Forever Young

Update on my diet, supplements, and cosmetic routine

Skin: I wash with Neutrogena Gentle Exfoliating face wash and then apply Skinceuticals CE + Ferulic Acid to my face (3 drops). Apply Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 from Skinceuticals (mainly in the summer). At night time I will use cleansing wipes and apply Aloe Vera Gel from Aubrey Organics. 

Lips: Blistex Lip Brilliance SPF15 or Burt's Bees Lip Balm - Pomegranate (I apply throughout the day when needed). 

Hair: Every few months I will switch between: L'Oreal - Elvive Nutri-Gloss and Herbal Essences Beautiful End Shampoo. I use Pantene Pro-V Clarifying Shampoo once a month. Conditioner either from L'Oreal or Herbal Essence.

Morning supplements: Vitamin D3 1000IU, Vitamin B Complex (every other day);  B12 on the days I don't take B Complex. Zinc (15mg), Mangesium (300mg), and AllicinMax (Allimax in the US) 2 capsules with breakfast. 

Breakfast:  Wholemeal bread (sometimes lightly toasted) with EVOO + 2 capsules of Allicin. Shortly after:

Oatmeal, Blueberries 80g, Almonds, 2 Brazil Nuts, 2 squares of Lindt Dark Chocolate 70%.

Lunch: Banana, Apple, Kale or Spinach Smoothie

Dinner a: Carrots, Corn, Green Beans, Peas (700 grams); Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 tbsp), Ketchup (low sugar/salt); 1 cup of Soy Milk with Green and Blacks hot chocolate. OR
Dinner b: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Peas (700 grams); Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 tbsp), Ketchup (low sugar/salt); 1 cup of Soy Milk with Green and Blacks hot chocolate.
Desert: Anything that I want so to reach my calorie intake target; usually fruit.
Evening supplements: Allicin Max - capsules (I increase the the amount I take if there are any bugs going around). l-theanine 200mg

Drinks: I'll have various drinks throughout the day, these include:
- Pukka 3 Mint Tea: Peppermint Leaf (34%),Spearmint Leaf (34%) ,Fieldmint Leaf (32%) - 4 tea bags per day.
- Licorice Tea
- Sencha Green Tea (I add ginger) - 5 cups a day minimum (2 tea bags per cup).
- Twinings Camomile And Spearmint Tea - 2 cups in the evening.

I try to keep my diet fairly consistent without much change as this makes it much easier. I enjoy everything that I eat, so it doesn't bother me if I eat mostly the same every day. Occasionally I will go out for a meal with my friends, but this is just a few times a year.

A recently published study showed that various supplements have no effect on longevity so I have since discontinued taking them as there could be a risk of them interfering with the life extending effect of CR, or are simply just a waste of money! Another study showed that people taking large doses of multiple supplements had no effect on health (2). One supplement in particular that I have kept on taking is the Allicin Max. As long as I am taking this supplement, I haven't come down with any colds, flu, or stomach bugs that go around. If I feel that I am more at risk of catching something, I will sometimes increase the number of capsules I take during the day. This seems to be the most effective supplement that I've found to prevent infections.

I had some blood tests done a few weeks ago and had a few surprising results. I barely slept the night before the test and this might have caused my neutrophil count to be higher than it normally is. I found a few studies that suggested even one night of sleep deprivation causes an elevation in white blood count, specifically neutrophils (reference in my blood test results link to the right of this page). My C reactive protein was undetectable, indicating no inflammation or infection either. My lipid profile was still good, but not where I want it to be. I suspect the reason for this is because in 2012 I got depressed after a serious breakup and went off CR a little by including bad foods in my diet and not getting much exercise. Since early on this year I've been back on a more strict CR diet and very focused. Overall the blood results were still excellent.

I feel back to myself now and so much happier than before. I've focused on my diet, exercise, relationships with family and friends, and the things I really want to do with my life. I feel so much healthier, I sleep very well, and things are just looking so much better right now. There's going to be big changes to come in the near future that I'm very excited about. I'll share with you soon!



