**Official Longevity Thread** (2 Viewers)

[dkp993]

Reading this as I’m slow cooking baby back ribs. I despise most vegetables. I‘m screwed.

 

[NutterButter]

Reading this as I’m slow cooking baby back ribs. I despise most vegetables. I‘m screwed.

Aren't baby back ribs part of the Mediterranean diet?

 

[Terminalxylem]

championship sunday and i'm feasting on a delicious bowl of quinoa and chick pea salad. 100 here I come.

I think diet makes a small difference in longevity, but along with exercise and other lifestyle choices can make a big contribution to physical and cognitive health.

Can you unpack how you came to this conclusion?

Diets have been shown to have minimal effect on lipid profile, unless accompanied by serious caloric restriction. See the twinkle diet by the Kansas PhD dietary expert. I'm aware of the ape diet (aka, portfolio diet: plant protein, viscous fiber, nuts and phytosterols) which lowered cholesterol.

I'm a little skeptical of those retrospective studies showing the benefit of diet on longevity, due to the diffuliculty in controlling for confounds of other healthy lifestyle choices. But in just reviewing the reviews and meta-analyses, perhaps I'm underestimating the benefits of diet.

Funny, optimal diet is thought to lower cholesterol ~20-30%, about the same % genetics influence longevity... But even if it can't control cholesterol, diet impacts much more than vascular disease, eg. risk of cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc.

Of course you're right: it's hard to study longevity in humans, and nutrition research is ripe for confounders, including healthy user effect/bias. Plus, it isn't practical to study diet prospectively for decades.

All that said, there are a few good studies which suggest plant-based diets extend lifespan. While the China Project laid the foundation for the virtues of plant-based nutrition, I think the Adventist Health Studies are probably better describing the benefits, in a population with more uniform non-dietary behaviors. More recently, I thought this study was interesting, as it included multiple meta analyses to estimate dose-response curves for dietary interventions on lifespan.

A sustained change from a typical Western diet to the optimal diet from age 20 years would increase LE by more than a decade for women from the United States (10.7 [95% UI 8.4 to 12.3] years) and men (13.0 [95% UI 9.4 to 14.3] years). The largest gains would be made by eating more legumes (females: 2.2 [95% UI 1.1 to 3.4]; males: 2.5 [95% UI 1.1 to 3.9]), whole grains (females: 2.0 [95% UI 1.3 to 2.7]; males: 2.3 [95% UI 1.6 to 3.0]), and nuts (females: 1.7 [95% UI 1.5 to 2.0]; males: 2.0 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.3]), and less red meat (females: 1.6 [95% UI 1.5 to 1.8]; males: 1.9 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.1]) and processed meat (females: 1.6 [95% UI 1.5 to 1.8]; males: 1.9 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.1]). Changing from a typical diet to the optimized diet at age 60 years would increase LE by 8.0 (95% UI 6.2 to 9.3) years for women and 8.8 (95% UI 6.8 to 10.0) years for men, and 80-year-olds would gain 3.4 years (95% UI females: 2.6 to 3.8/males: 2.7 to 3.9).

Check out their calculator

I've definitely come around to the idea any diet which facilitates attaining a healthy weight trumps the specific foods one eats. Nonetheless, it's hard to deny long lived populations around the world eat a bunch of plants, and little meat.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

 

[zoobird]

Two different ways I think about how long I want to live...

1. I want to live as long as I can without being in too much pain and without suffering severe enough dementia that I lose too much of who I am. Not really sure what 'too much' is in either case though.
2. I want to live as long as I'm still able to find joy in some things some of the time.

 

[urbanhack]

I try to do most things with the idea of "balance" in mind.

Things I'm doing well:

• Sleep/Rest
• Outdoor activities
• Balanced diet

Things I need to do better:

• More specific cardio and strength training
• Continue to reduce intake of alcohol

 

[Brony]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

I read Lifespan (the David Sinclair one) and got very intrigued. Even if he's 20% correct, it's pretty exciting about the science and potential therapeutic interventions.

I have been taking NMN daily. I did notice a positive benefit on energy, but it leveled off pretty quickly. I buy from Amazon and the suppliers of NMN go in and out of stock a lot. I switched to a version that had NMN plus reservatol. Over a few weeks, I started having GI issues. After a month of that, I was start to wonder if I had colon cancer or something. Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment that GI issues started might be related. I quit taking any of that and my stools are happy again. I hope that doesn't cut my life expectancy.

On his other recommendations (calorie restrictions, cold therapy, fasting sessions, other supplements, exercise, mostly plant diet, cutting sugar/sweets), I haven't adopted much outside of cutting red meat down a lot. In my own foray into longevity studies years ago, it seemed like every epidemiological study supported the basics of "don't be fat and exercise regularly". So I stick with that. I ought to do more, but I don't sweat it nowadays.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

I read Lifespan (the David Sinclair one) and got very intrigued. Even if he's 20% correct, it's pretty exciting about the science and potential therapeutic interventions.

I have been taking NMN daily. I did notice a positive benefit on energy, but it leveled off pretty quickly. I buy from Amazon and the suppliers of NMN go in and out of stock a lot. I switched to a version that had NMN plus reservatol. Over a few weeks, I started having GI issues. After a month of that, I was start to wonder if I had colon cancer or something. Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment that GI issues started might be related. I quit taking any of that and my stools are happy again. I hope that doesn't cut my life expectancy.

On his other recommendations (calorie restrictions, cold therapy, fasting sessions, other supplements, exercise, mostly plant diet, cutting sugar/sweets), I haven't adopted much outside of cutting red meat down a lot. In my own foray into longevity studies years ago, it seemed like every epidemiological study supported the basics of "don't be fat and exercise regularly". So I stick with that. I ought to do more, but I don't sweat it nowadays.

