When it comes to the question of how to increase your life expectancy while staying fit and healthy, the top priority is always to adapt your lifestyle. At first glance, this seems easy to implement: a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, sufficient sleep, mental and physical relaxation. At second glance, however, some people have a hesitant “but”.
There are situations in life that make it difficult to change your lifestyle quickly: What to do when every step causes pain? What does a healthy diet look like if you have food allergies? Is it even possible to avoid stress if you are going through a difficult phase in your life, for example after a painful loss or if you have an anxiety disorder? The lifestyle path is multi-faceted and long. A kind of booster in the form of a cocktail of active ingredients wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Anti-ageing through dietary supplements?
Anyone thinking about taking dietary supplements for this reason quickly finds themselves in an impenetrable jungle of information. The drawer of advertised anti-ageing products is overflowing. But what is the truth and how do we recognize half-truths or even empty promises? Sometimes taking such products can also be dangerous, says specialist pharmacist Martin Smollich and others. In the Internet age and in the course of globalization, it is possible to buy almost anything – even products that are not even approved in Germany.
The only thing that helps here is a clear appeal to common sense to check carefully and look for scientifically reliable studies that prove efficacy and safety. Or seek advice from a competent source. This will protect your health and save you money.
We have compiled the latest developments in anti-ageing for you.
Anti-aging research pipeline
It is no longer just universities, clinics or research institutes, but increasingly also young start-ups that have dedicated themselves to the topic of anti-ageing. And it is encouraging that some of them want to adhere to the demanding and multi-stage approval procedure that applies to drugs. We see this as an important step towards getting out of the confusing gray area of supplements. Funded by influential donors, these companies are raising hopes for further serious research and development based on the basic knowledge available. Several strategies are being pursued that address various known causes of biological ageing.
Intervention strategies in anti-ageing research
The most promising treatments currently available to alleviate or even reverse the effects of ageing are those that influence regulatory mechanisms relating to autophagy, cell protection (apoptosis/senescence), protein biosynthesis and gene activity. This is achieved by inhibiting or stimulating regulatory pathways with endogenous or exogenous substances. Preclinical studies have shown positive results for some of these intervention strategies, which are currently being tested in clinical trials.
Intervention strategy 1: Influencing the body’s own recycling system autophagy
One of our central systems for quality control in relation to our cell functions is autophagy. Here, molecules that are no longer needed, harmful or incorrectly assembled are broken down and recycled. However, the ability to autophagy decreases with age. Boosting autophagy is said to have a positive effect on lifespan.
The positive effects of calorie restriction have been very well researched. The various forms of fasting are the subject of controversial debate. Sham fasting and the Longevity diet, which were developed by Professor Dr. Valter Longo and have already been tested in several clinical studies, show good results. His sham fasting nutrition program with wholesome meals is called ProLon and is also so successful because it avoids the unpleasant feeling of hunger.
Several years ago, the molecule spermidine was also identified and studied as an endogenous polyamine involved in autophagy; most recently at the Charité hospital in Berlin in connection with the fight against SARS-Cov-2, because the virus blocks autophagy in infected cells. With regard to its effect as an anti-ageing agent, initial results from clinical studies indicate that taking spermidine has positive effects.
Intervention strategy 2: Influencing cell protection
If cells threaten to degenerate, a natural mechanism kicks in that kills the cell (apoptosis) and disposes of it. Another tissue protection program is programmed cell division arrest – senescence. Affected cells do not die, but remain in an almost inactive state. Among other things, they secrete pro-inflammatory substances, which sometimes have their benefits (wound healing) but are generally regarded as generally pro-inflammatory and therefore negative for health (“inflammaging”). Senescence also plays a role in the inflammatory processes of COVID-19 disease, as the research team led by Prof. Christian Drosten at Charité in Berlin has also been able to show If senescent cells accumulate over the course of a lifetime, this can promote diseases such as vascular calcification, diabetes and even cancer, diseases that are associated with old age.
Active substances that are designed to specifically remove senescent cells are called senolytics. They are currently being tested in connection with ageing and various diseases in humans. Examples of such active substances are navitoclax, fisetin, quercetin and dasatinib. Not only known drugs or secondary plant substances are being tested, but also newly discovered chemical compounds that are said to have a senolytic effect.