1. Spindler SR, Mote PL, Flegal JM, Teter B. Influence on longevity of blueberry, cinnamon, green and black tea, pomegranate, sesame, curcumin, morin, pycnogenol, quercetin, and taxifolin fed iso-calorically to long-lived, F1 hybrid mice. PMID: 23432089

2. Soare A, Weiss EP, Holloszy JO, Fontana L.
Multiple dietary supplements do not affect metabolic and cardiovascular health. Aging (Albany NY). 2013 Sep 4. PMID: 24036417

Diet and Supplements

There hasn't been that many changes since I last gave an update. I did become a little less strict on my eating habits during the time I was in Los Angeles, but since that time things have returned pretty much to normal. Occasionally I'll have something that isn't quite so healthy but I don't make it a habit.

STATS
Height: 5ft 7.5"
Weight: 8st 8lbs (120 lbs)
BMI: 18.5
Blood Pressure: 90/60
Resting Pulse: 50bpm
Ear Temperature: 36.0 Degrees Celsius (average)

Right now I don't have any intentions of lowering my weight further as I'm quite happy where I am for the moment. In the future that might change.

MY DIET AND SUPPLEMENTS

This doesn't represent what I eat every day!

Lemon Green tea (2) with Fresh Ginger Powder
Now Foods Quercetin + Bromelain
Now Foods Adam Multivitamin 1 Cap
Allicin Max 2 Capsules
Now Foods Beta Glucan
Now Foods, C-500
Vitamin D3 5000IU
L-Arginine 500mg

Breakfast Green Smoothie
- 300-400ml Water
- 200g of Kale or Spinach
- 2 Bananas
- 1 Red Apple
- 100g Blueberries

Lunch
- 1 Medium Sweet potato with Skin
- 200g Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Soy Burger  (sometimes I'll have this separate with Avacado and wholegrain bread)
- Ketchup (low salt and sugar)
- Lemon Green tea (2) with Fresh Ginger Powder

Dinner

- Bolognese (1 medium jar)
- White Button Mushrooms
- Red and/or Green Peppers
- Whole Grain Spaghetti
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Spices: Cumin, Mixed Chillies, Cinnamon

Desert
- Yogurt, Blueberries, Almonds and Walnuts 
- Healthy Origins, Probiotics 30 Billion CFU's

-  Bowel of Frozen Mixed Berries (strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries)
- Lemon Green tea (2) with Fresh Ginger Powder
- 1 cup of Organic Green and Blacks Hot Chocolate with Organic Soy Milk. 

Bedtime:
200mg L-Theanine
2 Allicin Max

I usually take other supplements too but right now I'm trying to cut back and save some money. They can get quite expensive!

A picture update: 27 years 6 months old

A picture update after my visit to California. As you can see, not much of a tan! Even though it was quite hot this winter. (I don't want a tan by the way). I can't say that my diet was perfect while I was away in LA visiting my girlfriend. Maybe 70-80% of what I ate was very healthy and the rest not so healthy, but not bad either! Just not what I would normally eat. I had some cookies here and there and stuff but these were oatmeal. I knew it wouldn't continue when I got back home. I just relaxed so much for the first time in many years doing CR. I never counted calories at all either, and I gained ZERO weight. I came back home the exact same weight even though I ate junk food most days in addition to my normal healthy diet.

Meeting with Aubrey De Grey

On March the 7th I had planned to meet with Aubrey De Grey, for the first time. He was giving a talk there and we were going to meet up before the talk. Because of circumstances at the time I wasn't able to make it early in the day, but then at around 5pm I had a call from him asking me if I was still able to meet with him in Oxford, as I felt so bad on this day I thought I wouldn't make it, but I just had to go, even though it was already so late in the day, I quickly got ready and within 30 minutes I was out of my house and booking a train for Oxford. I arrived in Oxford quite late at around 9pm and then met Aubrey outside of the train station. At last! From the moment I met him it was obvious that I was going to get along so well, actually I get along with everyone anyway and since there was obviously a lot to talk about, it would definitely be an interesting and fun night. So we headed straight for the pub near the train station and we talked for almost 3 hours about everything that has been going on in my life over the last few years, and especially my relocation to California. We talked about SENS, my plans for the future with regards to what I want to do, which I told him that I definitely want to be involved in aging research at some point, and clearly California is the best place for that, it was just that things happened in the past that really changed my life a lot and I kind of lost track of where I was headed (I'll write more about this another time).

