Anti-aging: Is Aging Backwards Possible?

Dr. Elaine McHugh, NMD Naturopathic Medicine Doctor

What is anti-aging anyway? 
When I refer to anti-aging, I am referring to aging as healthy as possible for as long as you live. It’s about increasing your healthspan and your biological age more so than your lifespan or chronological age. Chronological age is the number of years you are living. Biological age reflects the accumulation of damage to cells in your body and is what better predicts chronic disease and mortality3. Good news is we can actually slow or reverse your biological age! Keep reading for more information.

How does aging happen? 
What causes aging, or the acceleration of aging? Main drivers of aging include inflammation aka inflammaging, oxidative stress and free radicals, mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere shortening, insulin resistance, sarcopenia (muscle wasting), and stress. The common denominator is damage to cells and DNA with little recycling or clean-up of the damaged cells. These factors listed above have root causes such as hormonal imbalances, unbalanced gut microbiome &/or leaky gut, unhealthy diet, lack of movement and exercise, environmental toxins, chronic viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, etc.

How do you find out what your biological age is, and what other lab testing should you get?
Labs to run to determine your biological age and aging factors:

• Epigenetic testing (such as myDNAge)
• Fasting insulin
• Fasting glucose
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c)
• hs-CRP
• Ferritin
• Vitamin D 25-OH
• DEXA for body composition
• Hormone panels: thyroid, adrenals, sex hormones, growth hormone (IGF-1)
• Others depending on the individual case: PCR Stool testing (I like GI MAP by Diagnostic Solutions), Organic Acids testing for mitochondrial functioning, Micronutrient panel, Neural Zoomer for brain inflammation, Environmental toxins, Heavy Metals, Mycotoxins

How can you start reversing your biological age today?
Diet & Lifestyle:

• Drink organic green tea3, free from heavy metals.
• Eat more high polyphenol content foods4, e.g. blue/purple berries, red grapes, strawberries, dark chocolate.
• Eat more curry, which is high curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, which activates telomerase, the enzyme that helps lengthen telomeres (ends of DNA that get shorter as we age)3.
• Eat more rosemary3. Use it as an herb in meals or drink it as a tea. Rosemary has been shown improve memory and protect against neurodegeneration, and is considered a nootropic. 
• Meditation & diaphragmatic breathing to reduce stress, a major driver of aging.
• Exercise1! Walking daily to decrease cortisol, your stress hormone. Walking after meals to improve insulin sensitivity. Strength training 3-5x/week to increase muscle mass & decrease the risk of sarcopenia.
• Eat enough protein to preserve muscle mass and prevent sarcopenia (0.8-1g protein per lb of ideal body weight).
• Optimize sleep. Use something like the Oura ring to track your quality of sleep. Sleep is when your cells, especially brain cells, recycle (aka autophagy) and get rid of all the junk that can accumulate and promote aging.
• Fasting5. Intermittent fasting or time-restricted feeding has many benefits, including increasing insulin sensitivity, supporting autophagy, fat/weight loss, anti-cancer, & more. Even fasting for just 12 hours produces benefits. A good rule of thumb is to stop eating two to three hours before bed and not eat until one hour after you wake, assuming you had a good 8-9 hours of sleep. (Please speak to your doctor if fasting and which type is right for you, as it depends on the individual.)

​Naturopathic Treatments:

• IV NAD+6: Promotes healthy aging, longevity, & mitochondrial health. Improves cognitive functioning. Improves athletic performance. Helps reverse chronic fatigue. Helps to treat those with chronic conditions like Lyme, Alzheimer’s, etc. Helps to prevent the ‘Rona infection especially in the elderly & helps individuals get over the ‘Rona hump and long-haul syndrome.
  
• Mind Body Medicine & HRV Biofeedback Training for stress resiliency. 
  
• Infrared sauna use preserves telomere length via increased sweating1, increases collagen production, detoxifies the body from substances influencing epigenetics, reduces inflammation, & more.
  
• Hydrotherapy: alternating hot & cold water therapy. Always end in cold!
  
• Nutraceuticals: polyphenols, EGCG (active compound in green tea), rosemary extract, curcumin, mitochondrial support (PQQ, CoQ10, NAD)
  
• Opening up detoxification pathways & using herbs/nutraceuticals or IV Chelation to reduce environmental toxins or heavy metals, respectively
  
• Peptide therapy: Cerebrolysin, Epithalon, MOTS-c, etc. Various peptides increase cognitive functioning, preserve telomere length, and support mitochondria.
  
• PRP Microneedling Facials for fine lines, wrinkles, & hyperpigmentation induce skin’s own production of collagen (production decreases starting in our 20s).
  

Interested in finding out more? To schedule an appointment
EMAIL: info@olympusmovement.com OR 
CALL: 760.231.0224 

FREE 15 min Discovery Visit Call with Dr. Elaine: dr.elaine@olympusmovement.com

@olympusmovewellness

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose or treat. It is purely informative and educational. If you are interested in anti-aging treatments or labs, please consult your doctor or a doctor specialized in anti-aging & regenerative medicine. 


Sources:

1. Arsenis, N. C., You, T., Ogawa, E. F., Tinsley, G. M., & Zuo, L. (2017). Physical activity and telomere length: Impact of aging and potential mechanisms of action. Oncotarget, 8(27), 45008–45019. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.16726
2. Ferrucci, L., & Fabbri, E. (2018, July). Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing, cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 15, 505-522. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-018-0064-2
3. Fitzgerald, K. (2021, April 13). What is Biological Aging and What Does it Have to do with Methylation? Dr.KaraFitzgerald.RetrievedJanuary15,2022,from https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/2021/04/13/biological-aging-and-methylation/
4. Ostan, Rita & Lanzarini, Catia & Pini, Elisa & Scurti, Maria & Vianello, Dario & Fabbri, Cristina & Izzi, Massimo & Palmas, Giustina & Biondi, Fiammetta & Martucci, Morena & Bellavista, Elena & Salvioli, Stefano & Capri, Miriam & Franceschi, Claudio & Santoro, Aurelia. (2015). Inflammaging and Cancer: A Challenge for the Mediterranean Diet. Nutrients. 7. 2589-2621. 10.3390/nu7042589. 
5. Seals, Douglas & Melov, Simon. (2014). Translational Geroscience: Emphasizing function to achieve optimal longevity. Aging. 6. 718-30. 10.18632/aging.100694. 
6. Yaku, K., Okabe, K., & Nakagawa, T. (2018). NAD metabolism: Implications in aging and longevity. Ageing research reviews, 47, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2018.05.006