Podcast Release Date: 01/12/22
Podcast Duration: 01:08:10
A summary by Brandon Johnson, DC
5 Key Takeaways
Eat less often
Start by skipping one meal per day and advance from there
Eat less sugar
Recommends stevia over unnatural alcohol sugars
If you eat sugar do it at the end of meal
This delays the insulin dump
Reduce meat intake
Decreases mTOR
Processed meats are the worst
Eat more dark leafy, colorful veggies
Our body needs to be in a state of stress (Hunger,Fatigue, ect)
Hunger in children is important to program epigenome for longevity
Children who are over-fed might be aging more rapidly
David Sinclair begins this podcast by discussing the process of aging and how it relates to diet. He explains that when and what we eat in a 24 hour window will affect overall health and longevity.
The First Starting Point for Longevity
“Eat Less Often”
Not necessarily fewer calories
David eats one meal per day
Packing calories into a shorter period of time allows the body to function more efficiently
How Does Fasting and Diet Relate to Aging?
By reducing glucose (sugar) levels in genes scientists can dramatically increase lifespan
Research shows that fasting is the most viable way to increase the life of an organism
Most fasting research has been conducted on animals
Labradors lived 1.8 years longer on average by restricting calories by 25%
Even yeast cells live longer at a caloric deficit
Leaner people live longer
Obese people can still get benefits from fasting
Diet change can reverse Biological age (age associated with metabolic health)
Someone can be metabolically healthier at 65 than they were at 55
How does Fasting Work?
It puts your body in a state of stress and lowers the amount of available energy to the cells
Low energy activates sirtuins( proteins that protect DNA and keep the right gene expression on)
Sirtuins help release more NAD (supplies energy to cells)
Glucose is bad because:
It reduces sirtuin and AMPK production
It attaches to protein increasing cardiovascular disease
Turns off bodies defense systems
What do Studies Show about Fasting?
Research on religious groups that fast show longer life expectancy
Jainism in India has the most people over the age of 70 relative to population size
Study at Baylor University showed that fasting from dawn to dusk for 4 weeks:
Decreased blood pressure
Reduced BMI (body mass index)
Improved waist circumference
Up regulated (turned on) healthy DNA proteins
Fasting Improved the outcomes of:
Type 1 diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Cancer
Coupling fasting with chemo therapy resulted in a better outcome
Macular degeneration has been showed to slow down or reverse with fasting
After discussing the importance of fasting, Dr. Sinlcair talks about three things that alter longevity genes and how they are connected to diet.
3 Variables that Change Longevity Genes
mTOR-(Mammalian Target of Rampamycin)
Protein complex that registers amino acids
Causes the cell to build things such as muscle tissue
Down regulating (reducing) mTOR increases life span because it activates autophagy (recycles proteins)
AMPK-(Activated Protein Kinase)
An enzyme that goes up when you are fasted (low energy)
Helps stimulate mitochondrial production
Makes ATP (energy for the cell)
Sirtuins
Regulate cellular health and homeostasis
Regulate DNA damage response and repair
Need NAD+ in order to function
After discussing factors that dictate longevity and gene expression, Dr. Sinclair shares some insight on the proper way to fast.
How to Fast for Longevity?
Everybody is different
Find the most effective way for yourself
Fasting mimicking diet
Low in branch chain amino acids which reduces mTOR
Plant based is lower in amino acids
Intermittent fasting
Usually 16 hours fasting with 8 hours eating
Can be 1-7 days without food
Turns on massive autophagy( the removal of dead or bad cells)
Creates chaperone mediated autophagy “the deep cleanse”
Reactive hypoglycemia
Occurs when you eat something sugary in the morning and then fast throughout the day
This causes a spike in insulin which removes too much blood sugar
Results in brain fog and tiredness
Makes you more hungry because of ghrelin release
Some people might be more sensitive to fasting
Should track with glucose monitors
It is necessary to stay hydrated
Nuts and high protein foods can reduce hunger sensations
Worst thing to eat while fasting is sugar
Avoid super high protein diets
Results in too many branch chain amino acids in circulation
It will activate mTOR resulting in less autophagy activation
What does David Sinclair do?
Started by not eating breakfast
1 bite of yogurt in the morning to take supplements
Eats large dinner
More than 20 hours without exogenous glucose (no carbs)
This creates gluconeogenesis
The liver makes more glucose
Takes 2-3 weeks for the body to adapt to long fasts
After discussing the timing of his caloric intake, Dr Sinclair then offers some knowledge on which diets and foods are the healthiest choice.
Xenohormesis
The biological principle of plants that experience environmental stress, offer more bio-active nutrients to the human and animal consumer
20 plant molecules (polythenols) activate sirt 1 (sertuin)
Activate health and longevity pathways
Organic plants grown without pesticides are more stressed and have more polyphenols
The most nutrient dense plants are:
Organic
Locally grown
Colorful
Mediterranean diet has best results
Reduced mortality under 80 by 31%