 We talked a bit about my girlfriend in California, who he already knows, and we talked about a lot of other general stuff which I'm not getting into here. It would take too long anyway. So after about 3 hours it was time to close at the pub and we headed off to find a hotel because all the trains had stopped running by this time. He walked with me in Oxford and made sure that I found a hotel to stay at for the night. I was worried that I would end up walking the streets on my own trying to find a hotel, and not knowing Oxford at all, this was a scary thought (thanks Aubrey again!). So we finally found a hotel that was open, booked a room, and then I said goodbye to him as he left to go to his hotel somewhere else in Oxford that had been already booked. It all seems like a dream now, it was bizarre meeting Aubrey after all this time, but he was extremely easy to get along with and I had a good time. It was also great to get to know Aubrey on a more personal level too, as I've always seen him giving talks and never got to know how he was outside of all that. I hope to meet again at some point in the future, possibly in California. So thanks so much for that Aubrey, again. Only next time I hope to be a little more awake if I meet with him because on that particular night before going to Oxford I must have had around 3 hours sleep in total. It was certainly worth making the effort and I'm so glad that I did.

Super Foods Part 2

6 Anti-Aging Foods and Drinks

Red Wine - Although I am not a wine drinker, it's impossible to ignore the benefits that consuming a glass of wine a day could have for you. Red wine is full of antioxidants and in certain wines such as pinot noir, they contain high amounts of Resveratrol which is found in the skins of grapes. Recently Resveratrol has undergone a lot of testing to see if extends the lifespan of mice who eat a junk food diet, becauase it's thought that the Resveratrol compound mimics some of the effects of calorie restriction. Resveratrol showed remarkable protection against the damaging effects of consuming a bad diet, and many people had rushed out to buy resveratrol supplements based on that study. Later came another study showing that Resveratrol failed to extend the lifespan significantly for mice that consumed a regular diet and were not obese, but it did confer some protection against aging damage, and there was an increase in lifespan when low dose resveratrol was combined with a mild level of calorie restriction. The amount of resveratrol that you will get from red wine is not anywhere near the amount given to mice in these studies, but there is a significant amount of evidence showing that drinking red wine, at least a glass a day, is very beneficial for your health. Studies have shown that Red Wine might protect you from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other age related diseases.

Tomatoes - These are one of my favourite fruits. I grow my own tomatoes now, usually the small cherry tomatoes, sweet million variety, and they have such a delicous sweet taste that I have never experienced from store bought tomatoes, so I enjoy them everyday during the summer months. They are easy to grow and maintain also so I highly recommend that rather than spending money buying tomatoes, you should really consider growing your own this year. It's best to start very soon by sowing the seeds indoors and then take them outdoors when there is no danger of the plants dying. So why do I consider this one of the best foods? Well it's low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. It also contains something called lycopene which is beneficial in helping prevent cancers like prostate cancer, and there is evidence that adding green tea and broccoli to the diet of men could lower mens risk of this disease even further. As for anti aging benefits, lycopene is a strong antioxidant and there was one study had shown that the lycopene gives people better protection from sun damage, and that it boosts levels of procollagen in the skin so that your skin stays youthful for longer. Tomatoes also contain a significant amount of vitamin K which could also help keep your bones stronger. I recommend that men consume plenty of tomatoes for prostate health. Remember to cook the tomatoes, use tomato paste, or tomato sauce, as these have higher bioavailability. Make sure that you consume tomatoes with a little fat to help absorption also.

Nuts - Nuts are very good for your health and might help you live longer. Almonds contain significant amount of vitamin E, Magnesium and Monounsaturated fat. Almonds have been shown to protect again various diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and also help you lose weight and protect from the problems that come with that excess weight. Walnuts are also very healthy for you as they contain many minerals, one of the highest being Magneisum. Walnuts are also a good source of ALA which is converted to DHA/EPA, these are found in fish and are benfeicial for lowering inflammation and protecting against depression, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and many other diseases. Include just a handful of nuts in your diet everyday, you can mix them with fruit, put in your oatmeal, or as I do you can put them into a yogurt. Also eating nuts on a daily could extend your life by upto 3 years according to one study on seventh day adventists in California.