Yeah, Sinclair is the most bullish of the authors concerning what the future holds for human longevity. Arguably, he’s also the most qualified to describe the state of the science.

He believes there will be meaningful breakthroughs to promote longevity within our lifetimes, including extending our biologic age limit up to ~150. He also takes NMN, resveratrol, and acknowledges the value of protein restriction, in contrast to Attia (He takes low dose rapamycin IIRC, plus B vitamins, D, fish oil, aspirin, probiotics and protein powder).

His research has been criticized though, and he has financial stake in the supplements he advocates.

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

On the other hand, there are many potential issues with an even bigger aging population. Not sure our country, or the planet can handle it.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Two different ways I think about how long I want to live...

1. I want to live as long as I can without being in too much pain and without suffering severe enough dementia that I lose too much of who I am. Not really sure what 'too much' is in either case though.
2. I want to live as long as I'm still able to find joy in some things some of the time.

I think we all want to avoid suffering, including physical and mental debility. The problem is, it tends to occur insidiously, such that you may not recognize what’s going on, until you‘re the proverbial frog in boiling water (side note: this phenomenon doesn’t occur in actual frogs). Especially with dementia, by the time you’ve lost your identity, you typically can’t do much about it, and may not be cognizant enough to care.

Since most of us won’t pick how and when we‘ll die, the best you can do is live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. This will maximize your healthspan (ie. functional lifespan) and can minimize suffering in the end, while limiting the burden we pose to our loved ones.

 

[3C's]

How long do you want to live?

People try to put us d-down (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (talkin' 'bout my generation)

 

[2Young2BBald]

So crazy how I've "grown up" with this forum. So much great stuff posted already. I am 55 and have have many similar thoughts about aging. Sharing a book I read that has helped me picture how my broken down, sports injury plagued body will make it. Quick background, I travel full time for work. Right before XMAS 2023, I threw my back out so bad I couldn't move and had to fly my wife in to take me to the ER (as I was way too stubborn to have co-workers take or call for an ambulance). To say the experience freaked me out is an understatement. On a recommendation, I read The Hidden Psychology of Pain. Its quite text-book-like and dry, but I found the content really go my head right about continuing to be very active and doing so as I age. for future reading as I can tell this will be a must read thread for a long time!

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

I understand the logic here, but it's not biologically possible for us to stand still. It would be nice to extend human lifetimes, but I'm not sure it's really in my interests to hang to age 90 and then reap the "benefits" of a breakthrough that allows me to spend another 60 years as a 90 year-old.

We're not going to benefit from any singularity, and none of us is going to be alive 100 years from now. It's way more important and beneficial for people to make good decisions that help them make it to 80 than to worry too much about what happens after that IMO. (I know we probably agree here -- just saying).

 

[ProstheticRGK]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

The big ones I am hearing about are Omega-3's and polyphenols, for their antioxidant properties.

EDIT: Oh, and a big focus on the gut microbiome and how it's much more important than previously understood.

 

[SoBeDad]

I understand the logic here, but it's not biologically possible for us to stand still. It would be nice to extend human lifetimes, but I'm not sure it's really in my interests to hang to age 90 and then reap the "benefits" of a breakthrough that allows me to spend another 60 years as a 90 year-old.

We're not going to benefit from any singularity, and none of us is going to be alive 100 years from now. It's way more important and beneficial for people to make good decisions that help them make it to 80 than to worry too much about what happens after that IMO. (I know we probably agree here -- just saying).

60 is the new 50 (my daughters tell me), 50 is the new 40. There was up to a decade increase in lifespan in the USA from 1950 to 2010, and more older adults avoiding some diseases of aging, for example those related to hypertension. But, the increase in longevity has stopped and reversed due to lifestyle changes, cheaper food, more obesity. Even in Okinawa "foreign" lifestyle have reduced longevity. Yes, good decisions in middle age to help us make it to 80 in good shape are more important than baby steps in longevity science.

I'm not sure I wanna hear 90 is the new 80, or 100 is the new 90. Unless science can regenerate some neurons and restore youth.

 

[Scoresman]

The first generation that figures out longevity and lives well past 100 is going to be hated more than the boomers. The drain on healthcare, extended retirement age keeping the job markets tight, more goofy senior citizens driving when they shouldn't be, etc.

 

[Brony]

The first generation that figures out longevity and lives well past 100 is going to be hated more than the boomers. The drain on healthcare, extended retirement age keeping the job markets tight, more goofy senior citizens driving when they shouldn't be, etc.

There is the embedded assumption that any longevity gains are going to simply be a decaying version of current 80+ year olds. If the science is right, there is no reason for this assumption to hold and people should be active and healthy for much longer. Yes, this can throw a wrench into actuarial planning for sure, but I don't think it will happen overnight.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

I read Lifespan (the David Sinclair one) and got very intrigued. Even if he's 20% correct, it's pretty exciting about the science and potential therapeutic interventions.

I have been taking NMN daily. I did notice a positive benefit on energy, but it leveled off pretty quickly. I buy from Amazon and the suppliers of NMN go in and out of stock a lot. I switched to a version that had NMN plus reservatol. Over a few weeks, I started having GI issues. After a month of that, I was start to wonder if I had colon cancer or something. Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment that GI issues started might be related. I quit taking any of that and my stools are happy again. I hope that doesn't cut my life expectancy.

On his other recommendations (calorie restrictions, cold therapy, fasting sessions, other supplements, exercise, mostly plant diet, cutting sugar/sweets), I haven't adopted much outside of cutting red meat down a lot. In my own foray into longevity studies years ago, it seemed like every epidemiological study supported the basics of "don't be fat and exercise regularly". So I stick with that. I ought to do more, but I don't sweat it nowadays.

Yeah, Sinclair is the most bullish of the authors concerning what the future holds for human longevity. Arguably, he’s also the most qualified to describe the state of the science.

