Here are my best finds for Anti-Aging in 2023: Biohacking Healthspan

Biohacking provides insights into how nutrients and technology can help you effectively achieve optimal wellness and look forward to becoming a faster, stronger, more energized version of you. Healthspan is the period of life spent in good health, free from the chronic diseases and the disabilities correlated with aging. On this episode of Cityline, I share insights into my favorite biohacking finds for 2023 which work to enhance your overall health and add healthy years to your life.

Cold Immersion & Cryotherapy – https://coldture.com/

Standing in a specialized booth where liquid nitrogen pushes the temperatures down to sub-Artic levels isn’t for the faint of heart. This treatment was originally used as a clinical therapy to treat rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, cryotherapy has since gained traction with pro athletes and now it’s a routine treatment for the rest of us to help slow down aging, recovery, and pain relief. It also helps with a metabolic boost / weight loss as being cold forces the body to work harder to stay warm; helps prevent cognitive decline, oxidative stress associated with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and other age-related forms of cognitive decline; and reduces anxiety and depression

Whether you’re an athlete or civilian, this short exposure to extremely low temperatures stimulates longevity gene pathways, increases mitochondria production, and helps tamp down inflammation. Even better, you don’t have to go the high-tech, ultra-low-temp route to get comparable health effects. Where cold showers are nice for beginners, to achieve longevity right in the comfort of your own home, look no further than the Coldture cold plunge. This unit is designed for indoor and outdoor setup (just like I did on Cityline) and built for portable and permanent installation. Cold plunging, also known as cold water immersion or cold therapy, has been associated with a variety of potential health benefits aforementioned but also include reducing inflammation, improving circulation, enhancing immune function, improving mood and sleep, and reducing stress levels.

References: 

Bleakley, C. M., & Davison, G. W. (2010). What is the biochemical and physiological rationale for using cold-water immersion in sports recovery? A systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(3), 179-187. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.065565

Costello, J. T., Baker, P. R., Minett, G. M., Bieuzen, F., Stewart, I. B., & Bleakley, C. (2015). Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9), CD010789. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010789.pub2

Heinonen, I., Laukkanen, J. A., & Kalliokoski, K. K. (2014). Cooling the athlete’s body: a challenge for sport physiology and biomedicine. Temperature (Austin), 1(2), 156-158. doi:10.4161/temp.29913

Ihsan, M., Watson, G., Lipski, M., & Abbiss, C. R. (2016). Influence of postexercise cooling on muscle oxygenation and blood volume changes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(10), 1920-1928. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000986

Roberts, L. A., & Raastad, T. (2019). Markers for monitoring resistance training recovery: a practical approach. Sports Medicine, 49(Suppl 2), 169-185. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01136-7

The Effect of Repeated Whole-Body Cryotherapy on Sirt1 and Sirt3 Concentrations and Oxidative Status in Older and Young Men Performing Different Levels of Physical Activity

Whole-body cryostimulation application with age: A review. SławomirKujawskia Julia L. NewtonbKarl J.Mortenc Paweł Zalewskia

The Use of Cryotherapy in Cosmetology and the Influence of Cryogenic Temperatures on Selected Skin Parameters—A Review of the Literature

Infrared Light – https://shoptruelight.com/ (at 0:43)

LED light therapy (or photobiomodulation) is like photosynthesis for the body. It is a painless, non-invasive form of treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to charge your cells and promote faster, deeper healing.

Red, deep red, and near-infrared (NIR) are the most commonly used wavelengths of light, as they notably have the deepest penetration levels (8-10 millimeters into the skin). These are ideal for healing your body all the way down to the bone (think: muscle soreness or pain, post-surgery recovery, improved blood circulation). Possible benefits of Red and NIR light therapy can include:

– Increased collagen production

– Reduced wrinkles, redness, acne, scars and other signs of aging

– Faster muscle recovery

– Enhanced blood circulation

– Faster wound healing

– Pain relief & Anti-inflammatory effects

– Improved brain function and mood

References: 

Wunsch A, Matuschka K. A controlled trial to determine the efficacy of red and near-infrared light treatment in patient satisfaction, reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/) Photomed Laser Surg. 2014;32(2):93-100.