Super Foods

6 Anti-Aging Foods and Drinks

KALE - This is a leafy green vegetable from the Brassica family of vegetables which include; Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts. It's probably one of the most nutrient dense foods that you can eat and is loaded with antioxidants and bioavailable nutrients to maintain your health. It contains a significant amount of Beta Carotene, Lutein and Zeaxanthins which are good for the eyes, immune system and the skin and general health. Lutein was found to significantly increase hydration and elasticity and lipid levels of the skin in human volunteers that consumed 10mg of lutein daily for 12 weeks. There was further improvement if a cream was applied to the face containing lutein. In the group that just took the supplement skin hydration was increased by 38%, Skin elasticity was increased by 8%, and Lipids were increased by 33%. Kale is also a good source of calcium for those that are vegan, unlike spinach, the calcium is better absorbed from kale. Kale also contains Sulforaphane which is thought to have anti-cancer benefits as well as being antibacterial and antiviral. Kale also contains indole-3-carbinol which is able to boost DNA repair, increase the rate of which the body metabolises substances like caffeine, and also is able to block the growth of cancer cells. I would consider this a superfood. If you add kale to green smoothies then it is a lot easier to consume a significant amount so that the benefits of this food can be realised.

Blueberries - These are low in calories and they contain only a little sugar and are popular foods for those of all kinds of diets and those people who want to reduce sugar like those on low carb diets, this fruit is perfect! Blueberries are loaded with phytonutrients called Anthocyanidins which are powerful antioxidants thought to be responsible for the majority of health benefits that you get when you consume Blueberries. I highly recommend that you try to consume Blueberries often, a little everyday if you can.

Some of these benefits might include: Improved memory, protection against colon cancer and ovarian cancer, protection from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers disease, improved vision, improved arterial health, and improvement in skin health.Ellagic acid is another antioxidant found in various berries such as raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates and is also is able to prevent UV damage from the sun.

Blueberries are a powerful anti-inflammatory food that will not only keep you healthy on the inside, but the outside also. . Eating 1/2 to 1 cup of blueberries a day is enough to start enjoying the health benefits of this superfood.

Green Tea - Green tea is consumed more than any other tea in the world especially in China and Japan. The health effects from green tea are thought to be because of a compound named Epigallocatechin-gallate. Many studies over the past few years have been published and numerous benefits of drinking it were found. In one study it lowered the risk of all-cause mortality by 16% for those that drank 5 cups or more a day, and there was a 26% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those only drinking less than 1 cup of green tea per day. Interestingly in Asia where smoking rates are higher than the West, they have lower risks of cancer and heart disease and the reason behind this is thought to be the consumption of green. So for those that are still smoking, and are still trying to give up, it might be worth consuming green tea to prevent some of the damage induced by smoking until you can give up. But for everyone it looks like consuming green tea is beneficial and there are no obvious risks to consuming up to 10 cups per day.

Green tea and aging. There was a recent study done on Chinese elderly men which had shown that those that drank the most green tea had telomeres that were longer, at least a 5 year difference the researchers claimed. They looked at this by measuring the telomere length from taking blood samples and looking at white blood cells. This is just one of the many benefits from consuming green tea over many years.

Green tea also contains an amino acid called L-theanine and this reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms in humans by blocking cortical neuron excitation. Those that drank 4 cups of green tea daily had a 44% lower risk of depression.

Other benefits to green tea are; Possibly lower risk of many cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia, and prostate cancer. Green tea lowers inflammation, improves allergies, improves skin health and also protects you from sun damage. There is some evidence in animals and humans that green tea might lower risk of autoimmune diseases such as Sjorgren's, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis also.

Since green tea has virtually no calories it is worth trying to add it to your diet. It’s not all that uncommon for this amount of tea to be consumed in Asia. If you don't like the taste of green tea you can buy various flavoured teas like mint or lemon which might be easier to consume than natural green tea.

Why wait?

People often say they will make changes, but they don't begin until the next week, on a monday, because it's the start of a new week and somehow it makes sense to start on that day. Some people say that after the new year they will change their eating habits, or give up smoking, or take up exercising. The problem is that it never lasts, at least not more than just a few weeks! I think that people need to really think about exactly why they are making these changes. I believe if you have a reason that is strong enough to want to change, then you will stick at it. For me the prospect of living long enough to take full advantage of new advances in medicine, biotechnology, and nanotechology to live a very long time is worth me cutting back on what I eat and eating a healthy diet. The pay off is potentially huge, I might not just enjoy a lifespan of 85 years if I were to eat a standard diet, but by looking after myself right now and in the future I could be adding hundreds of years to my lifespan. I imagine the things that I would love to see and do in that time. If you are fit and healthy like a 25 year old forever, until you die of an accident or something, then why would you want to give up? I guess what keeps me on my diet is have curiosity, like a child is curious about his or her surroundings, I am curious about many things in life, theres things I wish to see answered. Every day is a good day, and I am thankful to enjoy the health that I do, because I know there are many poor peope out there, people who are sick not because the choices they make, but they are just simply unlucky, then there are those that are sick becuase they have done it to themselves. I could never possibly imagine myself eating other way right now because I feel so good. It's true, the better you feel, the more you can do, and it's a positive cycle. Sometime I think that I am simply different to many other people, and that my determination and ability to stick with things like CR is part of my personality, and how can I teach other people to do the same thing. It's almost difficult to understand because for me, doing calorie restriction is extremely easy, I barely have to make any effort to stick to it. The pay off for me is simply huge, and maybe that is always at the back of my mind when I make the choices that I do. I only have one shot at this, and I better get it right, because I won't get another.

