Just posting a quick note on survival in these times.
Experimental studies in rodents show a rise in senescent cells after viral infection- even asymptomatic infection. Maybe that's part of the cause.
Anyhow, here are a few specific tips for brain protection-
Covid-19 infection pushes people to dementia. Dementia is one of the causes of all-cause mortality- of course.
You can offset the Brain risks by doing any/all of the following,
You can stop here, or get the details below.
We do NOT know for certain why there is an epidemic of excess ALL-Cause mortality all over the world. Cancer, liver cirrhosis, heart/brain problems, lung embolisms, etc.
It seems that ageing has been universally sped up, but an alarming number of fit young folks are dropping dead too. This is just background noise in the news feed, and you might not have noticed it breaking through. It makes no sense, as we just went through a pandemic that scotched all the elderly vulnerable population- the death rate out to be DROPPING, as those people died ahead of schedule.
It seems that ageing has been universally sped up, but an alarming number of fit young folks are dropping dead too. This is just background noise in the news feed, and you might not have noticed it breaking through. It makes no sense, as we just went through a pandemic that scotched all the elderly vulnerable population- the death rate out to be DROPPING, as those people died ahead of schedule.
Experimental studies in rodents show a rise in senescent cells after viral infection- even asymptomatic infection. Maybe that's part of the cause.
The most important single measurement for estimating survival in humans, is VO2max. Better than blood work, physical exam findings, X-rays, scans, etc.
Basically, general fitness level. If you want to increase survival chances, that's the one thing you need to improve. How fast do you get out of breath?
Increase that by training in rounds, for around 2 minutes at a time. I'm doing 12-14 minutes of HIT exercise weekly to target that, split into 2 sessions. That's around 2 minutes per day. Small investment, big return.
Why does this work?
www.lifespan.io
Basically, general fitness level. If you want to increase survival chances, that's the one thing you need to improve. How fast do you get out of breath?
Increase that by training in rounds, for around 2 minutes at a time. I'm doing 12-14 minutes of HIT exercise weekly to target that, split into 2 sessions. That's around 2 minutes per day. Small investment, big return.
Why does this work?
Exercise Found to Have Anti-Senescence Effect | Lifespan Research Institute
A new review paper delivers evidence that exercise, a powerful anti-aging tool, may be a natural senolytic [1]. Progress in the […]
www.lifespan.io
Anyhow, here are a few specific tips for brain protection-
Covid-19 infection pushes people to dementia. Dementia is one of the causes of all-cause mortality- of course.
Risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease increases by 50-80% in older adults who caught COVID-19
Older people who were infected with COVID-19 show a substantially higher risk -- as much as 50% to 80% higher than a control group -- of developing Alzheimer's disease within a year, according to a study of more than 6 million patients 65 and older.
www.sciencedaily.com
You can offset the Brain risks by doing any/all of the following,
as long as your doctor says it's OK:
- Supplement Omega 3
- Supplement B complex
- Supplement folate
- Use Glutathione precursors, like N-AcetylCysteine, and Glycine
- Exercise
- Get the Influenza vaccine
- Avoid sugary drinks, like sodas, and try plain water more.
You can stop here, or get the details below.
Let's take the one that makes the least sense first. Influenza vaccine.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
We need to vaccinate 30 people to stop 1 case of Alzheimers, in over 65's. That's 40% reduction of risk, which is miles better than any Alzheimer's drug.
I don't know how it works. I don't know if it helps in under 65's. Influenza vaccine also reduces cardiovascular troubles by a big margin in older people.
Ok- supplements.
High Homocysteine is linked to dementias. Homocysteine also raises heart attacks and strokes. It's bad.
Homocysteine is broken down to Cysteine by vitamin B6 catalyzed reactions, and Cysteine is used to make Glutathione, used to detox mitochondrial byproducts.
It could be that retarding Glutathione synthesis alone is part of the problem- it would use up less Homocysteine, raising the level.