Sorbellini E, Rucco M, Rinaldi F. Photodynamic and photobiological effects of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy in dermatological disease: an update. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6133043/) Lasers Med Sci. 2018;33(7):1431-1439

Ablon G. Phototherapy with Light Emitting Diodes: Treating a Broad Range of Medical and Aesthetic Conditions in Dermatology. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5843358/) J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(2):21-27

Jagdeo J, Austin E, Mamalis A, Wong C, Ho D, Siegel DM. Light-emitting diodes in dermatology: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29356026/) Lasers Surg Med. 2018 Jan 22;50(6):613-28

Mushrooms – https://www.bendbeauty.com/product/gut-glow/ (at 1:40)

Mushrooms are gaining acclaim for their amazing health benefits. These include Reishi, Shiitake, Lion’s mane, Cordyceps, Chaga, Turkey Tail, Maitake, etc (no real health benefit from button, brown, cremini, or portobello etc)

When it comes to anti-aging and beauty, the new find is “Tremella fuciformis” mushroom (aka silver ear mushroom) This is an edible mushroom which has been used in Asian medicine practices for beauty and skincare purposes for thousands of years. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), tremella is applied in various ways to benefit health and wellness and mostly attributed to the polysaccharide content that supports skin, nervous, hormonal, and immune systems, and stimulates regulatory functions that help us adapt to various environmental and biological stresses

Tremella in replenishes fluids in the body and the hydrating effect is thought to be in part behind tremella’s beauty and skin health benefits

References: 

Shahrajabian, M. Hesam & Sun, Wenli & Shen, Hong & Cheng, Qi. (2020). Chemical compounds and health benefits of Tremella, a valued mushroom as both cuisine and medicine in ancient China and modern era. Amazonian Journal of Plant Research. 4. 692-697. 10.26545/ajpr.2020.b00077x.

Ma X, Yang M, He Y, Zhai C, Li C. A review on the production, structure, bioactivities and applications of Tremella polysaccharides. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2021 Jan-Dec;35:20587384211000541. doi: 10.1177/20587384211000541. PMID: 33858263; PMCID: PMC8172338.

Probiotics – https://www.probiotical.com/prodotti-probiotici-e-principi-attivi.php (at 3:12)

Probiotical is an Italian company, unique in the probiotic sector. It is the first factory in the world designed exclusively for the research, development and production of probiotic micro-organisms for food supplements. Probiotical makes – among many others – specialty strains known as Bifidobacterium longum DLBL 8-11 isolated from centenarians – humans who live longer than 100 years old – has been researched to have longevity and immune enhancement properties.

Probiotical was born in 1985 from the thirty years’ experience of Laboratorio Microbiologico ALCE, leader in the production of direct inoculum lactic acid bacteria for dairy industry, and it immediately gained a worldwide prominent role in the research and manufacturing of probiotics for health and well-being. Their activities consist of several stages: research and development, strain isolation, characterization and production of probiotic strains for the prevention and treatment of different diseases; design and implementation of specific probiotics and synbiotics finished products for many therapeutic areas, supported by clinical studies.

References: 

Strain: Bifidobacterium longum DLBL07-11 isolated from centenarians with immunomodulation propertiesDrago L. Cultivable and Pyrosequenced Fecal Microflora in Centenarians and Young Subjects. J Clin Gastroenterol/ Volume 46, Supp. 1

Maintaining muscle mass – https://myhmb.com/about-us/ (at 4:10)

Frailty (age related muscle mass – aka ‘sarcopenia’) is the number one cause of death which is more than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined!  HMB is what the body’s working and aging muscles need. Scientifically known as β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, HMB is produced naturally in our bodies during the metabolism of the essential amino acid leucine. Leucine is found in virtually all protein — we eat it every day in foods like soybeans, beef, alfalfa and fish, and some proteins have more leucine than others. But, it is difficult if not impossible to consume enough protein in healthy diet alone to achieve the effective amount of HMB. With supplemental HMB, you can get the muscle-building power of HMB directly — this provides noticeable, long term benefits.

Training for the “Centenarian Olympics”: things you want to be able to do at 100 years of age which require training for now!

Examples:

Get up off the floor without support

Pull yourself out of a pool

Pick up a small child that’s running at you

Walk up and down three flights of stairs with 10 lbs. of groceries in each hand

Lift a 30 lb. suitcase into an overhead bin

References: 

https://myhmb.com/clinical-research/focus/muscle-and-strength/ 

DNA Testing  – https://www.thednacompany.com/ (at 5:45)

A DNA test can provide you with reports on sleep, diet, hormones, fitness, cardiovascular system, mood, immunity, detoxification ability, longevity, and more. Note: You can’t change your genes, but you can manage genetic expression and the most important of all before you start biohacking is determine where you genetic weaknesses are so you can focus on those!

The FOXO3 gene is popularly known as the longevity gene. Variations in this gene influence the activity of various potent anti-oxidation cellular pathways. FOXO3 helps initiate DNA repair, kill off mutated or dying cells, respond quickly to inflammation, maintain healthy stem cell production, and attack infectious organisms. Carrying at least one G allele in your FOXO3 result greatly increases your potential for longevity by reducing your body’s oxidative load.

References: 

https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/375235

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.778674/full

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.0801030105