I find that most people they start on a diet because they simply are focusing on weight. I like to say to people that they should first focus on their health and fitness, and the weight will come off, just try not to make it the primary reason for you starting the diet. There are many conditions that can be prevented by starting calorie restriction. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and most cancers are preventable. People know that eating healthy can help prevent disease, but do they realise that diseases like heart disease and diabetes should be rare? They should not be a part of aging and are not inevitible. You can maintain your physical and mental abilities well into advanced ages. Just think about it, you are going to work most of your life and retire at age 65, and then do you want the last remaining years of your life in poor health? Of course not! With CR you could potentially have upto 40 years or more of being healthy and active! Don't wait until the new year, star right now! Do something positive like add some fruit to your morning cereal such as bananas or strawberries. Cut out one thing like fizzy drinks which contain so much sugar! Make small changes if you can, this is exactly what I did when I was 18 years old. I started to add some fruit first, and change from white bread to wholemeal bread. I started to drink orange juice or unsweetened cranberry juice instead of Dr Pepper bottles. I stopped using sugar in my tea, and I changed from full fat milk to semi skimmed milk. Even from these changes and without actively counting calories, I lost a significant amount of weight. It was completely unintentional to lose the weight that I did. I was purely focusing on my health. So try making some small changes right now, and if you want, make a promise to yourself that by the new year, you will have dramatically changed your diet, and you have a good foundation continue with an even better diet in 2011.

Don't be so hard on yourself, and never let one day of bad eating stop you from starting again the next day. Even I sometimes don't eat perfectly, but I just get back to eating better the following day. I never feel guilty or have these negative thoughts about food! Keep a positive mind, and reinfornce positive thinking and behaviour. If you have a good role model in your life, then go ask them for help, someone to motivate you and keep you on track.

thats all for today! more soon =) Good luck!

Enhancing Your Immune System

The immune system and CR. Methods to enhance resistance to infection.

We all die of something, whether it is heart attack, stroke or cancer which are the major killers... and ranking up there is also death from infections. Usually viral or bacterial infections can be fatal to many of the elderly because their immune systems are weak. So recently there has been discussion about what if people eating a very healthy calorie restricted diet do not die of the common killers, what would be likely to deliver that final blow. Many conclude, infection related death. Based on some of the evidence in animal models where infections such as influenza and bacterial infections are given to mice and looking at survival between ad libitum and calorie restricted groups, it seems that moderate to severe calorie restriction might increase the risk of death. It seems that in the CR group they do not have enough reserves before to keep them above a critically low weight to sustain life before their adaptive immune system has a chance to take control of the infection. Usually during the time symptoms come on there is a marked decrease in appetite and the bodies resources go into fighting the infection. Fever, increasing metabolic rate, you expend more energy. As you can see below there is a decrease in body weight amongst the both groups but the control animals maintain enough of their body weight to stay alive, whereas the CR group there is a downward trend and the mortality rate reaches 100%



"Weight loss occurs in mice with influenza infection due to a decrease in energy intake and an increase in energy demands. Young and aged mice can lose up to 35% of their body weight and recover from infection, which suggests a critical weight indicative of sufficient energy reserves to recover from infection. Lifelong ER results in a 30% decrease in starting weight that may be only marginally above this critical threshold. In the case of aged ER mice, 100% mortality was observed by d 7 (X), before an adaptive T cell response, suggesting a primary influence of underweight on innate immunity. Adapted from"[1].