If we supplement Glutathione precursors, it helps cognition, body composition, muscle power, gait speed etc.
www.bcm.edu
So use B6 and turn your Homocysteine into something useful. I use NAC as a Glutathione precursor, in addition. And alpha-lipoic acid to help regenerate it. But plain old B-complex would probably get the job done.
In any case, using the listed vitamins above were shown to reduce Alzheimers here-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927899/ back in 2016, so this isn't new info.
However a much bigger trial in 2200 people, just confirmed the effect-
Disappointingly, the cocoa arm of the study showed no benefit, so all my cocoa drinking has probably just been for happiness.
Dr Richard Johnson's team just published new work showing that blood flow into the temporal lobe and the hippocampus gets cut by the presence of Fructose, found in plain sugars and HFCS drinks. That's exactly where Alzheimer's starts. They use it as a biomarker- brain scans of that area, to diagnose the disease.
And that's where we want our blood going, to prevent that area from dying off.
Lowering blood salt and glucose concentrations with plain water drinking stops Fructose from getting made in our own bodies, and can help the brain.
The plasma osmolality regulates expression of a gene for aldose reductase. AR is the enzyme that takes our useful glucose, and turns it into Fructose. This is not something you want, as it drives metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and cancer in addition to dementia. Salty chips and soda are a Bad Idea, but drink enough water, and you can get away with it more. Just keep the blood levels reasonably normal, and AR will not get switched on.
It doesn't get cheaper than water.
Exercise raises a signalling molecule called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor( BDNF) which is like fertilizer for brain cells.
Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Following Influenza Vaccination: A Claims-Based Cohort Study Using Propensity Score Matching - PubMed
This study demonstrates that influenza vaccination is associated with reduced AD risk in a nationwide sample of US adults aged 65 and older.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
I don't know how it works. I don't know if it helps in under 65's. Influenza vaccine also reduces cardiovascular troubles by a big margin in older people.
Ok- supplements.
High Homocysteine is linked to dementias. Homocysteine also raises heart attacks and strokes. It's bad.
Homocysteine is broken down to Cysteine by vitamin B6 catalyzed reactions, and Cysteine is used to make Glutathione, used to detox mitochondrial byproducts.
It could be that retarding Glutathione synthesis alone is part of the problem- it would use up less Homocysteine, raising the level.
If we supplement Glutathione precursors, it helps cognition, body composition, muscle power, gait speed etc.
GlyNAC improves strength and cognition in older humans
A pilot human clinical trial conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine reveals that supplementation with GlyNAC – a combination of glycine...
www.bcm.edu
In any case, using the listed vitamins above were shown to reduce Alzheimers here-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927899/ back in 2016, so this isn't new info.
However a much bigger trial in 2200 people, just confirmed the effect-
Daily multivitamin may improve cognition and possibly protect against decline, study suggests
New research shows that taking a daily supplement may improve cognition in older adults. In the study, researchers estimated that three years of multivitamin supplementation roughly translated to a 60-percent slowing of cognitive decline (about 1.8 years).
www.sciencedaily.com
Disappointingly, the cocoa arm of the study showed no benefit, so all my cocoa drinking has probably just been for happiness.
Dr Richard Johnson's team just published new work showing that blood flow into the temporal lobe and the hippocampus gets cut by the presence of Fructose, found in plain sugars and HFCS drinks. That's exactly where Alzheimer's starts. They use it as a biomarker- brain scans of that area, to diagnose the disease.
And that's where we want our blood going, to prevent that area from dying off.
Lowering blood salt and glucose concentrations with plain water drinking stops Fructose from getting made in our own bodies, and can help the brain.
The plasma osmolality regulates expression of a gene for aldose reductase. AR is the enzyme that takes our useful glucose, and turns it into Fructose. This is not something you want, as it drives metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and cancer in addition to dementia. Salty chips and soda are a Bad Idea, but drink enough water, and you can get away with it more. Just keep the blood levels reasonably normal, and AR will not get switched on.
It doesn't get cheaper than water.
Exercise raises a signalling molecule called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor( BDNF) which is like fertilizer for brain cells.
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