He believes there will be meaningful breakthroughs to promote longevity within our lifetimes, including extending our biologic age limit up to ~150. He also takes NMN, resveratrol, and acknowledges the value of protein restriction, in contrast to Attia (He takes low dose rapamycin IIRC, plus B vitamins, D, fish oil, aspirin, probiotics and protein powder).

His research has been criticized though, and he has financial stake in the supplements he advocates.

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

On the other hand, there are many potential issues with an even bigger aging population. Not sure our country, or the planet can handle it.

In my journey through the cardiologist world, they all said to stop taking fish oil.

 

[the moops]

So crazy how I've "grown up" with this forum. So much great stuff posted already. I am 55 and have have many similar thoughts about aging. Sharing a book I read that has helped me picture how my broken down, sports injury plagued body will make it. Quick background, I travel full time for work. Right before XMAS 2023, I threw my back out so bad I couldn't move and had to fly my wife in to take me to the ER (as I was way too stubborn to have co-workers take or call for an ambulance). To say the experience freaked me out is an understatement. On a recommendation, I read The Hidden Psychology of Pain. Its quite text-book-like and dry, but I found the content really go my head right about continuing to be very active and doing so as I age. for future reading as I can tell this will be a must read thread for a long time!

If I could tell my younger self one thing (besides investing in some obvious companies) it would be take care of your injured body! So many times I would break an ankle, separate a shoulder, dislocate an elbow, etc., etc., etc. and would half *** the rehab and just rely on my youngness to power through. Now I am ******* paying the price. I'm like ****ing robo cop now, just so I can somewhat enjoy climbing, or playing tennis, or shooting some hoops. Two ankle braces, two elbow braces, one knee brace.

I should read that book

 

[Terminalxylem]

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

I understand the logic here, but it's not biologically possible for us to stand still. It would be nice to extend human lifetimes, but I'm not sure it's really in my interests to hang to age 90 and then reap the "benefits" of a breakthrough that allows me to spend another 60 years as a 90 year-old.

We're not going to benefit from any singularity, and none of us is going to be alive 100 years from now. It's way more important and beneficial for people to make good decisions that help them make it to 80 than to worry too much about what happens after that IMO. (I know we probably agree here -- just saying).

While we largely agree here, there are technologies that may effectively reverse aging.

Sinclair's argument is aging is largely a function of epigenetics; that is, changes to the way our DNA is packaged, rather than the faulty genetic material per se. The genes promoting vitality still exist in old age, but molecular "bookmarks" resulting from aging don't allow us to access them. On top of that, we deplete stem cells, which can replenish damaged cells, and senescent cells (which have stopped dividing) have a nasty habit of releasing chemicals, recruiting their neighbors to the same fate.

All that stuff is potentially reversible, or at least can be slowed considerably. We currently are limited to behavioral interventions, mostly through diet, exercise, and avoidance of carcinogens. But there are substances which arrest, and even reverse aging phenomena being studied as well - stuff that undoes the errant bookmarks, or blocks the senescent cell's toxic cocktail, for example.

One really cool experiment involves Yamanaka factors, regulators of DNA processing which facilitate old cells reverting to stem cells. Sinclair's team injected them into the eyeballs of mice with visual loss due to aging, which allowed the the mice to see better, as the faulty cells had their aging clocks turned back. Description here

So, 90 may end up being the new 60, functionally, and the timeline thereafter extended, so each year produces less wear and tear, resulting in prolonged health span.

 

[Terminalxylem]

So crazy how I've "grown up" with this forum. So much great stuff posted already. I am 55 and have have many similar thoughts about aging. Sharing a book I read that has helped me picture how my broken down, sports injury plagued body will make it. Quick background, I travel full time for work. Right before XMAS 2023, I threw my back out so bad I couldn't move and had to fly my wife in to take me to the ER (as I was way too stubborn to have co-workers take or call for an ambulance). To say the experience freaked me out is an understatement. On a recommendation, I read The Hidden Psychology of Pain. Its quite text-book-like and dry, but I found the content really go my head right about continuing to be very active and doing so as I age. for future reading as I can tell this will be a must read thread for a long time!

If I could tell my younger self one thing (besides investing in some obvious companies) it would be take care of your injured body! So many times I would break an ankle, separate a shoulder, dislocate an elbow, etc., etc., etc. and would half *** the rehab and just rely on my youngness to power through. Now I am ******* paying the price. I'm like ****ing robo cop now, just so I can somewhat enjoy climbing, or playing tennis, or shooting some hoops. Two ankle braces, two elbow braces, one knee brace.

I should read that book

And limit bouldering

 

[the moops]

So crazy how I've "grown up" with this forum. So much great stuff posted already. I am 55 and have have many similar thoughts about aging. Sharing a book I read that has helped me picture how my broken down, sports injury plagued body will make it. Quick background, I travel full time for work. Right before XMAS 2023, I threw my back out so bad I couldn't move and had to fly my wife in to take me to the ER (as I was way too stubborn to have co-workers take or call for an ambulance). To say the experience freaked me out is an understatement. On a recommendation, I read The Hidden Psychology of Pain. Its quite text-book-like and dry, but I found the content really go my head right about continuing to be very active and doing so as I age. for future reading as I can tell this will be a must read thread for a long time!

If I could tell my younger self one thing (besides investing in some obvious companies) it would be take care of your injured body! So many times I would break an ankle, separate a shoulder, dislocate an elbow, etc., etc., etc. and would half *** the rehab and just rely on my youngness to power through. Now I am ******* paying the price. I'm like ****ing robo cop now, just so I can somewhat enjoy climbing, or playing tennis, or shooting some hoops. Two ankle braces, two elbow braces, one knee brace.

I should read that book

And limit bouldering

I know I know. It brings me so much damn joy though. I get to spend roughly 4 hours a week climbing with my 10 year old - who is way the hell better than me, FYI.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

There are genes that cut life short, some like the breast cancer gene that Angelina Jolie had can cause early death. There are also risk factors genes like APOE that can increase risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimers. If you have APOE44 genotype, about 2-3% of the population, your risk for Alzheimers increases up to 10-fold and up to 10 years earlier, think 60s, instead of 70s and 80s which is more typical. Having only 1 APOE4 allele (~12% of people) increases risk for AD modestly. OTOH, the more rare APOE2 allele is a longevity gene. I've read that longevity is about 20-40% heritable. Genetics doesn't play a minor role, so pick your parents well. Exceptional longevity has a big genetic component, check out this photo of 7 generations in a Centenarian Study at BU.

I want to live as long as I'm healthy enough physically and cognitively to live independently. Happiness will also be a factor, and that may depend on finances. 80s sounds good - that's almost 20 years away and I feel like I'll be able to do things I like based on my current trajectory. I am walking 3 hours a day, 3 times a week. But alot can happen before then. For those of us with kids, longevity can mean being a burden, but also going to weddings, grandkids and more.

This thread is about to go off the rails.

-I think AJ is absolute pure bananas to have not one single sign of breast cancer, just understood there might be a direct gene that could cause cancer down the road...
She opts to have a full mastectomy and TELL EVERYONE about it
I lost my mother at 46 to breast cancer, I'm sympathetic but using the same logic, 1/3 to maybe 1/2 of all women should opt in for it, right?
Everyone has somebody they know or a family member that has been diagnosed, and if not breast cancer, there's plenty more that take lives., both men and women
But I always felt Jolie had mental issues which didn't help her keep a marriage with multiple children, both by birth and thru international adoption.
Pitt has always shouldered the burden as an "alcoholic" that is what the public was led to believe, I wonder if anything in his marriage triggered some of it

Anyways, let's get back to longevity
Constant movement is one of the big keys IMHO, can be simple walks around the neighborhood.
-i feel bad for folks who reach their 40s, 50s, 60s and never exercise or walk but yet are in pain all the time
Every time they stand up, every time they are faced with a set of stairs, they are largely immobile to where they can't even mentally see themselves strolling for say 10-15 minutes.
If you sleep 8 hours a day, work 8-10 hours a day, most of you are at a desk which is why we hear from you in here during the day, most of us are not in construction, or labor intense.
You might have 5-6 hours to yourself daily, some of that will be TV and entertainment and internet, just not a lot of time left to take care of yourself.

-People are faced with tough choices each and every day and I think it's quite pompous and arrogant to assume people are lazy. If you work hard, even from a desk, you're mentally exhausted at the end of the day and all you want to do is have dinner, watch a mindless TV/movie for a few minutes and go to sleep

-I was listening to a teacher friend of ours, school is from 9-4 daily, middle school, she's there from early until most leave at 5:00 from work so she still is in heavy commute time trying to get home. She is able to feed herself and sit in front of the TV where she falls asleep by 8:00 while she is eating dinner

That's the reality for a lot of folks so I don't want to preach the benefits of exercise, I think most know it's vital.
They almost punish themselves with exercise deprivation as a way of retaliating for being overworked, just my .02
Sleep is very important however and I might argue that the person who gets 8 hours solid sleep a night vs the work-a-holic that gets 3-4 hours and is in shape physically still might not live as long as the person carrying an extra 25-50 lbs but somehow manages to get sleep, avoids coffee and alcohol, cigarettes and cigars, is active in meditation and doesn't get so stressed out, that person might actually be in much better shape than the person who appears more fit

Depends on how you look at it. I think mental health is a key and not just the physical aspect

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

I understand the logic here, but it's not biologically possible for us to stand still. It would be nice to extend human lifetimes, but I'm not sure it's really in my interests to hang to age 90 and then reap the "benefits" of a breakthrough that allows me to spend another 60 years as a 90 year-old.

We're not going to benefit from any singularity, and none of us is going to be alive 100 years from now. It's way more important and beneficial for people to make good decisions that help them make it to 80 than to worry too much about what happens after that IMO. (I know we probably agree here -- just saying).

While we largely agree here, there are technologies that may effectively reverse aging.

Sinclair's argument is aging is largely a function of epigenetics; that is, changes to the way our DNA is packaged, rather than the faulty genetic material per se. The genes promoting vitality still exist in old age, but molecular "bookmarks" resulting from aging don't allow us to access them. On top of that, we deplete stem cells, which can replenish damaged cells, and senescent cells (which have stopped dividing) have a nasty habit of releasing chemicals, recruiting their neighbors to the same fate.

All that stuff is potentially reversible, or at least can be slowed considerably. We currently are limited to behavioral interventions, mostly through diet, exercise, and avoidance of carcinogens. But there are substances which arrest, and even reverse aging phenomena being studied as well - stuff that undoes the errant bookmarks, or blocks the senescent cell's toxic cocktail, for example.

One really cool experiment involves Yamanaka factors, regulators of DNA processing which facilitate old cells reverting to stem cells. Sinclair's team injected them into the eyeballs of mice with visual loss due to aging, which allowed the the mice to see better, as the faulty cells had their aging clocks turned back. Description here

So, 90 may end up being the new 60, functionally, and the timeline thereafter extended, so each year produces less wear and tear, resulting in prolonged health span.

I don't doubt that that sort of thing may come along eventually, but it's going to be much too late for us. It should go without saying that I'd be happy to be proven wrong here.

