Peptides For Longevity

Our WholeHealth Chicago patients are a different breed.

Take a glance around our waiting room or apothecary to see what a patient population engaged in maintaining good health actually looks like. Even the beginners, perhaps overweight or out of shape, are working on self improvement. The office abounds with people turning over their new leaves. Prevention is the buzzword and it’s paying off in spades.

Our practitioners know this because here at WholeHealth Chicago we do have only a very small number of patients whose chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, bronchitis/emphysema) are actually getting worse. In this place, when the first signs of a chronic illness develop, pre-diabetes for example, the first question is not, “What’s the medication for this?”, but rather “What can I do to reverse it?”.

Your longevity, and conversely, your susceptibility to all those life shortening chronic diseases, lies deep within your cells on the tips of your chromosomes. Right now (unless you are barefoot) look at your shoelace, and imagine it a single chromosome. The plastic tip on that lace is your telomere. As you age, it shortens.

An incredible amount of research has been done on telomeres, why some people age badly, others thrive. I read in the papers about some of these convent nuns who thrive well into their three digit birthdays. These women must have telomeres like chrome steel.

It’s a no-brainer to figure out that lifestyle choices effect telomere length. And, if you’re curious where you stand telomere-wise when compared to others of your age, SpectraCell Labs can run a telomere profile from your blood specimen. The top lifestyle choices for your telomeres are:

• Diet  High in whole foods, plant-based protein, fruit/veggies, low in fat and refined carbs. Keeping yourself well hydrated.
• Exercise  Moderate aerobic exercise, walking 30 minutes a day, six days a week.
• Stress management  Yoga, meditation, quiet reading, and counseling if needed.
• Good social support  Good friends, stable relationships.
• Sleep  Quality sleep. By the way, insomniacs need not panic. A recent study showed the health risks of poor sleep could be offset by regular exercise.

In terms of nutritional supplements, studies have linked longer telomeres with levels of vitamin B Complex, E, C, D, omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant resveratrol. The simplest way to accomplish this is as follows:

• Pure Encapsulations ONE: one a day
• Thorne D 5,000 IU: one a day
• Resveratrol Ultra: one a day
• Metagenics Omegagenics: one or two a day

The most interesting research to actually extend telomere length involved a peptide called Epitalon. The research has been conducted under the auspices of St. Petersburg (Russia) Institute for the Study of Gerontology. You self-administer Epitalon, 10mg (1mL) every 3 days for 15 days, twice a year. A 15-day supply is $500 which sounds expensive but you’re only using it every six months.

Be Well,

David Edelberg, MD