In humans the critical body weight in which there is a critical threat to life is a BMI of 13 in males and 11 in Females. In the study by Dr Luigi Fontana at Washing University in St Louis he has shown that the average BMI for people practicing long term calorie restriction is 19.6 which is above the recommended normal bmi between 18.5-25. This might give more than enough reverses to survive an infection if such a weight is maintained. However, under more severe CR low body weights among humans have been reported as low as a BMI of 15, which could pose a risk to premature death if a severe infection were to occur. Antibiotics would be a very useful in helping ensure that CR does work in humans and is not prevented by excess mortality due to infectious disease. If CR does retard the aging process in humans but the risk of death from infectious remains higher, then this might negate any potential lifespan extension that could be gained from lifelong calorie restriction. During previous times before antibiotics, periods of semi starvation that would have extended the lives of those lived under such conditions if there were better hygiene and treatments for common bacterial infections that are usually easily treated today. Although antibiotics are currently becoming less effective because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, newer generations of antibiotics are expected to become available within the next 10 years. Recently, there have been calls for 10 new antibiotics by 2020, and these are to be completely new classes of antibiotics which will work in more novel ways than how the current antibiotics work.

Calorie Restriction improved immunity, theoretically and anecdotally... but what is the actual evidence?
In contrast to the animal evidence which suggests that CR might predispose humans to infections, there is little human evidence to back this up. So far the work on CR effect on immunity in humans hasn't been looked at. Recently there was a study that showed those who have done short term calorie restriction have improved T cell function, which is crucial against viral infections. Actually this is in-line with the animal evidence also. Also in Rhesus monkeys which are closer to humans biologically and genetically, also have reported to have slowed aging of their immune systems. However, unfortunately the human study was actually not the level of calorie restriction that is used in animal experiments or in the study by DR Fontana at WUSTL. These subjects were overweight, and normalizing their weight by decreasing their calories by 30%, improved immunity. This is not a big surprise. Excess weight puts the body into a state of chronic low grade inflammation, the immune system is chronically activated leading to immune system dysfunction other problems such as asthma, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.

Anecdotal reports from those that are practicing calorie restriction seem to be reporting less infections or absence of infections since starting calorie restriction. However this might not be purely because of the calorie restriction itself, but might be an effect of the foods that are consumed. Plant foods typically contain many compounds that have found to be beneficial in killing bacteria, viruses and fungi. Flavanoids, polyphenols, catechins from green tea, lactoferrin, fatty acids like omega 3, beta glucans which are all generally consumed in far greater amounts in a typical calorie restriction diet. The combination of these compounds might have a synergistic effect in not only attenuating the decrease in immune systems capability to deal with the infection, but also directly inhibit infections. I will look at a few compounds that have shown to be promising in fighting infections.

Beta glucans - Beta glucans are derived from yeast and also oats. Oat beta glucans is mildly effective at increasing immunity, as shown in one study where they showed that in humans, oat beta glucan was able to offset the negative effects of exercise stress [2].

"Exercise stress was associated with a 28% increase in morbidity (P = 0.036) and 18% increase in mortality (P = 0.15). Ingestion of ObetaG before infection prevented this increase in morbidity (P = 0.048) and mortality (P = 0.05)"

The immune system modulating effects of beta glucans has been known for a couple of decades. When you ingest the beta glucan from yeast the glucan molecules are unaffected by the acid of your stomach and pass through unchanged, once they are absorbed into the blood they are taken up my phagocytes which digest them, and then over a period of days slowly release the glucan molecules and they attach to beta glucan receptors on the cell surface of macrophages. This causes a cascade of effects which basically makes the immune system on alert, ready to attack any foreign invaders. Increased NK cytotoxicity, an increase in the number of macrophages which basically eat bacteria and dead cells and digest them within the lysosomes. Beta glucans increase a number of cytokines which attract immune cells to the site of infection, but without increasing IL-1 which is responsible for pyrexia.

One particular blend of alpha and beta glucans is called AHCC, which there is plenty of research behind it. It's used in over 800 hospitals, many of them in japan, and has 80 studies published to back up its usefulness in infectious diseases, whether it be bacterial, virus, or fungal infections. Also it even increases the chance of survival among cancer patients who are given chemotherapy combined with AHCC. In vivo and human clinical trials have shown that AHCC modifies both the innate and adaptive immune response, by:

* Increasing the production of cytokines
* Increasing the activity of NK cells by as much as 300-800%
* Increasing populations of macrophages, in some cases doubling them
* Increasing the number of dendritic cells
* Increasing the number of T cells by as much as 200%

I believe that a beta glucan supplement, even if periodically taken during times where infection risk is higher at times of influenza outbreaks, norovirus outbreaks etc... Then it can be taken at these times since the effect on immunity is quite rapid.

