David A. Sinclair Quotes

Die köstlichsten Erdbeeren wurden durch Phasen mit begrenzter Wasserzufuhr gestresst.

In the same way that genetic information is stored as DNA, epigenetic information is stored in a structure called chromatin.

They have also evolved to require a molecule called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD. As we will see later, the loss of NAD as we age, and the resulting decline in sirtuin activity, is thought to be a primary reason our bodies develop diseases when we are old but not when we are young. Trading reproduction for repair, the sirtuins order our bodies to "buckle down" in times of stress and protect us against the major diseases of aging: diabetes and heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis, even cancer.

it. It is, in essence, a primordial survival kit that diverts energy to the area of greatest need, fixing what exists in times when the stresses of the world are conspiring to wreak havoc on the genome, while permitting reproduction only when more favorable times prevail.

I eat a lot of plants and try to avoid eating other mammals, even though they do taste good. If I work out, I will eat meat. • I don't smoke. I try to avoid microwaved plastic, excessive UV exposure, X-rays, and CT scans. • I try to stay on the cool side during the day and when I sleep at night. • I aim to keep my body weight or BMI in the optimal range for healthspan, which for me is 23 to 25.

After a few billion years of advancement since the days of yeast, they have evolved to control our health, our fitness, and our very survival. They have also evolved to require a molecule called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD. As we will see later, the loss of NAD as we age, and the resulting decline in sirtuin activity, is thought to be a primary reason our bodies develop diseases when we are old but not when we are young.

There is great reason for hope on the not-so-distant horizon, but those battling against the ravages of aging right now must do so in a world in which most doctors have never even thought about why we age, let alone how to treat aging.

Today, I can read an entire human genome of 25,000 genes in a few days for less than a hundred dollars on a candy bar–sized DNA sequencer called a MinION that I plug into my laptop. And that's for a fairly complete readout of a human genome, plus the DNA methyl marks that tell you your biological age.

the evidence is irrefutable: if you believe climate change is a threat, you can't say that GMOs are, because the evidence that GMOs are safe is stronger than the evidence that climate change is occurring.

The other test of age is the sitting-rising test (SRT). Sit on the floor, barefooted, with legs crossed. Lean forward quickly and see if you can get up in one move. A young person can. A middle-aged person typically needs to push off with one of their hands. An elderly person often needs to get onto one knee. A study of people 51 to 80 years found that 157 out of 159 people who passed away in 75 months had received less than perfect SRT scores.

When sirtuins shift from their typical priorities to engage in DNA repair, their epigenetic function at home ends for a bit. Then, when the damage is fixed and they head back to home base, they get back to doing what they usually do: controlling genes and making sure the cell retains its identity and optimal function.

WE ARE ANALOG, THEREFORE WE AGE. According to the Information Theory of Aging, we become old and susceptible to diseases because our cells lose youthful information. DNA stores information digitally, a robust format, whereas the epigenome stores it in analog format, and is therefore prone to the introduction of epigenetic "noise." An apt metaphor is a DVD player from the 1990s. The information is digital; the reader that moves around is analog. Aging is similar to the accumulation of scratches on the disc so the information can no longer be read correctly. Where's the polish?

As a species, we are living much longer than ever. But not much better. Not at all. Over the past century we have gained additional years, but not additional life — not life worth living anyway.5

Separating aging from disease obfuscates a truth about how we reach the ends of our lives: though it's certainly important to know why someone fell from a cliff, it's equally important to know what brought that person to the precipice in the first place. Aging brings us to the precipice. Give any of us 100 years or so, and it brings us all there. In

On average, Americans consume more than three times the amount of food they need to survive and about 250 times as much water.14 In return, they produce 4.4 pounds of trash each day, recycling or composting only about of a third of it.15 Thanks to things such as cars, planes, big homes, and power-hungry clothes dryers,16 the annual carbon dioxide emissions of an average American are five times as high as the global average. Even the “floor” — below which even monks living in American monasteries typically do not go — is twice the global average.17 It