Peak Human

Overview Time is an irreversible process. No matter what we do or how we advance in medical science, the power of time has long been a massive hindrance that restrains us from reaching increased lifespan and longevity. But what if it could be different? Recently, the scientific community’s interest in intervening with time has bloomed, potentially expanding human health and assisting research in various pathologies. As a result, human hibernation becomes a new target. This article reviews the emerging concept of human hibernation as a possible approach to longevity. It explains how humans could use a strategy that was once beyond the bounds of possibility to extend life expectancy. RELATED: The Use of ‘Cold’ Tech to Improve Your Deep Sleep   Human Hibernation Can Open a New Door to Longevity Understanding Hibernation A State of Downregulated Physiological Processes Hibernation is a state of prolonged downregulation of all the physiological processes inside the body of an animal. This state is characterized by reduced body temperature, breathing, heart rate, and metabolism, collectively known as “torpor,” to the point they only function enough to sustain the survival of the organs. Hibernation most commonly happens during winter months in smaller animals like rodents or birds and some bigger animals like bears. Surprisingly, contrary to general belief, hibernation is not a continuous process but consists of multiple interspersed bouts of arousal and lethargy, with torpor lasting days or weeks. A typical hibernator would emerge from its hibernation several times to restore its physiological activity before it resumes the hibernation process.   Is Hibernation a Long Sleep or Something More? So is hibernation simply another term for prolonged sleep, or is it something beyond the normal resting process that occurs in all animals? First, before we regard hibernation as identical to sleep, we need to determine how much hibernation can change the physiological processes inside an animal’s body. Bears, for example, may hibernate for as much as seven months a year in the colder parts of Alaska, which lowers their average body temperature from 38°C to around 30°C. This body temperature reduction decreases the energy requirement needed to generate heat and compensates for heat loss during hibernation. Still, heat reduction is not the most extreme change in hibernating bears. This animal’s metabolic rates are comparable to those of other, smaller, and better-recognized hibernators. For example, their heart rate can drop to around 4 bpm, allowing them to breathe only 1-2 times every 60 seconds. At the same time, oxygen consumption can go down to 25% of its average level. Can a typical night’s sleep allow animals to alter their body temperature and metabolism like that? Absolutely no. Even during deep sleep, the heart rate of a sleeping bear is around 33 bpm. It is because organs and the associated processes remain remarkably active to facilitate normal physical development.   Why Would Hibernation Be Important to Humans? So now we understand hibernation and how it is different from normal sleep. But how would hibernation matter to humans? Can we make use of this process?   Conserve Energy by Slowing Metabolism The most noticeable importance of hibernation in humans would be energy conservation. Although saving energy is not necessary for humans as food sources are now generally available, this can be useful in some unfriendly conditions. Metabolism is the rate by which the body burns energy from food for growth and functioning. So the more the metabolic rate is reduced, the more energy is conserved during hibernation. For example, suppose we could lower our metabolism like the bears by up to 75%; we could survive food scarcity by up to 4 days by consuming enough food only for one day. Reduced body temperature would also help humans survive longer in harsh conditions. As endothermic organisms, humans depend more on the ability to generate heat internally rather than on the environmental temperature. This intrinsic heat generation requires energy converted from food. So less heat generated means less energy from food needed.   Manipulate the Body for Medical Purposes Hibernation also offers humans the unprecedented possibility of manipulating the body so that we can correct detrimental behaviors, like addiction, or get rid of the health conditions related to the brain, heart, and body composition. Let’s regard human hibernation as a long-lasting and superior anesthetic. Do anesthetics decrease the heart rate? Yes, adults under general anesthesia typically have heart rates between 40-60 bpm, which is lower than the awake rate of 60-100 bpm at rest. But can anesthetics lower the body temperature and other metabolic parameters to the extreme minimum? Unfortunately, the answer is no, or at least not yet. Hibernation, if deployed by humans as a replacement for traditional anesthetics, would allow patients in urgent need of organ transplantation or those with a terminal illness to have more time to survive while waiting for treatment. This would open a new door to various medical applications in lifespan and longevity. RELATED: Can Spermidine Help Slow Down Aging?   