Direct inhibitors or of pathogens

Tea polyphenols – Catechins that are found in green tea and white tea have anti viral, anti bacterial and anti fungal properties, EGCG is able to work in many different ways. Again viruses it not only alters the protein coating around the virus, but also blocks neuraminidase activity so that the virus is not able to be released from the host’s cell. A popular drug named drug oseltamivir which was widely used in the recent swine flu breakout also uses the same target to reduce symptoms of viral infections. One study in a Japanese care home they reported that influenza was reduced by over 90% if green tea was gargled every day. But the sample size was small. Green tea is a very safe beverage and with plenty of other benefits even if it doesn’t offer complete protection against influenza infections. Which are a big cause morbidity and death in the elderly. Secondary bacterial infections, lung infections primarily are the cause of death. EGCG can kill many times of bacteria, inhibit biofilm formation, and also enhance the effects of antibiotics so that they that they work better. In some cases reverse antibiotic resistance. Green tea also actually boosts the immune system.

"Among subjects taking CSF there were 32.1% fewer subjects with symptoms (P = 0.035), 22.9% fewer overall illnesses of at least 2 days duration (P = 0.092), and 35.6% fewer symptom days (P < p =" 0.017)" p =" 0.046)" style="font-weight: bold;">Vitamin D –



Vitamin D - This is one has had a lot of attention recently in the media. Researchers are beginning to understand its effects on immunity, and how it’s an immune system modulator. In that it basically makes the immune system smarter so that it can identify foreign pathogens and the innate immune system deals with it before it can take hold. Vitamin D3 when above a certain level in the blood is stored. Recent reports show that patients that take vitamin D3 report less colds and flu and it’s believed because vitamin D3 is a powerful inducer of LL37 peptides that punch holes in viruses, bacteria and fungi [11]. It’s recommended that optimal levels of 25 (OH) D are above 32ng. 1000IU of vitamin D3 tends to raise blood levels but approx 10ng.

Lactoferrin – Lactoferrin protects the body by binding to iron so that that the bacteria cannot use it. In breast milk there is a lot of lactoferrin and this is one of the reasons why babies who are breast fed have better immune systems. Lactoferrin coats anywhere where germs can gain entry into the body. Such as, the nose, eyes, sex organs. Consuming lactoferrin supplements is thought to be beneficial in protecting against infections. Lactoferrin is part of the innate immune system and is one of the first barriers to infection.

Ginger - It is a well known anti emetic. Meaning, it prevents sickness and nausea. Some doctors instruct women to use it while pregnant and have got morning sickness; other uses are travel sickness, general nausea and indigestion, acid reflux disease. The only one it doesn't seem to be effective for is when use post operatively (after operation with G.A). It can be also used to help unblock the noise and is a weak antiviral so could help with cold symptoms.

D Mannose - 90% of UTI infections are caused by E coli bacteria. Usually D mannose is completely effective at being able to remove E coli from the bladder. Along the bladder surface there are D mannose receptors which the E coli bacteria attach to. When you consume D mannose (which is found in small amounts in cranberry juice, also known for its ability to prevent infections by making the bladder wall slippery so that bacteria cannot attach) the D mannose is not absorbed by the body and majority of it ends up in the urine. Once you flush out your bladder the E coli detaches from the bladder wall and has a higher affinity for the D mannose within the urine. The best thing about this cure is that there is no chance for resistance and it will clear any antibiotic resistant bacteria. Unfortunately for those unlucky 10% of infections, D mannose might not work and antibiotics are usually required. I highly recommend D mannose, especially for women as they are much more prone to infections than men. Please read this site; http://www.d-mannoseworks.com/ D mannose is a lot more effective than cranberry juice.

Manuka Honey – at least 10UMF, which is the strength of the honey, is able to kill even the most resistant pathogens against antibiotics. In fact, the university hospital in Cardiff, Wales, have been testing on wounds [12]. Not only is it a great anti inflammatory but it also helps kills MRSA infections, and other pathogens. Consuming Manuka honey is good for the throat and could prevent any throat infections like strept throat, and it could also prevent stomach infections like H pylori and food poison.

