Living to 1,000 years

A brilliant researcher from Cambridge University named Aubrey de Grey shocked the crowd at the TED conference in California when he proposed that it is possible and within reach for humans to live until 1,000 years old.

He narrows down bodily damage, and thus aging, to “7 deadly things”:

1.    cell death / atrophy
2.    death-resistant cells
3.    nuclear mutations
4.    mtDNA (mitochondrial) mutations
5.    protein crosslinks
6.    junk inside cells
7.    junk outside cells

He purports that all of these things can be easily managed by therapies that are within are grasp within the next decade.

They’ve already been able to slow and reverse the 7 things in mice, and although a zoologist would avoid gratuitously extrapolating findings to humans, de Grey argues that it’s a promising start.

As a raw vegan watching his presentation, I saw absolute beauty in this talk, simply because our community already understands that many of the 7 things are mitigated through a raw food lifestyle.

• We’re less likely to have protein crosslinks (#5) because we consume few A.G.E.s (advanced glycated end-products), which are cross-linked proteins with sugars as a result of cooking. A.G.E.s are responsible for tissue damage, wrinkles, age spots, and much more. To give you an idea, a raw orange has 1 A.G.E., while a sausage cooked for 5 minutes has 10,000 A.G.E.s.
• Also, we’ll experience less mutations in our cells because we do not consume items that cause mutations, such as foods that have been microwaved, or MSG, which is a natural by-product of cooked soy (Source: Dr Gabriel Cousens MD).

Exercise Increases Collagen; Ibuprofen Inhibits This Effect

Several new studies examining long-distance runners’ habits of popping non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs, which include ibuprofen) are finding that the practice is preventing the growth of new collagen, and thus inhibiting their ability to rebuild new tissue.

Professor Stuart Warden, Director of Physical Therapy Research at Indiana University, informed the New York Times last week that “the stresses of exercise activate a particular molecular pathway that increases collagen,” which leads to stronger connective tissues in the dermis, and thus, fewer wrinkles and younger-looking skin.

However, taking ibuprofen reduces the positive effects of exercise on collagen.

“NSAIDs work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, substances that are involved in pain and also in the creation of collagen,” Warden says. “Collagen is the building block of most tissues. So fewer prostaglandins mean less collagen, which inhibits the healing of tissue and bone injuries.”

The studies were meant to scrutinize the common practice of marathon runners taking ibuprofen in order to reduce muscle soreness and pain after a run, and found that in fact, it can actually increase soreness and pain.

Professor Warden advises that the only time anti-inflammatory painkillers are justified is “when you have inflammation and pain from an acute injury. But to take them before every workout or match is a mistake.”

Photo by Marc Philbert.