AKG May Extend Healthspan

This is a reprint of the May 23 Sunday Newsletter. To get it in your inbox, type in your email here.

Hey, as usual there’s lots in this edition of the Sunday Newsletter, but I’m particularly invigorated over the studies on AKG. This might truly be a supplement that makes a difference to your healthspan.

Make sure you watch the video below!

I've also included:

Of course, there’s also the last four posts and a Library full of topics worthy of a glance (or more!).

Stay safe,

Joe

Anti-aging Tip of The Week: Floss Your Teeth

Gum disease increases the risk of many diseases and is devastating to the immune system. Studies have been released that demonstrate that people with gingivitis and periodontitis have a higher chance of dying. One study indicated that men under age 50 who have advanced periodontal disease are 2.6 times more likely to die prematurely and three times more likely to die from heart disease. Another study indicated that the absence of periodontal diseases makes you 6.4 years younger than the average person.

Read more

Supplement of the Week: AKG

AKGAKG is short for “alpha-ketoglutarate”, which is one of two ketone derivatives of glutaric acid. It’s a key molecule in the Krebs cycle, which is basically a big part of how we derive energy from food.

In September 2020, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging published a press release that said, among other things:

Middle-aged mice that had the naturally-occurring metabolite alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) added to their chow had a better “old age.” They were healthier as they aged and experienced a dramatically shorter time of disease and disability before they died, a first for research involving mammals.

Previous studies show that blood plasma levels of AKG can drop up to 10-fold as we age.

Fasting and exercise, already shown to promote longevity, increase the production of AKG. AKG is not found in the normal diet, making supplementation the only feasible way to restore its levels.

Which leads me to a May 14, 2021 interview with the former head of the Buck, Prof Brian Kennedy entitled Extending healthspan: AKG, human clinical trials & aging biomarkers. I encourage you to watch the interview below. Note that the AKG part begins at time stamp 06:30, and that Prof Kennedy underscores the biggest potential value of AKG supplementation — extending healthspan, the years over which you’re healthy.

 

  • Intro – 00:00
  • What is aging? – 01:25
  • Alpha ketoglutarate extends healthspan – 06:30
  • Sex-specific differences – 08:30
  • Calcium-AKG – 09:30
  • Human clinical trials – 10:40
  • End point for trials & next steps – 14:00
  • Combining interventions – 17:15
  • Time of day & circadian rhythm & dosing – 19:30
  • Biomarkers for personalised medicine (or precision medicine) – 22:30
  • Aging biomarkers & epigenetic clock – 25:00
  • Scalable, cost-effective biomarkers – 28:15
  • What discoveries are you excited for? – 30:10
  • Mesenchymal stem cells – 32:30
  • Major hurdles for the field? – 34:20
  • Healthcare in 10 years time – 38:15
  • Advice for extending healthspan – 39:35

And now to the AKG supplement. I have no experience with taking AKG, and can only surmise what a good brand might be via Amazon.com’s customer ratings. Double Woods AKA right now has a 4.6 (of 5) rating based on 120 reviews, and is “Amazon’s Choice”.

Your Weekly Dose of Inspiration

 

Be inspired by the mobility drill that Ukranian Olympic weightlifter Oleksiy Pavlovych Torokhtiy does before every workout.

I found some of these both novel and effective. It’s unlikely that you’re an Olympic weightlifter, but I’m guessing you have shoulders, a lower back, hips and knees — all of these will be improved by doing this regimen.

Stuff Worth Knowing

Here I touch on:

  • A Post-pandemic Reset
  • How Walking May Increase Your Healthspan
  • A Conversation: Jane Brody and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Staying Fit and Focused at 80
  • A Toast To Brain Damage
  • Simple Diet Strategies from A Harvard Doc

A Post-pandemic Reset

Need a post-pandemic reset? Take the 10-Day Fresh Start Challenge brought to you by the New York Times.

Behavioral scientists have long known that times of disruption and transition also create new opportunities for growth and change. Get some guidance to help you do this — Take the Fresh Start Challenge!

Here are the links to the first five days:

Day 1: How Are You, Really?
Day 2: Let’s Have an Exercise Snack!
Day 3: Try a Fierce Meditation
Day 4: Ask a Connection Question!
Day 5: Resist Your Tech

Walking an Extra 1,000 Steps May Increase Your Life Span

One sure way to die early is to be sedentary. Our biology simply doesn’t work very well when we don’t move regularly, sometimes with great vigor.

So, get up and take a stroll. See a hill? Walk up it swiftly. More daily steps has been linked to a range of health benefits, like better heart health, improved sleep quality, and more positive mental health.

Read on.

Jane Brody and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Staying Fit and Focused at 80

The Times’s longtime Personal Health columnist and the nation’s most famous doctor met recently to talk about life as octogenarians and beyond.

Their conversation offers some helpful tips on how to live strong at 80 and beyond.

A Toast To Brain Damage

Drinking any amount of alcohol causes damage to the brain, study finds.

Yeah, I long for the good old days when one drink a day was OK. Well, if you get a lot of pleasure from alcohol no amount of evidence is going to sway you to stop, but this might get you to drink less.

Simple Diet Strategies from A Harvard Doc

A Harvard doctor shares her best strategy for measuring weight loss progress — and it has nothing to do with the scale. JoAnn Manson, MD offers simple tips that might tip the scale in the direction you want.

What’s Up Covid?

The World Health Organization said global coronavirus deaths were probably two to three times higher than the official tally.

Research found that patients in Africia with severe Covid were more likely to die than those elsewhere in the world.

Japan approved vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca.

Get the latest Covid updates here, as well as maps and a vaccine tracker.

The Library Is Open

Age Better

Antioxidants

Blood Sugar

Cholesterol

Chronic Stress

Detoxification

Cognition/

Mindset/

Plasticity

Diet/Nutrition

Exercise

Eyesight

Habit Making

Health Policy

Heart

Hormone Optimization

Immune System

Inflammation

Libido

Lose Weight

Microbiota

Mindset/Meditation

Muscle

New Science

Regrow Hair

Supplements

Sustainability

Test and Assess

Vital Energy

Skin

 

Last Updated on November 8, 2022 by Joe Garma

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Joe Garma
 

I help people live with more vitality and strength. I'm a big believer in sustainability, and am a bit nutty about optimizing my diet, supplements, hormones and exercise. To get exclusive Updates, tips and be on your way to a stronger, more youthful body, join my weekly Newsletter. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 1 comments
Steve - May 23, 2021

Really informative video of Professor Kennedy and AKG studies. I’ve added AKG to my supplement regimen. He did mention time-released capsules as the best method but could not find them on Amazon, so took your advice. Thanks Joe.

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