BTN News: Everyone gets older, but what if you could slow down aging? In many countries, including ours, people live to be about 68 years old on average. This is one of the lowest life expectancies in South America. In Chile, people live to be about 81 years old on average. David Sinclair, a famous geneticist and aging expert from Harvard University, says you can slow down aging by changing your lifestyle.
Sinclair is now 54 years old, but his body is like that of a 40-year-old. He has kept these healthy habits for 20 years. In a podcast with Lewis Howes, Sinclair said that science has come a long way in understanding how to slow down aging. Some new techniques might even reverse aging, though they are still being tested. Sinclair believes that in the future, we might be able to reverse aging by 50 to 70 percent. Currently, scientists can cure age-related blindness in mice.
Lifestyle Changes for Slowing Down Aging
Sinclair has many tips for slowing down aging. He suggests eating less, exercising, following a plant-based diet, taking resveratrol, not smoking, not drinking alcohol, following a Mediterranean diet, managing stress, and making friends. These habits can help you stay younger for up to 14 years.
“If there is one thing to recommend for slowing down aging, it would be to eat less,” Sinclair says. He explains that it is good for your body to think it might run out of food. This is called mimetic adversity. However, what you eat is also important. Sinclair does not eat sugar and practices intermittent fasting. He fasts for 18 hours so that his body can make its own sugar from the liver.
Sinclair believes that living with a bit of hardship is good. He suggests not eating too often and eating very little, a concept known as hormesis. He also recommends making your body think it’s in tough times through fasting and exercise. “Changing your body temperature is good because it shocks the system. Always make your body feel like it could die next week,” he explains, echoing the saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
The Science Behind Aging and Longevity
Sinclair’s approach to staying young is based on “reverse aging.” This fights the breakdown of the body and age-related diseases. The science behind this is called epigenetics. It studies how diet, exercise, and stress can change our health and that of our children. Sinclair notes, “Many people in their twenties think they are safe from aging and disease. However, the epigenetic clock starts ticking at birth, and what you do in your twenties directly affects your maximum lifespan.”
Sinclair says that lifestyle choices affect aging more than genetics. He mentions a study on twins. Those with poorer lifestyle choices showed cellular age differences of up to 20 years compared to their siblings.
Resveratrol: The Antioxidant Secret
Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant found in red fruits, grapes, peanuts, and red wine. Sinclair suggests taking it as a supplement with a bit of yogurt. His research shows that the antioxidant properties of polyphenols can strengthen the gut, reduce tissue damage, improve mood, and boost heart health.
The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Sinclair practices intermittent fasting. He skips breakfast and fasts for 16 to 18 hours. Studies show that intermittent fasting can lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and dementia—common conditions that come with aging. Fasting also helps with weight loss, reduces body fat, improves insulin sensitivity, decreases inflammation, enhances cellular cleaning processes (autophagy), and benefits brain health.
Plant-Based Diet for Longevity
Sinclair has cut sugar and meat from his diet, focusing on plant-based foods instead. “I rarely eat anything that isn’t plant-based or nuts,” he often says. Despite a daily glass of wine being a staple of the Mediterranean diet, Sinclair has removed it from his routine. He notes significant improvements in his blood markers and biological age after switching to a plant-based diet. “When I changed to this new diet, I also regained my memory. I could remember phone numbers and key codes easily, something I struggled with before. I thought it was aging, but it was my lifestyle.”
A plant-based diet is associated with numerous health benefits. It can reduce the risks of diabetes, dementia, obesity, and high blood pressure. Plant-based foods also lower the chances of heart disease.
Understanding the Aging Process
Aging results from changes in DNA over time, which make genes work less well. This leads to cell problems, tissue and organ breakdown, and eventually disease and death. Recent studies suggest that DNA changes are not the only reason for aging. Sinclair believes aging is not a natural process but should be treated as a disease. This means it can be managed and possibly cured with different therapies.
“There is no law in biology that says we must age. We don’t know how to stop it yet, but we are getting better at slowing it down. In the lab, we have managed to reverse the process,” Sinclair says.
Skin Care and Anti-Aging
Sinclair highlights skin care as a crucial part of anti-aging, along with good nutrition based on vegetables. “I drink plenty of water and try not to eat more than twice a day. In fact, if I can eat only once, that’s better. Skipping meals helps fight aging,” he states. He advises against eating meat daily. “I stopped eating meat, and it’s interesting how quickly your skin changes when you alter your diet. Many people ask what I’ve done recently to avoid wrinkles. The ideal diet is vegetarian, followed closely by the Mediterranean diet with red meat. The worst for aging is the American diet, which ironically most people follow.”
Stress is another factor that speeds up aging, according to Sinclair. “Gray hair is an example; stress causes gray hair. However, if stress is managed, hair can return to its natural color, as aging appears to be a reversible process.”
To slow down aging, Sinclair advises against smoking because toxins break down DNA. He also recommends avoiding chemicals and toxins. He suggests not to drink from plastic bottles or tap water.
In conclusion, while science is still exploring the full potential of reversing aging, adopting a lifestyle that includes a plant-based diet, intermittent fasting, regular exercise, and stress management can significantly slow down the aging process. David Sinclair’s insights provide a roadmap to potentially extend our lifespan and improve our quality of life.