Garlic - It has been known for a very long time that garlic was a good anti bacterial, and anti viral. The compound responsible for this is the one that gives off that funny smell when you eat too much... but wouldn't you rather just smell a bit of garlic than be sick? I know I would. There was a report a few years back saying that 'garlic is the common cold cure'. Well not quite, however it does seem to do a remarkable job at reducing the number of colds, and reducing the number of days being ill. From BBC news website that reported on the garlic study

“Over a 90-day period during the winter when most colds occur, just 24 colds were recorded among those taking the supplement, compared to 65 amongst those taking the placebo. The study also found that those taking the supplement that did catch a cold were more likely to make a speedier recovery than those taking the placebo and the chances of re-infection following a cold were significantly reduced”


Probiotics - Antibiotics that are taken so often destroy both good and bad bacteria. I recommend consuming probiotic yogurts or to get a probiotic supplement. This will improve immunity, calm the immune system to help allergies, and also protect from overgrowth of organisms that can can disease.


If there was one supplement that I would take to increase resistance against pathogens it would be Beta glucans, specifically AHCC because of the science behind it is quite strong. Please do read the references below for more detailed information on this compound, and visit the website http://www.ahccresearch.com/how-ahcc-works.html to look at other studies listed and how the ahcc works

The combination of a good diet, calorie restriction, the knowledge of medicinal foods and modern medicine, I believe it’s possible to live a very long time. Be well. Free of disease, and live a long healthy life.

References

[1] Barry W. Ritz and Elizabeth M. Gardner. Malnutrition and Energy Restriction Differentially Affect Viral Immunity http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/136/5/1141

[2] Davis JM, Murphy EA, Brown AS, Carmichael MD, Ghaffar A, Mayer EP. Effects of oat beta-glucan on innate immunity and infection after exercise stress. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15292739

[3] Messaoudi, J. Warner, M. Fischer, B. Park, B. Hill, J. Mattison, M. A. Lane, G. S. Roth, D. K. Ingram, L. J. Picker, D. C. Douek, M. Mori, and J. Nikolich-Zugich. Delay of T cell senescence by caloric restriction in aged long-lived nonhuman primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103 (51):19448-19453, 2006.

[4] Ahmed T, Das SK, Golden JK, Saltzman E, Roberts SB, Meydani SN. Calorie restriction enhances T-cell-mediated immune response in adult overweight men and women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009 Nov;64(11):1107-13. Epub 2009 Jul 28.

[5] Synergistic effect of nonspecific immunostimulation and antibiotics in experimental peritonitis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3303398[

[6]Supplementation with active hexose correlated compound increases survival following infectious challenge in mice. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18752476?

[7] Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) enhances resistance to infection in a mouse model of surgical wound infection. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17233570

[8] Prophylactic efficacy of a basidiomycetes preparation AHCC against lethal opportunistic infections in mice http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946621

[9] Antiviral Res. 2005 Nov;68(2):66-74. Epub 2005 Aug 9 Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16137775

[10] Rowe CA, Nantz MP, Bukowski JF, Percival SS.
Specific formulation of Camellia sinensis prevents cold and flu symptoms and enhances gamma,delta T cell function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17914132

[11] Ziv OREN, Jeffrey C. LERMAN*, Gudmundur H. GUDMUNDSSON†, Birgitta AGERBERTH‡ and Yechiel SHAI Structure and organization of the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 in phospholipid membranes: relevance to the molecular basis for its non-cell-selective activity http://www.biochemj.org/bj/341/0501/bj3410501.htm

[12] Is honey the answer to the MRSA crisis http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health-news/tm_objectid=16320886&method=full&siteid=50082&page=1&headline=is-honey-the-answer-to-the-mrsa-crisis--name_page.html

IdeaCity2008 Calorie Restriction

IdeaCity08

A very youthful looking Michael Rae who is now 38 years old I believe, is one of the longest and most serious CRers, starting in his latter 20's to try and slow down his own aging. He is also co author of 'Ending Aging' with Dr Aubrey De Grey. He briefly shares some data and thoughts on Calorie Restriction at Idea City in 2008. Shame he wasn't given more time, but the message was clear :-) Eat less calories, live longer, have more chance of reaching escape velocity to live even longer through advances in science to reverse aging.