 

[the moops]

-I think AJ is absolute pure bananas to have not one single sign of breast cancer, just understood there might be a direct gene that could cause cancer down the road...
She opts to have a full mastectomy and TELL EVERYONE about it

“My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer,”

 

[massraider]

Since most of us won’t pick how and when we‘ll die, the best you can do is live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. This will maximize your healthspan (ie. functional lifespan) and can minimize suffering in the end, while limiting the burden we pose to our loved ones

Yes to this.

I'm not interested in longevity to live as long as possible. I'm interested in being in good enough shape to enjoy the next few decades.

 

[2Young2BBald]

So crazy how I've "grown up" with this forum. So much great stuff posted already. I am 55 and have have many similar thoughts about aging. Sharing a book I read that has helped me picture how my broken down, sports injury plagued body will make it. Quick background, I travel full time for work. Right before XMAS 2023, I threw my back out so bad I couldn't move and had to fly my wife in to take me to the ER (as I was way too stubborn to have co-workers take or call for an ambulance). To say the experience freaked me out is an understatement. On a recommendation, I read The Hidden Psychology of Pain. Its quite text-book-like and dry, but I found the content really go my head right about continuing to be very active and doing so as I age. for future reading as I can tell this will be a must read thread for a long time!

If I could tell my younger self one thing (besides investing in some obvious companies) it would be take care of your injured body! So many times I would break an ankle, separate a shoulder, dislocate an elbow, etc., etc., etc. and would half *** the rehab and just rely on my youngness to power through. Now I am ******* paying the price. I'm like ****ing robo cop now, just so I can somewhat enjoy climbing, or playing tennis, or shooting some hoops. Two ankle braces, two elbow braces, one knee brace.

I should read that book

Even more reason to read the book. Mild spoiler, the author broke his back in a car accident and returned to play rugby once he practiced what he preaches in the book. I am doing more, and with more risk (relative for 55 years old) then before I read the book. My personal translation, #### may hurt during and after activities, but I am still a quick healer and the risk far outweighs the reward and #### typically hurts a lot, so get out there.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

I read Lifespan (the David Sinclair one) and got very intrigued. Even if he's 20% correct, it's pretty exciting about the science and potential therapeutic interventions.

I have been taking NMN daily. I did notice a positive benefit on energy, but it leveled off pretty quickly. I buy from Amazon and the suppliers of NMN go in and out of stock a lot. I switched to a version that had NMN plus reservatol. Over a few weeks, I started having GI issues. After a month of that, I was start to wonder if I had colon cancer or something. Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment that GI issues started might be related. I quit taking any of that and my stools are happy again. I hope that doesn't cut my life expectancy.

On his other recommendations (calorie restrictions, cold therapy, fasting sessions, other supplements, exercise, mostly plant diet, cutting sugar/sweets), I haven't adopted much outside of cutting red meat down a lot. In my own foray into longevity studies years ago, it seemed like every epidemiological study supported the basics of "don't be fat and exercise regularly". So I stick with that. I ought to do more, but I don't sweat it nowadays.

Yeah, Sinclair is the most bullish of the authors concerning what the future holds for human longevity. Arguably, he’s also the most qualified to describe the state of the science.

He believes there will be meaningful breakthroughs to promote longevity within our lifetimes, including extending our biologic age limit up to ~150. He also takes NMN, resveratrol, and acknowledges the value of protein restriction, in contrast to Attia (He takes low dose rapamycin IIRC, plus B vitamins, D, fish oil, aspirin, probiotics and protein powder).

His research has been criticized though, and he has financial stake in the supplements he advocates.

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

On the other hand, there are many potential issues with an even bigger aging population. Not sure our country, or the planet can handle it.

In my journey through the cardiologist world, they all said to stop taking fish oil.

Fish oil might not be all its cracked up to be

Not only was the best study Pharma-funded, they may have used a harmful placebo - mineral oil appears to be a nocebo, making fish oil look better than reality. Plus, issues with supplement purity, common in the poorly regulated nutraceutical world, may apply.

I talked about it in another thread, but the ratio of omega 3:6 appears to be the important factor. Lowering omega 6s, through eating less animal products (trigger alert!) is probably a better way to attain CV risk reduction, than adding fishy omega 3s.

 

[Terminalxylem]

So crazy how I've "grown up" with this forum. So much great stuff posted already. I am 55 and have have many similar thoughts about aging. Sharing a book I read that has helped me picture how my broken down, sports injury plagued body will make it. Quick background, I travel full time for work. Right before XMAS 2023, I threw my back out so bad I couldn't move and had to fly my wife in to take me to the ER (as I was way too stubborn to have co-workers take or call for an ambulance). To say the experience freaked me out is an understatement. On a recommendation, I read The Hidden Psychology of Pain. Its quite text-book-like and dry, but I found the content really go my head right about continuing to be very active and doing so as I age. for future reading as I can tell this will be a must read thread for a long time!

If I could tell my younger self one thing (besides investing in some obvious companies) it would be take care of your injured body! So many times I would break an ankle, separate a shoulder, dislocate an elbow, etc., etc., etc. and would half *** the rehab and just rely on my youngness to power through. Now I am ******* paying the price. I'm like ****ing robo cop now, just so I can somewhat enjoy climbing, or playing tennis, or shooting some hoops. Two ankle braces, two elbow braces, one knee brace.

I should read that book

And limit bouldering

I know I know. It brings me so much damn joy though. I get to spend roughly 4 hours a week climbing with my 10 year old - who is way the hell better than me, FYI.

Rope climbing is the answer...sure, there's a learning curve, and it requires more equipment, but worth it!

 

[B Maverick]

It would be cool to hit the 100 years milestone but I am just taking life as it happens. We shall see where I end up.

I do expect my younger sister to live forever. Both our grandmothers were well into their 100s (106 and 109) so she's got that going for her.

 

[JShare87]

Plant based diet - Yeah, not gonna happen doc. I do like lettuce and tomato on my burger though.

