Longevity Expert Sheds Light on common MISCONCEPTIONS for People's' Health | 3 - Nick Arapis
Optispan CEO Matt Kaeberlein discusses common assumptions about longevity and healthspan.
Check out the links below for further information and/or reading about some of the things we discussed in this podcast episode. Note that we do not necessarily endorse or agree with the content of these readings, but present them as supplementary material that may deepen your understanding of the topic after you listen to our podcast. This list is in no way exhaustive, but it’s a good start!
Small molecule activators of sirtuins extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan
Researchers published one of the first papers demonstrating the benefits of resveratrol on lifespan in 2003. This study laid the foundation for further research into the potential anti-aging effects of resveratrol, a natural compound found in certain plants, fruits, and beverages, such as grapes, red wine, peanuts, and berries, and its role in activating sirtuins, a class of proteins associated with longevity.
Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet
This 2006 paper provided further evidence for the lifespan-extending effects of resveratrol in mice. It found that the physiology of mice eating calorie-dense diets and consuming resveratrol moved towards that of mice eating more moderate diets without any change in body weight. Resveratrol also modulated several longevity pathways and impvoed several measures of health such as insulin sensitivity and motor function.
Rapamycin, But Not Resveratrol or Simvastatin, Extends Life Span of Genetically Heterogeneous Mice
This study, which shares authors with previous papers demonstrating that resveratrol extends lifespan in model organisms, found that neither high nor low doses of resveratrol affected lifespan in mice of both sexes. Matt has described resveratrol as "the most debunked longevity molecule that exists".
This study presented evidence that metformin reduces testosterone levels in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Objections and Their Counterarguments
Nick points out that some people view longevity interventions as a luxury for billionaires. This spreadsheet presents a few counterarguments to that idea, including that technologies typically become less expensive after their introduction to the public and it is therefore unlikely that aging-focused therapeutics will stay unaffordable for long. Other common objections to the study of aging biology that the spreadsheet addresses include ideas around how slowing aging will cause an overpopulation problem, slow progress and cause ideas to stagnate, and enable dictators to survive.
