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Does the immune system drive aging, who do you trust with your health, and more
Sharing knowledge to guide you toward making insightful decisions that support you on your path to health and longevity.
Issue 8 | May 24, 2024
Hello Livelongers,
Welcome to this week’s newsletter—we are featuring the immune system. On that note, new research suggests that using an implanted bioelectronic device to stimulate the vagus nerve can treat sepsis, autoimmune diseases, and more. The vagus nerve, a main component of the parasympathetic nervous system (which controls ‘rest and digest’ functions in the body) can help to control inflammation that leads to age-related diseases.
The week is May 20. In today’s email:
The immune system: not just for fighting sickness.
Who do you trust with your health?
Ozempic slashes risk of death in groundbreaking study.
New cancer vaccine can slow progression of deadly brain cancer.
And more…
We love to hear from our community. Please share your feedback, stories, questions, testimonials, ideas and more with us at [email protected].
The immune system may be the key to reversing aging
A growing body of research suggests that the immune system may drive aging. The immune system keeps our bodies healthy enough to fight infections, heal wounds, and kill off mutant or dangerous cells that cause cancer.
Where is the science?
In one study, a stem-cell researcher gave older mice a treatment that would correct the organization of proteins inside their blood stem cells, which are precursors to immune cells. In the weeks following treatment, the mice looked and acted more youthful.
Another study highlights that immune-cell senescence (which occurs when immune cells can no longer divide but do not die) causes inflammation that causes senescence in, and eventual damage to, surrounding organ cells.
Why does this matter?
The senescence cascade accelerates with age because the immune system slows down and is faced with compositional changes. Consequently, it becomes less able to destroy senescent cells. Understanding the immune system’s possible role in age-related diseases could guide new research efforts.
Big picture?
There are still many challenges, but continued research is exploring ways to reverse and reprogram senescent immune cells. One specific study (though it’s still early days) shows that a cocktail of compounds, including synthetic growth hormone, can significantly decrease epigenetic clock–hence, you become biologically younger.
Wellness watch: IV drip therapy
IV drip therapy is one of the latest vogue trends in the wellness space. Originally created as a way to hydrate and get vitamins/minerals into patients in hospitals (via delivering fluid and nutrients directly into the patient’s vein, bypassing the digestive system), it soon became popular among celebrities.
It is now so popular that medical spas, resorts, and even apartment buildings in wellness hotspots like Los Angeles or New York offer it.
More clinical procedures are now being adapted to the wellness space, reflecting a shift in wellness philosophy—
“Wellness used to be more about soul and stress relief,” said Beth McGroarty, director of research at the Global Wellness Institute, to New York Times. And now? “It’s becoming more about MRI scans, and stem cells and IV drip.”
By 2030, the global medical spa is expected to grow into a $49 billion business, according to market research. As for IV drip, companies are offering various formulas for different health needs, be it sleep, curing hangover, and more.
As with most wellness trends, there is little research on its effectiveness for healthy living (in fact, since IV bypasses the digestive system, it may overload you with TOO many vitamins and nutrients) and it can be an expensive way to get nutrition, costing up to $1,000 a session.
Livelong Summit: Making longevity for you
The Livelong Summit was recently featured in Women's Health! A special thank you to author Amanda Woerner, who attended the inaugural Summit in March. She's sharing everything she learned here.
Our next Summit events will be in Los Angeles, CA, and Santa Clara, CA, in August. Get your early-bird discounts and discover the latest in longevity trends such as IV drip therapy, new technologies, optimal nutrition, and more. See past presenters here.
Poll: Who do you trust with your health?
Livelong founder, Brad Inman, asked you to tell us who you trust with your health. Here’s what you had to say:
When it comes to my own health, sometimes I do find it difficult to understand what my body is telling me. Something I have found helpful, and I hope you do too, is to understand some baseline signs of good health. These include —>
Consistent bowel movements
Quality sleep/feeling well-rested in the morning
Pink gums that do not bleed from brushing or flossing
Good concentration/memory/emotional wellbeing
Feeling energetic—it really can be this simple
Email us at [email protected] and tell us what poll you want to see next.
In other news
An mRNA cancer vaccine has been created to combat glioblastoma, a fatal brain cancer with a survival rate of less than 2 years. The vaccine, created by researchers at University of Florida, is unique because it 1) uses RNA from the patient’s tumor as part of the vaccine and, 2) it caused an anti-tumor immune response in under 48 hours, according to first author Elias Sayour, MD, PhD. Researchers hope for an expanded phase 1 trial soon. Read more.
Semaglutide slashed risk of stroke, heart attack, or death from heart disease by 20% in people diagnosed as overweight or obese, according to new results from the largest study on semaglutide (brand names are Wegovy and Ozempic). People who did not lose weight still had heart health benefits as well. Many claim these findings are as groundbreaking as the introduction of statins in the 1990s, and researchers anticipate it has the capability to treat many inflammation-based diseases. Read more.
Leftover yeast from brewing beer has been repurposed to filter contaminated water. When researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech discovered that yeast can bind to heavy metal ions, such as toxic lead (in a process called biosorption), they encapsulated the yeast and turned it into a technology that can quickly filter water. This process is not only more energy efficient than current filtration methods, it may also be scalable to treatment plants and might even be capable of removing microplastics, according to researcher Patricia Stathatou. Read more.
Fact check
→ Myth: Contrary to popular belief, people in the Middle Ages did NOT drink beer in place of water because of contamination.
→ Fact: Yes there was contamination in some water sources, but they did drink water…and yes, they also still drank an ample amount of beer and ale. However, the beer was a source of nutrients from the barley and vitamins released during the fermentation process. 🍻
Live longer, together
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Don’t miss the next newsletter:
We will highlight genetic testing
Look good, feel better, live long,
Erin Hunter, head editor
About Livelong
Longevity science can feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland at times—it is a rabbit hole of intrigue, but laden with misinformation: where one magic pill claims to make you bigger, another makes you smaller. Our goal at Livelong 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.
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