Many experts are now saying plant based diets are too low in protein.

which experts? It is very easy to get all the protein you need from plant based diets.

I disagree that it’s very easy.

Check out Peter Attia.

I have been a Vegan for about 6 years now. I once thought it was difficult to get enough protein. Now that I am intentional about protein intake and make it a priority, it’s easy. I try not to have any wasted calories. If I’m consuming food, I try and make sure the ratio is one gram of protein per 10 calories. On days when I run and workout, I easily get 150-250 grams of protein a day. I weigh about 180 and have added significant muscle over the past year since I’ve been intentional about protein intake. Just like everything else in this world, if you make it a priority, you can accomplish it.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I’m 55. Just spent 5 days skiing hard. Keep moving people.

 

[SoBeDad]

I’m 55. Just spent 5 days skiing hard. Keep moving people.

That's great. Try to find something you like and you're more likely to keep it up. What do you do between skiing trips to keep active?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I’m 55. Just spent 5 days skiing hard. Keep moving people.

That's great. Try to find something you like and you're more likely to keep it up. What do you do between skiing trips to keep active?

I work out around 4 times a week. 60-80 minute workouts with an average heart rate between 120-130 Cardio, stretching, light weights. I’m doing hot yoga at least once a week. Plus 10-15 minutes of very hot sauna at the end of every work out.

Just looking to stay lean, strong and flexible.

 

[Nugget]

Started a Found my Fitness podcast today with Dr. Rhonda Patrick interviewing Peter Attia again. I’ll report back, as it is just under 4 hours and I can’t comprehend any of the conversation if I speed up the playback at all. They talk over my head, but I always feel like I pick up a couple good pieces of info.

 

[Chaos34]

I’m 55. Just spent 5 days skiing hard. Keep moving people.

I'm 62 in a month. Spent the last two days falling down the mountain. Jeebus, I'm sore but it's been a blast. My daily 5 mile hike at home might be better for longevity purposes though.

Good thread here. If I engaged I might start some unnecessary debate. After a couple decades of research, study, personal effort, I maintain folks need to find what works for them and stick to it.

My Uncle Dan lived with type 2 diabetes for 45 years. He lived to 95 in incredible shape. Never suffered. Played tennis into his 90s. Took a fall at home one night and that was that. We should all be so lucky. The man never ate vegetables. Hated them. High protein, lots of red meat, high fat, plenty of grains and legumes, and healthy as could be. Al Michaels is 79, looks great, takes stairs two at a time, mentally sharp. Claims he's never eaten a vegetable. I'm not suggesting a plant based diet is wrong. Just that different things work for different folks, and maybe, just maybe the emphasis on veggies is not as important as some other things in this thread.

I'd add hydration to what's been recommended. Seems important.

 

[General Malaise]

I’m 55. Just spent 5 days skiing hard. Keep moving people.

I'm 62 in a month. Spent the last two days falling down the mountain. Jeebus, I'm sore but it's been a blast. My daily 5 mile hike at home might be better for longevity purposes though.

Good thread here. If I engaged I might start some unnecessary debate. After a couple decades of research, study, personal effort, I maintain folks need to find what works for them and stick to it.

My Uncle Dan lived with type 2 diabetes for 45 years. He lived to 95 in incredible shape. Never suffered. Played tennis into his 90s. Took a fall at home one night and that was that. We should all be so lucky. The man never ate vegetables. Hated them. High protein, lots of red meat, high fat, plenty of grains and legumes, and healthy as could be. Al Michaels is 79, looks great, takes stairs two at a time, mentally sharp. Claims he's never eaten a vegetable. I'm not suggesting a plant based diet is wrong. Just that different things work for different folks, and maybe, just maybe the emphasis on veggies is not as important as some other things in this thread.

I'd add hydration to what's been recommended. Seems important.

My old man turns 80 and hasn't eaten a fruit or vegetable that I can recall though he will drink V8, OJ and other juices. He's chugging along.

 

[Joe Bryant]

It's an interesting topic. And plenty of "experts".

It's frustrating as it seems like the advice changes. People go all in on something like fish oil. And then later it's "maybe not".

There also seem to be a pretty wide variety of ways to do this.

Some thrive on a vegan diet. Others thrive eating plenty of meat.

I may make it too simple but it seems to me a lot of it's common sense.

Eat a diet that let's you maintain a healthy weight. It just makes sense you want as few processed foods as possible. Vegetables seem to be good for you. Water seems to be good for you.

Fast food seems to be not good for you. Lots of sugar or fried food seems to be not good for you.

Sleep seems to be good for you.

Regular exercise seems to be good for you.

I do think an area that is underrated (and mentioned above) is the social aspect as well as the "purpose" aspect and the attitude aspect.

Find a group and community that cares for you and you care for them. Be part of it. Recognize how we fit into society with other people. Recognize others have value.

For a purpose, have something to work on each day. Be "useful".

For attitude, I think lots of it comes down to managing stress. Understand many of the things that stress us out aren't actually that important. Focus on the important ones.

Be grateful. Be hopeful. Listen to your body.

 

[SoBeDad]

I do think an area that is underrated (and mentioned above) is the social aspect as well as the "purpose" aspect and the attitude aspect

Jimmy Cater will turn 100 if he makes it to October. He's been in hospice care for a year. He said the secret to his longevity was his marriage. His life post presidency was filled with purpose, not money-making purpose, but building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity, helping to eradicate Guinea Worm, trying to advance world peace, occasionally teaching Sunday School. Carter is someone who comes to mind regarding purpose in life. He probably has good genes, his mom lived to 85, but purpose in life may have given him some additional high quality of life years.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I do think an area that is underrated (and mentioned above) is the social aspect as well as the "purpose" aspect and the attitude aspect

Jimmy Cater will turn 100 if he makes it to October. He's been in hospice care for a year. He said the secret to his longevity was his marriage. His life post presidency was filled with purpose, not money-making purpose, but building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity, helping to eradicate Guinea Worm, trying to advance world peace, occasionally teaching Sunday School. Carter is someone who comes to mind regarding purpose in life. He probably has good genes, his mom lived to 85, but purpose in life may have given him some additional high quality of life years.

