of this master gene that controls longevity (called SIRT-1 in humans). Resveratrol works through this gene. His answer was quite simple. It was... SUGAR! This gene has its master effects on aging by improving how the body controls sugar and insulin sensitivity. This isn't really surprising. All the effects of aging are increased by worsening blood sugar control -- even before you get diabetes. People with diabetes have smaller and more poorly functioning mitochondria and get cancer, heart disease, and dementia at far greater rates than the general population. So if we could fix our blood sugar control and boost our mitochondria, we could live longer and disease-free. Considering this, let's look at the big picture again... Taking a magic pill just won't do the trick. That's especially true if you factor in all the other real-life insults that affect us, such as poor diet, stress, environmental toxins, and a sedentary lifestyle -- all of which affect blood sugar control and mitochondria. Instead, you need to know ALL the factors that DAMAGE your blood sugar control and mitochondria. And you need to know ALL the factors that IMPROVE or boost your blood sugar control and mitochondria. These are just the back-to-the-basics principles of functional medicine that I've been talking about for years -- identify the bad stuff and take it away; identify the good stuff and add it. So what can you do to live longer and stay disease-free -- other than drink 1,500 bottles of wine or take 360 pills of resveratrol a day? Here is just a partial list! Ten Tips to Help You Live a Longer and Healthier Life
- Balance your blood sugar. I outline how in UltraMetabolism: increase your intake of whole foods that contain lots of fiber, such as beans, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
- Eat protein with every meal. This helps balance your blood sugar. Include nuts, beans, fish, lean animal protein, and omega-3 eggs in your diet.
- Increase your intake of omega-3 fats. These improve blood sugar control by working on the same cell-signaling mechanisms as resveratrol. Eat wild fish (salmon, sardines, black cod, and herring) or take omega-3 fatty acid pills (1,000 to 2,000 mg of EPA and DHA a day).
- Eliminate or dramatically limit flour products. That means anything with sugar from any source.
- Find ways to relax every day. This prevents diabetes and controls your blood sugar by reducing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
- To boost your mitochondria, you will need to exercise and build muscle. Try interval training, a technique of exercising fast (like sprinting) for one minute and then more slowly (like fast walking) for three minutes. Repeat this in cycles totaling 30 minutes twice a week.
- Eat foods with phytonutrients. There are many protective ones other than resveratrol, including those found in green tea, pomegranate, and all dark, colorful fruits and vegetables.
- Consider supplements that help protect and boost your mitochondria. These include Coenzyme Q10 (100 to 200 mg a day), acetyl-l-carnitine (500 to 1,000 mg twice a day), alpha-lipoic acid (100 to 200 mg twice a day), D-ribose (5 g once or twice a day), magnesium (150 to 300 mg twice a day), B-complex vitamins (daily), and NADH (5 to 10 mg a day).
- Live clean and green. Limit your exposure to heavy metals, pollution, and other environmental toxins -- all of which poison your mitochondria.
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