Can Humans Hibernate? Karolina Olsson: Waking Up Young After 32 Years Although hibernation in humans is still far-fetched, this has happened before. Karolina Olsson, who lived from 1861 to 1950 in Sweden, was believed to be the only human who could live through 32 years of hibernation (1876-1908) and then awoke without residual symptoms. But Olsson’s hibernation was not entirely natural, as before she went down into her year-long “sleep,” she had suffered a head wound and a toothache, none of which were adequately treated by a medical professional. Despite numerous medical interventions, including electroconvulsive therapy, while remaining unconscious in the following years, Olsson only awoke 32 years and 42 days after falling asleep. So how was Karolina Olsson’s fitness state after she emerged from hibernation? She was frail and pale and displayed sensitivity to light in the first few days after awakening. She also had trouble speaking and recognizing people in her family. Yet, she was still able to read and write, and she was able to recall everything she had

Overview Our cells are complex microscopic structures that carry many functional components inside them, called organelles. Each organelle within a living cell works continuously to ensure our body can function and survive. But what if our cell parts become dysfunctional and cannot be repaired? Despite not being desirable to our body, if such an event happens, the body will rely on the lysosomes, the cell components that recycle the “out-of-order” parts. This article reviews a breakthrough in cellular repair in which scientists find a mechanism that corrects dysfunctional lysosomes to treat diseases and make longevity possible. RELATED: Can Spermidine Help Slow Down Aging?   Lysosomal Repair Can Be the Pathway to Anti-aging What Are the Lysosomes? The “Recycling Center” of a Cell Lysosomes are membrane-bound cell organelles that play a vital role in various cellular processes. They can be found inside eukaryotic cells like those in animals but not in prokaryotic cells in plants. As the “recycling center” of a cell, lysosomes break down molecular waste within a cell using their digestive enzymes to turn waste into the building blocks a cell needs to recreate new organelles and maintain its function. Lysosomes also protect the cell from external materials, like invading viruses and bacteria, using the same enzymes for degrading the molecular waste.   Lysosomes Contain Acidic Enzymes Lysosomes are different from other cell parts as these organelles are very acidic. To break down large molecules into smaller ones, the digestive enzymes inside the lysosomes, known as “hydrolytic enzymes,” need to burn through everything they touch. Therefore, the membrane boundary surrounding the lysosomes is vital to their proximate organelles and the cell’s integrity. Any unwanted interaction between the lysosomal enzymes and the nearby organelles may result in their degradation or dysfunction.   Why Are They Important to the Cells? Lysosomes Break Down Excess or Worn-out Cell Parts As a recycling center of a cell, lysosomes ensure all the cell parts are working correctly. If something goes wrong, lysosomes will be engaged in the breakdown and recycling of such dysfunctional cell components, making room for new organelles to generate in a natural process called autophagy (meaning “self-eating”). The mitochondria are an example of this breakdown and recycling process. These organelles, found in almost every cell of an organism, usually function by creating the energy for cellular processes, hence known as the cell’s powerhouse. However, the mitochondria may develop a fault for several reasons, including aging or genetic predisposition, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. This is when the lysosomes step in and get rid of the worn-out mitochondria.   Lysosomes Destroy Invading Viruses and Bacteria The lysosomes also serve as a defense mechanism against infection. Viruses and bacteria can enter a cell by endocytosis, a process by which cells absorb particles from the outside by engulfing them with the cell membrane. If such invasion occurs, the lysosomes will fuse with the vesicle surrounding the viruses and bacteria and start delivering the enzymes to dissolve the invading particles. So why do lysosomes have to fuse with the vesicle that wraps around the invading particles and not quickly deliver their enzymes? It is because directly removing the harmful particles will simultaneously blow away other healthy cell parts. Instead, fusing allows the acidic enzymes of lysosomes to be contained within the vesicle. RELATED: 5 Proven Ways to Aid Telomere Shortening for Overall Health & Wellness   Why is Lysosomal Dysfunction Detrimental? Stressors Can Trigger Lysosomal Leakage Recently, a process called “lysophagy” has been named after autophagy to describe the process that causes damage to the protective membrane of the lysosomes. This process occurs following selective autophagy that targets the lysosomal membrane. The underlying mechanism of how lysophagy occurs and causes damage to the lysosomal membrane still needs to be fully understood. Because inside the lysosomes are the cell-damaging enzymes, a ruptured membrane may cause their contents to escape to the environment inside the cell, a phenomenon known as lysosomal membrane permeabilization.   Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization and Diseases Lysosomal membrane permeabilization is a hallmark of lysosome-related diseases. Unlike the milder damage to the membrane that can be quickly and directly repaired in healthy cells, this leakage, if it becomes severe, cannot be resolved by itself. The accumulation of leaky lysosomes has been associated with several neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and aging-related diseases, collectively known as lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs).   How Are Lysosomes With Severe Leakage Repaired? The PITT Pathway – A Universal Mechanism for Lysosomal Repair Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh investigated how damaged lysosomes are naturally repaired to learn more about diseases caused by leaky lysosomes and develop a therapy option for this condition. First, the research team intentionally damaged some lysosomes in lab-grown cells to examine how the repairing process naturally occurs in the damaged lysosomes. Within minutes, an enzyme called PI4K2A had accumulated and generated high amounts of a signaling molecule called PtdIns4P. This signaling PtdIns4P is like a “red flag.” It alerts the cell about the issue and instructs the body to recruit ORPs, a set of repairing proteins. Through the ORPs, the endoplasmic reticulum, the cellular component involved in protein and lipid synthesis, is then connected to the PtdIns4P on the lysosome. The endoplasmic reticulum then wraps the lysosome. This is an exciting finding because the endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes typically do not come close to each other. Still, when the lysosome is damaged, they begin to embrace.   Resealing Lysosomal Membrane Through Cholesterols and Lipids In this arrangement, the endoplasmic reticulum wrapping around the lysosome makes it easier to transfer cholesterols and lipids to the lysosome, which are required to fix and reseal the ruptured lysosomal membrane. Finally, a protein called ATG2, which functions as a bridge to carry more lipids to the lysosome to seal any remaining tears, is activated as the last step in the repair process. The researchers describe the interactions between the cell components as “beautiful,” as these organelles have long existed but have never been recognized to display such an intricate interconnection

Overview In medicine, the role of the gut in maintaining human health has long been emphasized. Even thousands of years ago, Hippocrates, one of the most phenomenal figures in the history of medicine around the 4th century BCE, is credited with saying that “Bad digestion is the root of all evil” and that “All disease begins in the gut.” Indeed, the gut is an “ecosystem” of 100 trillion bacteria, both good and bad, and contributes to our overall health. But this “gatekeeper” of the entire microbiota sometimes does not hold all the living things together and instead allows them to pass through the gut lining, causing a phenomenon called “intestinal permeability,” also known as “leaky gut.” This article provides comprehensive information about the role of intestinal permeability in human health and how we can maintain overall well-being, starting with the gut. RELATED: 5 Best Anti-aging Foods for Gut Health   Intestinal Permeability: A Vital Health Determiner Beyond the Gut What Is Intestinal Permeability? The gut inside our abdomen consists of an extensive intestinal lining (or gut lining) that, if we lay it flat out on a surface, can be as big as a tennis court. This semi-permeable lining is crucial in allowing nutrients from digested food to be absorbed into the circulatory system. However, the intestinal lining can sometimes be “out of whack” due to multiple factors, causing the absorption barrier held together by the tight junctions to be enlarged. This unhealthy state of the gut lining is called “increased intestinal permeability” or “leaky gut syndrome,” allowing unwanted substances, like toxins and bacteria, to penetrate. Remember that the gut lining is not completely impermeable and functions by allowing the beneficial substances to pass through. Instead, it is the increased intestinal permeability that is harmful to the gut and all the organs surrounding it. Of course, our bodies do not allow harmful infiltration from inside the gut to the outside environment, as the immune system sees these toxins as “foreign pathogens.” The body will then trigger inflammatory reactions and changes in the gut to get rid of the problem within the digestive tract and beyond.   Why Is Increased Intestinal Permeability Detrimental? One thing for sure is that any change within the microbiota is not beneficial, if not even harmful. It is because we need to maintain a balance between the good and bad bacteria to preserve a state where every component is stable, known as homeostasis. Meanwhile, inflammation is a normal response of our bodies to pathogenic microorganisms. However, if inflammation persists due to constant, unresolved leakage of the gut lining, the risk of chronic diseases arises, causing many gut- and non-gut-related conditions.   