100%. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm thinking about on the purpose angle.

Everyone wants the magic diet or black market supplement. And I don't see nearly as much attention to this. And I think it may be just as important.

 

[FairWarning]

I do think an area that is underrated (and mentioned above) is the social aspect as well as the "purpose" aspect and the attitude aspect

Jimmy Cater will turn 100 if he makes it to October. He's been in hospice care for a year. He said the secret to his longevity was his marriage. His life post presidency was filled with purpose, not money-making purpose, but building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity, helping to eradicate Guinea Worm, trying to advance world peace, occasionally teaching Sunday School. Carter is someone who comes to mind regarding purpose in life. He probably has good genes, his mom lived to 85, but purpose in life may have given him some additional high quality of life years.

Having purpose is a very big deal for the elderly. When I was going to the nursing home every day, it was a common theme. Some of the staff would give residents a little responsibility (if they were up to it), like folding dinner napkins.

 

[JohnnyU]

I’m immortal. The only thing that can kill me is hominy and durian.

I want to live as long as I’m not a burden on anyone. Living longer isn’t necessarily living better.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I want to live as long as I’m not a burden on anyone. Living longer isn’t necessarily living better.

Understood.

Some of you know my Dad recently died. He was in great health for 80 years. He told me several times he was much more worried about living to 90 and being a burden or in bad health than he was worried about dying tomorrow.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I do think an area that is underrated (and mentioned above) is the social aspect as well as the "purpose" aspect and the attitude aspect

Jimmy Cater will turn 100 if he makes it to October. He's been in hospice care for a year. He said the secret to his longevity was his marriage. His life post presidency was filled with purpose, not money-making purpose, but building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity, helping to eradicate Guinea Worm, trying to advance world peace, occasionally teaching Sunday School. Carter is someone who comes to mind regarding purpose in life. He probably has good genes, his mom lived to 85, but purpose in life may have given him some additional high quality of life years.

100%. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm thinking about on the purpose angle.

Everyone wants the magic diet or black market supplement. And I don't see nearly as much attention to this. And I think it may be just as important.

I think purpose and “will to live” are extremely important, but hard to measure. It’s a lot easier to quantify (and study) things like exercise, diet and supplement intake.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I want to live as long as I’m not a burden on anyone. Living longer isn’t necessarily living better.

Understood.

Some of you know my Dad recently died. He was in great health for 80 years. He told me several times he was much more worried about living to 90 and being a burden or in bad health than he was worried about dying tomorrow.

This is a common sentiment, and the best way to combat it is optimizing one’s health.

While losing functionality is almost inevitable, doing all the “right” things delays the onset of debility, and shortens suffering at life’s end.

In other words, if you don’t want to be a burden later, take care of yourself now. You will live longer, and better, in the process.

 

[Balco]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

I read Lifespan (the David Sinclair one) and got very intrigued. Even if he's 20% correct, it's pretty exciting about the science and potential therapeutic interventions.

I have been taking NMN daily. I did notice a positive benefit on energy, but it leveled off pretty quickly. I buy from Amazon and the suppliers of NMN go in and out of stock a lot. I switched to a version that had NMN plus reservatol. Over a few weeks, I started having GI issues. After a month of that, I was start to wonder if I had colon cancer or something. Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment that GI issues started might be related. I quit taking any of that and my stools are happy again. I hope that doesn't cut my life expectancy.

On his other recommendations (calorie restrictions, cold therapy, fasting sessions, other supplements, exercise, mostly plant diet, cutting sugar/sweets), I haven't adopted much outside of cutting red meat down a lot. In my own foray into longevity studies years ago, it seemed like every epidemiological study supported the basics of "don't be fat and exercise regularly". So I stick with that. I ought to do more, but I don't sweat it nowadays.

Yeah, Sinclair is the most bullish of the authors concerning what the future holds for human longevity. Arguably, he’s also the most qualified to describe the state of the science.

He believes there will be meaningful breakthroughs to promote longevity within our lifetimes, including extending our biologic age limit up to ~150. He also takes NMN, resveratrol, and acknowledges the value of protein restriction, in contrast to Attia (He takes low dose rapamycin IIRC, plus B vitamins, D, fish oil, aspirin, probiotics and protein powder).

His research has been criticized though, and he has financial stake in the supplements he advocates.

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

On the other hand, there are many potential issues with an even bigger aging population. Not sure our country, or the planet can handle it.

In my journey through the cardiologist world, they all said to stop taking fish oil.

Fish oil might not be all its cracked up to be

Not only was the best study Pharma-funded, they may have used a harmful placebo - mineral oil appears to be a nocebo, making fish oil look better than reality. Plus, issues with supplement purity, common in the poorly regulated nutraceutical world, may apply.

I talked about it in another thread, but the ratio of omega 3:6 appears to be the important factor. Lowering omega 6s, through eating less animal products (trigger alert!) is probably a better way to attain CV risk reduction, than adding fishy omega 3s.

Crazy - I have had some issues with poor liver markers (non alcohol fatty liver disease) and I finally went to see a nutritionist (or dietician I forget the title).

The only supplement recommended was fish oil.

At least I’ll save some money now I guess.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Plant-based diet is not the same thing as vegan or vegetarian.

The concept is: Most calories come from veggies. That's it.

You can have a sausage pizza today, and a steak next week, and still be eating a plant-based diet.

Yeah, and this could be a good thread if we don’t have these arguments. Eliminate sugar and complex carbs - those two things alone are much bigger issues than whether somebody eats some animal protein or is vegan.

