Lifestyle Influences Agility in Old Age More Than Genetics

When we wish for a long life, we do not mean simply living as many years as possible; we also want to remain mentally and physically fit throughout those years. The good news is: It is in our hands. It is well known and scientifically established that regular physical activity and a diet containing as little meat as possible form the basis of a healthy lifestyle.

Although our life expectancy is higher than that of our ancestors, age-related diseases often severely limit our quality of life during our final years. However, it is equally true that we are not forced to simply accept the ailments associated with old age. Of course, we cannot stop the ageing process, which begins at birth. Nevertheless, we can do a great deal to preserve the health of both body and mind. Our personal attitude towards a healthy lifestyle is particularly important.

Below, we present a five-part mindset designed to help you achieve your goal of growing older while remaining fit and healthy. As with all resolutions, willpower and perseverance are essential if you want to maintain them over the long term.

Table of contents

1. I am not old
2. I am responsible for myself
3. Daily exercise is essential
4. Healthy nutrition is important
5. I am interested in life and enjoy learning new things
6. How an optimal supply of vital nutrients can slow ageing
7. Sources

1. I am not old

Ageing begins in the mind, and the saying “You are as young as you feel” is certainly justified. Anyone who starts excluding enjoyable activities or experiences simply because of their age will eventually find it difficult to maintain their sense of well-being. By contrast, those who have a positive attitude towards life and remain curious about what life may still have to offer as the years go by are more likely to preserve their physical and mental fitness for longer. At any age, you can begin doing something good for yourself, for example by changing long-established eating habits. Anyone who simply accepts declining performance as inevitable has already lost.

2. I am responsible for myself

Of course, you can simply accept conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and excess weight as unavoidable. But if you are honest with yourself: Are they really? Or is the excess weight more likely the result of too little physical activity? Could excessive carbohydrate consumption be contributing to diabetes? And might a diet that is too high in fat also contribute to high blood pressure?

If you investigate the causes of your symptoms carefully, you will find that many of them are preventable and that you have the power to make changes yourself. Your doctor is not your “repair shop”, because you must create the conditions that prevent illnesses from recurring. Ideally, of course, you will already have adjusted your lifestyle in such a way that you do not become ill in the first place. You cannot transfer this responsibility for your health to anyone other than yourself.

3. Daily exercise is essential

Daily movement should become as natural as eating, drinking or sleeping. The human body is designed to cover several kilometres on foot each day. The digital world encourages us to do exactly the opposite.

However, daily exercise does not mean having to run a prescribed number of kilometres in all weather conditions. For example, take the stairs instead of the lift more often. Run small errands by bicycle or on foot. Incorporate push-ups, squats and similar exercises into your daily routine. And whenever you feel like moving more or walking longer distances, that is of course even better.

Tip: Small amounts of movement throughout the day – taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking short distances and doing a few push-ups in between – add up over time and can have a genuine longevity effect. Read more in our article on exercise and longevity.

4. Healthy nutrition is important

When we look at what the food industry offers us, this mindset can sometimes be the most difficult one to adopt. Giving up something we have grown fond of and enjoy can be extremely challenging, because temptation is everywhere. We all expect our performance to decline as we grow older. This is due to cell renewal slowing down – the body no longer regenerates as quickly or as thoroughly as it once did. However, you can significantly support cell renewal in carrying out its important functions by exposing your body to as few disruptive factors as possible, such as refined sugar or alcohol.

Fresh fruit, salad and vegetables supply your body with nutrients and vital substances. Herbs and spices ensure that food still tastes good without excessive amounts of salt. A balanced diet helps prevent deficiencies. Trying to compensate for these deficiencies with food supplements is not a good solution.

5. I am interested in life and enjoy learning new things

If you take the view that certain things are reserved exclusively for young people or that, because of your age, you must give up enjoyable experiences and fun, you make yourself old. Of course, this does not mean that you should desperately try to make your outward appearance look youthful. You would probably feel disguised and uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, nowhere is it written that older people must wear only muted colours, can no longer have a stylish haircut or must leave their lipstick in the drawer. There is also nothing to stop you from learning a new language, finally taking that dance course or engaging with social networks later in life. Stay curious, because this preserves your interest in life and helps you remain young in spirit. As strong individuals, we have the power to shape our circumstances in ways that bring us closer to our goal – staying young, healthy and active for longer.

How an optimal supply of vital nutrients can slow ageing

What can you do to enjoy a long life and remain healthy and full of vitality in your later years?

To answer this question, we need to look at the metabolism inside our body cells. After all, the human organism consists of up to approximately 100 trillion individual cells, the smallest functional units of our body. All these cells have specific functions they must perform. They produce hormones, remove harmful substances and provide energy so that we can move and remain active. This works only because the individual cells are connected within a complex network and are precisely coordinated through signalling substances that are themselves produced by other cells.

