The Neuro-Protective Lifestyle

Who guessed that the second law of thermodynamics† would be invoked to explain the neurobiology of aging. Rather than one master mechanism to explain the gradual failing of complex neurochemical processes, a shroud of dysregulation slowly, (mostly), yet inexorably engulfs our delicate brain mitochondrial DNA. Since brain mitochondrial DNA is especially sensitive to oxidative damage the result is, profound neurodegeneration and death.

A veritable laundry list of antioxidants capable of quenching singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species exists. As a former believer in the “free-radical theory of aging” I have taken most of them at one time or another. As it turns out, impaired insulin signaling, caused by free-radical damage and the progressive imbalance of a family seven super-enzymes known as “sirtuins” best explains brain aging and cognitive decline. Who’d ah thunk?

So what’s so super about the sirtuin super-enzymes you ask? Only that they more than double the lifespan of simple yeast cells and ultimately are responsible for the regulation of metabolism, gene expression and aging!

So what sirtuin activating compounds do we know about already? You met one not long ago…resveratrol and the whole family of polyphenols. Low-calorie diets increase longevity by activating sirtuin. Exercise increases sirtuin activity.

Without question commercially viable, small molecule activators of sirtuin subtypes will be available for the taking.

Just ask the folks at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals.

In the meantime, train and eat like a buddhist monk.

†In physics entropy signifies the amount of energy in a closed system that is unavailable to do work. Simply put, over time, all things tend toward increasing randomness and decay…our universe included.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!