The Livelong Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

🏃 September is Healthy Aging Month. At Livelong, every month is Healthy Aging Month, but we love to see it being recognized on a national level.

Healthy aging is guided by intention. Why do I want to choose health? Here are other questions that may be useful for gaining clarity about your intention.

• What does healthy aging mean to me?

• What do I want to achieve because of good health?

• When I’m healthy, how can better support others?

In today’s issue:

• 🥑 Fake avocado oil.

• 🍄 Microdosing with magic mushrooms.

• 🧎 Stem cells for knee pain.

• … and more.

We love to hear from you—our community. Please share your feedback, stories, questions, testimonials, ideas, and more with us at [email protected].

WISDOM FOR LIFE

👁️‍🗨️SPOTLIGHT

🥑 Is your avocado oil fake?

The heart-healthy fat may be less healthy because it is not the real thing.

Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and other large retail chains are selling avocado oil that is contaminated with cheap seed and vegetable oils.

These findings come from a 2021 study conducted by researchers with the University of California at Davis.

• Approximately 66% of the samples in the study were contaminated with other oils—mainly sunflower, safflower, canola, and soybean oils—which may cause sensitivities.

• Avocado oil originating from Spain was most likely to be adulterated.

Expensive avocado oil is not necessarily more pure, but researchers warn that cheap oil is likely impure. 

• Producers would not be able to turn a profit if the oil were real, says Ben Barnard, the founder and chairman of AvoPacific, an avocado oil producer.

📣 Call to action: The FDA needs to implement new standards for avocado oil to promote a better quality product, says study author Selina Wang, an associate food science professor at the University of California at Davis.

WELLNESS WATCH

Microdosing for mental health conditions

Small, individualized doses of psychedelic medicine (microdoses) may be effective for mental health conditions, according to an article in The Denver Post.

But despite popular demand, these therapies are not being approved for clinical use.

What’s the legal status? It is a federally scheduled substance (schedule 1), which means that it cannot be prescribed and it is not available for clinical use. 

• Drugs like psilocybin (‘magic’ mushrooms) are decriminalized in certain states (e.g., Colorado), and the only legal way to source it would be to grow it yourself or source it from someone else (preferably a trusted individual).

What’s the problem? Few clinical trials can show the efficacy of microdosing, so most evidence remains anecdotal, according to the Post.

• Advocates say that it is incredibly effective for anxiety, depression, creativity, chronic pain, and more.

Why this matters: This reflects problems current facing the longevity industry.

While some studies show that current drugs may be effective for aging, there are few studies collecting evidence of this.

As a result, these therapies aren’t being clinically approved for anti-aging—we see you, metformin.

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📰 IN OTHER NEWS

Camu-camu is a liver superfood

Camu-camu fruit extract can treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to research from Canada’s Université Laval which was published in Cell Reports Medicine.

• In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial, camu-camu extract reduced liver fat by 7.43%, while the placebo led to an 8.42% increase in liver fat.

Camu-camu is a polyphenol powerhouse. When the gut breaks down the polyphenols (antioxidant-rich plant molecules) into smaller molecules, they help to get rid of liver fat, said primary researcher André Marette, a professor at the University’s Faculty of Medicine.

Other stories:

1. People who live in tree-filled neighborhoods experience less inflammation. 

2. A drop of saliva can screen for heart failure.

3. This workplace is paying employees to go on dates with a “Tinder leave” initiative to boost well-being. 

4. Take the mental health day. Now learn how to optimize it.

BIOTECH

Stem cells can significantly improve arthritis pain

Stem cells can reduce pain caused by knee osteoarthritis (OA) by 58%, according to a recent clinical trial evaluating MAG200.

• MAG200 is an off-the-shelf donor (allogeneic) stem cell therapy created by Australian biotechnology firm Magellan Stem Cells.

This is one of the first trials to show that the effects of one stem cell injection can last more than four years. Effects include:

• Better joint function

• Less pain

• Reverse disease progression

Why stem cells? They could be a good replacement for total knee replacement (TKR), an invasive and expensive therapy that may not totally prevent pain or loss of knee function.

How are these ones different? These allogeneic stem cells are scalable and can be used with genetically unmatched patients.

• Unlike other autologous treatments, these do not require harvesting stem cells from the patient’s own body.

LONG-LEVITY

Reinventing retirement

A new poll suggests that more people are using retirement to live the life of their dreams.

There is a ‘retirement reinvention’ happening among retired and near-retired Americans, according to a recent poll looking at the ‘new version’ of the retired adult, which was commissioned by IHG Hotels & Resorts.

60% of respondents believe that they have transformed into this new version of themselves, or plan to do so, according to a recent article.

• This can include going back to old hobbies (43%), taking the time to learn a new skill (33%), participating in sports, writing, and learning a language.

A large part of the retirees' time might also be spent traveling and exploring and adventuring, proving that retirement is “anything but boring,” says Connor Smith, a vice president at IHG.

QUIZ!

What do you think is the most popular travel location for retirees?

Stay tuned for the answer in next week’s newsletter.

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🔔 One more thing: Don’t forget to catch up on the previous newsletter

Fasting is less effective when you pair it with this.

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About Livelong

Our goal is to provide you with credible and actionable information about health and longevity so you can live a longer and healthier life and guide you toward making insightful decisions that support you during your health and longevity journey. 

Have feedback for us? Email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care professional before starting any exercise, wellness, or health program. Nothing in our content, products or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Livelong is a media company and not a medical provider. We try to give the most accurate possible, but sometimes information is subject to change.