Body cells have only a limited lifespan. Our red blood cells, for example, live for approximately 120 days, which actually makes them relatively long-lived. Cells in the gastrointestinal tract and many other tissues are replaced after only a few days. Our body is therefore subject to a continuous process of building up and breaking down, with estimates suggesting that approximately 50 to 70 billion body cells are newly formed every day. This is an enormous achievement that we are rarely aware of.

What does citric acid have to do with our vitality?

But how does the body accomplish this? A high degree of discipline among the individual body cells appears to be the basis for ensuring that the entire “system” runs smoothly. Every cell is a highly organised system that, in addition to the genetic foundations controlling cell function, contains various structures that translate the signals originating from the genes into vital biological processes.

The best-known example is probably the mitochondria. They are responsible for providing energy and are often referred to as the “powerhouses” of the body’s cells. Their primary function is to produce energy. Two processes are particularly important for this: the respiratory chain and the citric acid cycle, which is also known as the citrate cycle or, after its discoverer, the Krebs cycle. The respiratory chain consists of enzymes arranged next to one another like links in a chain on the inner membrane of the mitochondria.

Negatively charged particles, known as electrons, are transported along this enzyme chain, creating a concentration gradient of positively charged particles, known as protons. Special enzymes called ATP synthases use this concentration gradient to produce the energy-rich compound adenosine triphosphate, or ATP for short. Of course, mitochondria cannot produce ATP out of nothing. These small “powerhouses” are supplied by the citrate cycle. This cycle acts as a metabolic hub within the cells and, through eight reaction steps, supports both the synthesis and breakdown of important intermediate products involved in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism.

In this way, metabolic breakdown products are effectively recycled in the citrate cycle, and energy carriers such as acetyl-CoA are produced through the eight biochemical reaction steps. Acetyl-CoA can be oxidised to carbon dioxide. The energy released in the process is used to form substances such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, abbreviated as NAD+, and NADH, depending on whether the substance is present in its oxidised or reduced form. These substances are then supplied to the respiratory chain.

AKG and NAD – two abbreviations you should know

Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) play central roles in the citrate cycle. Both substances are involved in many important metabolic processes, function as energy carriers and are important for the biosynthesis of essential amino acids and signalling molecules involved in cell regulation.

Against this background, it is understandable that the optimal functioning of the cells in our body depends on a consistently adequate supply of both substances. For this reason, they are also referred to as vital nutrients.

AKG is a signalling molecule involved in numerous cellular reactions and metabolic processes. It reduces inflammatory processes in the body, modulates immune responses and, as a cofactor, inhibits reactions that play a role in the development of cancer and tumour growth. AKG may therefore have therapeutic relevance. This vital nutrient may help reduce oxidative stress and support the body’s defence against tumours. It counteracts protein deficiency, strengthens muscles and bones and may therefore make an important contribution to preventing frailty in old age, slowing biological ageing and paving the way for a long life, or longevity.

It should be noted that calcium alpha-ketoglutarate has a particular pharmacokinetic profile and differs from compounds containing arginine and ornithine, which are very popular among bodybuilders. The effects described in longevity research have so far been demonstrated only with calcium alpha-ketoglutarate. Read more about this active ingredient in our article on calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (CaAKG).

NAD is also a cofactor for various enzymes and is of major importance for cellular energy production and cell metabolism. It is essential for maintaining an adequate protein balance and plays a key role in the regeneration of body tissue. NAD, as well as its precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR), can also help protect the genetic material in cells – DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid – from damage.

The decline in NAD levels observed with age is considered one of the causes of ageing processes and also a contributing factor in numerous diseases, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s dementia. AKG levels also usually decline with age, which may explain the loss of energy that often occurs as people grow older. Unfortunately, declining AKG levels cannot be counteracted through diet.

Good to know: Have your NAD level measured with the neotes NAD test.

Using vital nutrients to counteract ageing

It is therefore logical to ensure that the body receives an adequate supply of the two vital nutrients AKG and NAD, or the NAD precursor NR. Special products such as neotes alpha and NAD Booster have been developed for this purpose.

Sources

1. Biologie-Schule: Mitochondrion. biologie-schule.de/mitochondrium.php
2. Biologie-Seite: The citrate cycle. biologie-seite.de/Biologie/Citratzyklus
3. Zdzisińska B, Żurek A, Kandefer-Szerszeń M. Alpha-Ketoglutarate as a Molecule with Pleiotropic Activity: Well-Known and Novel Possibilities of Therapeutic Use. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2016. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5274648
4. Asadi Shahmirzadi A, Edgar D, Liao CY, et al. Alpha-Ketoglutarate, an Endogenous Metabolite, Extends Lifespan and Compresses Morbidity in Aging Mice. Cell Metab. 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32877690