ETA - I’m a moron - meant processed carbs and not complex carbs.

While I don't think we should ignore diet in the longevity equation, clearly it's a polarizing topic, with a lot of conflicting messaging based on imperfect data.

What about supplements? I know taurine has a thread somewhere, and there will likely be a study with metformin, if it gets funding. One of the longevity book authors takes NMN. I've been told there's a black market for off-label rapamycin as well.

Anyone take stuff purported to extend lifespan?

I read Lifespan (the David Sinclair one) and got very intrigued. Even if he's 20% correct, it's pretty exciting about the science and potential therapeutic interventions.

I have been taking NMN daily. I did notice a positive benefit on energy, but it leveled off pretty quickly. I buy from Amazon and the suppliers of NMN go in and out of stock a lot. I switched to a version that had NMN plus reservatol. Over a few weeks, I started having GI issues. After a month of that, I was start to wonder if I had colon cancer or something. Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment that GI issues started might be related. I quit taking any of that and my stools are happy again. I hope that doesn't cut my life expectancy.

On his other recommendations (calorie restrictions, cold therapy, fasting sessions, other supplements, exercise, mostly plant diet, cutting sugar/sweets), I haven't adopted much outside of cutting red meat down a lot. In my own foray into longevity studies years ago, it seemed like every epidemiological study supported the basics of "don't be fat and exercise regularly". So I stick with that. I ought to do more, but I don't sweat it nowadays.

Yeah, Sinclair is the most bullish of the authors concerning what the future holds for human longevity. Arguably, he’s also the most qualified to describe the state of the science.

He believes there will be meaningful breakthroughs to promote longevity within our lifetimes, including extending our biologic age limit up to ~150. He also takes NMN, resveratrol, and acknowledges the value of protein restriction, in contrast to Attia (He takes low dose rapamycin IIRC, plus B vitamins, D, fish oil, aspirin, probiotics and protein powder).

His research has been criticized though, and he has financial stake in the supplements he advocates.

Potential for secondary gain aside, I hope at least a few of his predictions come to fruition. If some of what he says is truly around the corner, we all ought to do everything in our power to stick around as long as possible.

On the other hand, there are many potential issues with an even bigger aging population. Not sure our country, or the planet can handle it.

In my journey through the cardiologist world, they all said to stop taking fish oil.

Fish oil might not be all its cracked up to be

Not only was the best study Pharma-funded, they may have used a harmful placebo - mineral oil appears to be a nocebo, making fish oil look better than reality. Plus, issues with supplement purity, common in the poorly regulated nutraceutical world, may apply.

I talked about it in another thread, but the ratio of omega 3:6 appears to be the important factor. Lowering omega 6s, through eating less animal products (trigger alert!) is probably a better way to attain CV risk reduction, than adding fishy omega 3s.

Crazy - I have had some issues with poor liver markers (non alcohol fatty liver disease) and I finally went to see a nutritionist (or dietician I forget the title).

The only supplement recommended was fish oil.

At least I’ll save some money now I guess.

To be clear, the controversy pertains to fish oil’s role in cardiovascular disease. Fatty liver is related to CV risk, but an independent disease process. Treatment for MAFLD involves improving risk of metabolic syndrome, principally through weight loss and exercise. Avoidance of alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and other liver toxins is important, too.

There is data that supports a role for fish oil in lowering triglycerides, one of the components of metabolic syndrome. In this way, fish oil may help MAFLD. But you’d likely do better to adopt a plant-based diet - a Mediterranean diet is usually recommended. Increasing coffee consumption to 3+ cups a day may also help. And make sure you get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.

 

[Brony]

I do think an area that is underrated (and mentioned above) is the social aspect as well as the "purpose" aspect and the attitude aspect.

Find a group and community that cares for you and you care for them. Be part of it. Recognize how we fit into society with other people. Recognize others have value.

For a purpose, have something to work on each day. Be "useful".

For attitude, I think lots of it comes down to managing stress. Understand many of the things that stress us out aren't actually that important. Focus on the important ones.

There is some evidence to support some of your hunches on the above. One of the major takeaways from the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande was the theme of having a raison d etre - what do you contribute to the world that needs you to get out of bed in the morning? Could be as simple as taking care of a plant or pet. But this made a big difference to living longer/better in long term care stage of life.

On the group/community front, this was a big component in the book "The Good Life" by Waldinger - stressing the need for various relationships in your life. Who can you count on for help around the house? Who is your fun outlet? Who is your emotional friend? etc. This was more around quality of life and not quantity. As a natural introvert, I hated the book and dismissed it all. ;-)

 

[JohnnyU]

In some cultures the family take in the elderly. That must be comforting to them. Not all, but the American culture wants to put them in either an assisted living facility or a nursing home and don’t want to be bothered with them, except for the occasional visit.

 

[Scoresman]

In some cultures the family take in the elderly. That must be comforting to them. Not all, but the American culture wants to put them in either an assisted living facility or a nursing home and don’t want to be bothered with them, except for the occasional visit.

I don't understand how other cultures do it. I'm not there yet with my parents, but my grandmother who required daily care, could not simply move in with anyone because everyone worked. How are you supposed to maintain employment and still do stuff like take in your aging parents?

 

[3C's]

In some cultures the family take in the elderly. That must be comforting to them. Not all, but the American culture wants to put them in either an assisted living facility or a nursing home and don’t want to be bothered with them, except for the occasional visit.

I don't understand how other cultures do it. I'm not there yet with my parents, but my grandmother who required daily care, could not simply move in with anyone because everyone worked. How are you supposed to maintain employment and still do stuff like take in your aging parents?

Beat me to it. It's one thing if the elder parent is able to take care of themselves, totally different when they need around the clock care.