Intervention strategy 3: Influencing protein biosynthesis
Research into protein biosynthesis focuses primarily on the mitochondria – organelles of the cell with their own DNA, but which interact with the DNA in the cell nucleus. Approximately 1700 mitochondrial genes have been identified to date, 300 of which are associated with mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondria are also known as the ‘power plants of the cells’, as they provide energy for all of the body’s processes. They influence metabolism and the immune system and control the cell cycle. Peptides, smaller protein molecules that are encoded by the mitochondrial genes, are involved in this process. A malfunction or impairment of gene expression has serious consequences because the body’s own peptides are assembled incorrectly or only to a limited extent. Mitochondrial diseases are not typical diseases that are only observed in old age, but can occur at a young age and can then cause accelerated biological ageing.
One research approach is the development of peptide analogs that are used therapeutically and are capable of interacting with cell surface receptors and restoring protein homeostasis. Peptides are generally considered to have great potential; they are already used for numerous diseases, are easy to replicate and are the subject of much research. A large peptide database is currently being built up by the company CohBar. It is also researching the use of various peptides in mitochondrial and age-related diseases.
In order to prevent defective protein biosynthesis, gene therapy is being investigated as a further research approach. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have shown in cell cultures that a modified virus degrades mutated mitochondrial DNA using so-called gene scissors. Following successful testing in animal models, the necessary steps are currently being reviewed and safety assessed for use in patients.
Intervention strategy 4: Influencing gene activity
Our organism is controlled by a perfectly coordinated network of regulatory mechanisms. The biochemical molecules produced via genetic coding serve as signaling substances that interact with cell receptors and trigger entire cascades of further actions. The path from the first signal to the desired response is called the signaling pathway. Misregulation contributes to ageing or is an expression of it.
In the context of ageing research, the focus is on known signaling pathways or signaling molecules and their interactions. In many cases, these are already known, exogenous active substances in drugs that are used to treat age-related diseases and are now being investigated to determine the extent to which they also have an anti-ageing effect. These drugs include, for example, dasatinib (developed for the treatment of leukemia), acarbose and metformin (treatment of type 2 or secondary diabetes), nebivolol and metoprolol (beta blockers) or acetylsalicylic acid (blood thinner and painkiller). The most promising drug is metformin. The influence on a molecular level is complex, but is an example of the enormous potential of such active ingredients for anti-ageing research and development.
Another strategy is the stimulation or supplementation of endogenous metabolites or vital substances (a good term for this substance class has not yet been found) – also with the aim of influencing the activity of genes or important enzymes. Examples include so-called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) “boosters” (nicotinamide riboside or nicotinamide mononucleotide) or calcium alpha-ketoglutarate, the current classics among active ingredients that are said to have an anti-ageing effect. The NAD boosters stimulate the function of sirtuins, endogenous enzymes that regulate numerous cellular processes and whose levels fall as part of the ageing process. Supplementation with calcium alpha-ketoglutarate is also very promising. Alpha-ketoglutarate is formed during the citric acid cycle, an important metabolic pathway whose intermediate products act as signaling molecules and are involved in numerous other signaling pathways. However, it is not only used in the mitochondria, but also plays a role as a co-factor for many important enzymatic processes. It has been shown that the concentration of calcium alpha-ketoglutarate in peripheral blood decreases with age.20 Preclinical studies on various organisms have also shown that supplementation with calcium alpha-ketoglutarate has positive effects on lifespan and, above all, healthspan (the disease-free phase of the entire lifespan = “healthspan”).
Is anti-aging becoming a reality? A conclusion
There is a lot in the anti-ageing research pipeline. The detailed knowledge of cellular mechanisms acquired thanks to state-of-the-art technologies enables a very precise view of new potential starting points for intervening in ageing processes. However, the complexity of the interrelationships is also becoming apparent time and again. Turning one adjusting screw can have undesirable effects elsewhere. For this reason, clinical studies on humans are indispensable, even when it comes to the use of well-known drugs in the anti-ageing context or seemingly harmless dietary supplements. Side effects and interactions are factors that need to be taken seriously, and one or two problems can be found even with promising intervention strategies. Nonetheless, anti-ageing research can already boast many positive results, bringing us a good deal closer to our human dream of healthy ageing. It remains exciting to see what long-term studies, such as the large-scale TAME study involving interdisciplinary research groups, or the research and developments of the start-ups mentioned above will reveal.
At neotes, we are convinced that it is possible to age more slowly and healthily. We always keep an eye on the latest developments in anti-ageing research. With us, you have a competent and experienced partner at your side who keeps you up to date, provides comprehensive advice and only offers products that have been thoroughly tested.
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