Investigating the Effectiveness of the Longevity Movement
MGEN Associate Teaching Professor Ram Hariharan says the science of longevity is far more complex than much of the anti-aging marketing would suggest. As human clinical trials haven’t yielded definitive results, Hariharan advises sticking to simple and traditional recommendations for longevity.
This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Tanner Stening. Main photo: The list of therapies and protocols found among longevity gurus is extensive, from biohacking tools, to detailed and planned diets and exercise plans. Photo by KAREN HAIBARA/AFP via Getty Images
From Bryan Johnson to Dave Pascoe, has the longevity movement gone too far?
Health and wellness protocols are everywhere you look online these days. But one of the more intriguing developments in the health and wellness space is the proliferation of “anti-aging” products and regimens — the stuff people can purportedly take, or do, to help them live longer.
The list of therapies and protocols found among a growing number of longevity gurus is extensive, from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ice baths and other “biohacking” tools, to scrupulously detailed and planned diets and exercise regimens.
Disciples of the longevity movement, such as Bryan Johnson, Dave Pascoe and others, claim to have dramatically slowed down the rate at which they age biologically. There’s even an “epigenetic” scoreboard — the “Rejuvenation Olympics” — powered by Johnson that tracks the largest “age reversals” among a pool of 1,750 people, each engaged in their own anti-aging protocols.
When it comes to the influencer-driven longevity protocols, Ramkumar Hariharan, a senior scientist at the Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University who studies all aspects of human longevity, says the smoke of marketing can overshadow the science.
While there are some therapies that have shown promise in the push to extend life, such as rapamycin, there isn’t one diet, protocol or therapy that has delivered the fountain of youth, he says.
06/02/22- Seattle, MA – Ram Hariharan, Director of the College of Engineering in Seattle, poses for a portrait on the Seattle campus on Friday, June 3, 2022. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
As part of research into the aging process, scientists have pointed to epigenetic marks, or alterations to a person’s DNA that suggest accelerated aging. Hariharan says these findings constitute just “one small slice” of the scientific understanding of what drives biological aging — a concept distinct from a person’s chronological age.
“The problem in human clinical trials is precisely this: how do you measure aging?” Hariharan says. “Right now, most researchers in this space are using these biomarkers as a proxy to measure exactly how much your body is breaking down over time. And are these markers causally linked to aging? The answer to that is, we don’t know yet.”
The bottom line, Hariharan says, is that longevity experiments don’t really prove much outside of the lab. Caveats abound. Given that, what can people actually do to potentially extend their lives?
Hariharan says it’s best to keep it simple.
“William Shatner gave an interview recently when he turned 93, and in that interview he talks about four or five things that he attributes his long life to,” Hariharan says.
Shatner’s list, Hariharan says, included the core of what constitutes most doctors’ orders: don’t smoke, consume alcohol sparingly, get enough sleep and exercise regularly, with the addition — often understated in the context of a person’s overall health — of pursuing a passion, or finding pleasure in life. Oh, and good genes can go a long way.
For most people, these recommendations are enough to keep people healthy, he says.
“That kind of beautifully captures it,” Hariharan says. “So the question that people are asking now is, can we go beyond these basic recommendations?”
Dietary dizziness
When it comes to what to eat — and how much — Hariharan stresses there’s no one-size-fits-all diet. Every person has different nutritional needs based on a variety of factors.
Longevity devotees have championed a variety of dietary strategies — from ketogenic, or “keto,” to Mediterranean, to vegan. There’s plenty of research, Hariharan says, that support the idea that there might be some health benefits, generally speaking, from those diets.
Read full story at Northeastern Global News