Longevity Medicine: Three New Facts And Five Anti-Aging Supplements

Scientists completely agree coffee drinking helps longevity.

During these days of generally bad news (people getting shot, the Monarch butterfly population in steep decline) it is heartening to read the findings from a huge study (over 170,000 men and women with average age 55 tracked over seven years) whose “all cause death rate” was dramatically lower among the coffee drinkers than among those who did not drink coffee. The “best amount” to drink was 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day, and interestingly, with or without sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Although you might not think of coffee as a health beverage, during the past few years, other studies have shown coffee has been helpful for:

• Reducing your risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, congestive heart failure, and even colon cancer.

• Improving the detoxification pathways of your liver and strengthening your DNA (these may account for the cancer protective aspects of coffee).

• Helping fight depression.

• Increasing your metabolic and therefore useful in weight management.

On the other hand, that saltshaker on your dining room table will subtract a couple of years OFF your life.

This was the conclusion of another “mega-study” (over 500,000 Europeans) surveying those who sprinkled more salt on food after it was served versus those who left their meals well enough alone.

It’s mainly patients with heart disease, high blood pressure and/or visible fluid retention (swollen feet and ankles) who are advised to “cut back on the salt”. Unfortunately, I can tell you that few people follow this advice. The problem with salt (sodium chloride) is that it causes fluid retention, swells up your arteries, stresses your heart, and raises your blood pressure. Food prepared at home or in restaurants is often already oversalted although on the plus side, these days I’m not seeing saltshakers at restaurants, maybe a COVID phenomenon.

But adding more salt, i.e. your saltshaker, places you at a risk for premature death which the authors define as dying before age 75.

Lastly, have you ever wondered which is more important, a healthful diet or regular exercise? The answer: BOTH, BABY, BOTH!!

Still another ‘mega-study’ (346,000), from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, actually made the front page of the New York Times.

During our new patient intake interviews at WholeHealth Chicago, we ask about exercise and dietary habits. Most people sincerely do one or the other; relatively few do both, even though, as the saying goes “The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions”. Let’s face it, you do need discipline to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. But this is what’s needed.

The data driven statistician-physicians from the University of Sydney went through 346,000 surveys and came up with the fact: if you want to reduce your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc., in other words enjoy a longer and healthier life, you’ve got to do both, eat well and exercise regularly. Here’s the article, read it yourself.

Same content, summarized from the New York Times, in case you didn’t believe me.

Finally, patients ask about the “best” anti-aging meds and supplements. The only interesting prescription medication available to the general public is metformin, written about in the Harvard Health Letter. The FDA has approved metformin for Type 2 diabetes. Off label it’s prescribed for pre-diabetes, reducing cancer risk, dementia, and anti-aging. Talk to your doctor about a prescription.

Here are the supplements currently at the forefront of anti-aging therapies, keeping in mind the term “nutritional supplement”; they supplement your good nutrition, not replace it.

• Curcumin (Theracumin HP by Integrative Therapeutics), one twice a day (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capable of crossing blood brain barrier);
• EGCG (Green Tea Extract by Klaire Labs), one twice a day (mitochondrial health, reduces cancer risk);
• Ultra Resveratrol (by Integrative Therapeutics), one daily (high potency antioxidant and anti-inflammatory);
• Ergothioneine (by Real Mushrooms), one daily (species of mushroom with high potency antioxidant properties);
• UBQH (absorbable Coenzyme Q 10), 50 mg once a day (another antioxidant for cell growth and maintenance).

BTW, all these antioxidants and anti-inflammatories are mainly to mop up and repair all the toxins your body is absorbing from our environment (air, food, water).

In addition to anti-aging supplements, arm yourself with the usual basics:

• A good multiple (we’re currently recommending ONE by Pure Encapsulations simply because

everything you need is in “one” single capsule).

• Adding Thorne D 5,000 IU in winter or with COVID still hanging around, the immune boost of D wouldn’t hurt.
• Same goes with Buffered C 1,000 mg, once a day

If you don’t eat fish, add Pure Omega HP by Integrative, one or two capsules daily.

And to remind you, have some coffee, toss the saltshaker, eat healthfully, go exercise, and…

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD