Why David Attenborough is a healthy aging model at 100

🙌 Happy Friday! 

Today is Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. For more than 70 years, the renowned conservationist taught people to care for life, protect nature’s beauty, and explore how the natural world makes life richer and makes us healthier humans.

Other news this week: NAC supplements, AI vs the doctor, money for movement, and dancing as an alternative to SSRIs.

What a century of purpose looks like, and a new perspective on aging well.

Today, Sir David Attenborough turns 100 years old, but the naturalist’s work is far from over.

Never the passive type, his decades of conservation efforts—with all its trials, tribulations, and danger—demonstrate that purpose, strongly linked to a longer life, comes less from ‘finding yourself’ and more from accepting responsibility for hard things.

Psychologist Ross White argues purpose isn’t found—it’s formed, and often in response to taking on hard things. That’s good, because it means purpose evolves with life. Attenborough himself shifted his focus from global to local conservation and rewilding.

Why it matters: Research links a strong purpose to a 46% lower risk of dying.

Planetary health and human health are also intertwined—time spent in nature is associated with slower cellular aging, while protecting water systems and soils can help reduce contaminants in drinking water.

Attenborough’s life reflects his mission to bring people closer to nature to get them to care for it, but purpose doesn’t need to be grand to make a difference.

Start with any challenge, and let that lead the way.

In this conversation, Dance Church founder Kate Wallich makes the case for dance as the most overlooked longevity tool. Part cardio, part brain training, part emotional release, and entirely human, dance is a physical and neurological experience that works best when you strip away metrics and just move. Watch the full interview for new ideas, strategies, and insights we can’t stop thinking about.

Listen here

Oxidative stress is one of the driving forces behind aging, inflammation, and disease. But its role in brain aging may be more specific—and treatable—than we thought.

In new research from the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, N-acetylcysteine ethyl ester (NACET), a novel antioxidant derived from the hyped longevity supplement NAC (N-acetylcysteine), may reverse age-related brain changes.

The science

As we age, deubiquitylase enzymes (DUBs) can significantly decline. These enzymes help control biological pathways that break down damaged and toxic proteins in the brain, and the enzymes have been linked to Alzheimer’s.

In aging mouse brains, the researchers found:

Why this matters: NACET is still experimental, but NAC is widely available.

→ NAC is generally considered safe at doses around 600–1,200 mg/day. Talk to a doctor before starting.

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Historically, no. But today? It may be getting closer...

One of the largest studies comparing physicians with AI on real-world medical cases suggests that AI can match—and sometimes outperform—clinicians in specific areas of care.

This doesn't mean AI is your doctor now: Most of these studies are based on previous medical events, and medicine is more than diagnosis. But used well, AI could flag errors and support diagnostics, giving doctors more time with their patients.

→ Ask LIV: Get personalized longevity insights with our updated AI feature.

How one city turned movement into money—and made public health go viral.

In the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, 20 squats can earn you a free bus ticket through a creative public health experiment. It’s still going strong today.

The viral “Health Ticket” used motion sensors to track your squats before printing your ride. It was a short-term pilot, but it became a great example of how cities can build movement into everyday life.

In the U.S., apps like CashWalk and Paceline offer rewards for activity—but nothing quite matches the simplicity of “squat here, ride free”… yet.

The squat-for-transport initiative is proof that sometimes the best health interventions aren’t bigger workouts, but smarter systems.

Join the Inner Circle: Consider joining the paid Livelong Women’s Inner Circle ^TM if you want science-backed women’s health support, expert access, and a community that makes taking care of yourself feel easier, smarter, and less lonely.

Mark your calendars: The Livelong Women’s Health Summit is coming to New York. Tickets will be on sale soon — continue to follow our newsletter to get the lowest price.

Do you currently take fish oil?

For many readers, the fear of heavy metals, the fishy smell, and being vegan make fish oil a no-no. And, as one reader said, it’s better (and tastier) to eat omega-rich foods like salmon. For those who avoid fish, algae oil is a vegan omega-3 option.