Increased Intestinal Permeability Causes Gut-related Disorders Some individuals are predisposed to intestinal permeability due to genetic and environmental factors. Upon exposure to specific triggers, like a bad diet or lifestyle, this predisposition may result in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including: Crohn’s disease (swelling of the tissues in the digestive tract) Ulcerative colitis (ulcers or sores in the digestive tract) Celiac disease (intestinal atrophy and reduced nutrient absorption)   Increased Intestinal Permeability Promotes Chronic Disease Risk Increased intestinal permeability also raises a person’s risk for chronic diseases due to a cascade of events related to the loss of gut barrier function and persistent immune activation on a whole-body level. These chronic disorders include: Atherosclerosis (damage to the artery’s wall): Elevated LDL cholesterol levels, or the “bad” cholesterol, are directly linked to a higher risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. This LDL cholesterol can bind to a bacterial endotoxin in the intestine called lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Both eventually penetrate the circulation and insert themselves into arterial walls, triggering the onset of atherosclerosis. Neurodegeneration (loss of neuronal structure or function): The gut has intricate communication with the central nervous system called the gut-brain axis (GBA). The exact culprit above, the LPS, can bind to the cells in the brain, causing blood-brain barrier breakdown and neuroinflammation. This loss of blood-brain barrier function is common during aging and early cognitive dysfunction.   What Causes Increased Intestinal Permeability? Endogenous Factors Any gut microbiota imbalance may cause disturbance in the tight junctions, promoting intestinal permeability. One of the causes of such anomalies is stress, which can be psychological, emotional, and physical. According to research, stress, and sometimes even depression, can promote inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, which is the trigger that eventually causes increased intestinal permeability. For example, an unhappy marriage is a constant source of stress. In comparison to happier couples, most hostile couples are found to have worse intestinal permeability. This condition may occur due to an elevation of cortisol levels. Psychological and emotional stress may also drive individuals into unhealthy food choices and binge eating behaviors. As mentioned above, stress elevates cortisol levels, a stress hormone. Cortisol increases appetite and the motivation to consume food in excess. Unfortunately, this increased craving tends to cause us to prefer unhealthy foods like those high in fat and sugar or are inflammatory and obesogenic. Physical stress is another factor that induces gut damage. Research shows that gastrointestinal issues are prevalent in athletes. Not all types of exercise, though, might disturb the gut. For example, the study shows that vigorous endurance training for 60 minutes at 70% of one’s total capacity may lead to the characteristic responses of intestinal permeability. Meanwhile, moderate exercise is safe and even beneficial for gut health.   Exogenous Factors Excess alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and other toxic products Dietary patterns that are high in fat and sugar or are inflammatory and obesogenic Gluten or dairy products if the person is predisposed to intestinal permeability Abuse of certain medications, such as antibiotics or NSAIDs Gut infection caused by SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) or parasites   Dietary Components That Can Improve Intestinal Permeability Dietary Fiber So, how to improve intestinal permeability? Dietary fiber is known to be a nutrient that protects the intestinal barrier and helps keep the microbiota in a healthy state. During digestion, the bacteria in the gut are

Overview Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known for their tremendous roles in various bodily functions. So it is not uncommon for us to reach one of these omega-3 supplements through fish oil to reinforce our heart health, keep our brain mentally sharp, and brighten our eyesight. Although the incidence of low omega-3 is rare, a deficiency in these vital substances can be detrimental. This article reviews the significance of omega-3 fatty acids and explains how omega-3 deficiency may harm your overall health and lifespan. RELATED: 5 Proven Ways to Aid Telomere Shortening for Overall Health & Wellness   Omega-3 Deficiency May Shorten Your Life Expectancy What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of essential unsaturated fatty acids that the human body cannot produce but play many crucial roles in human health. The human body can synthesize most of the fats it requires from other fats or raw materials. However, that is not the case with omega-3 fatty acids, which is why they are referred to as “essential” fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cell membranes all over the body. They also serve as a starting point for producing hormones that regulate blood clotting, artery wall contraction and relaxation, and inflammation. The three primary types of omega-3 fatty acids are ALA, EPA, and DHA. ALA is the precursor for converting into the usable EPA and DHA in our bodies, meaning that most of our body’s omega-3 derives from ALA. However, the human body primarily uses ALA, with minimal conversion to EPA and DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in marine-based sources such as salmon and tuna or plant-based sources such as flaxseed or walnut. Because EPA and DHA are primarily found in fish, they are sometimes called “marine omega-3s.”   Why Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids Important? Cardiovascular Health The close link between omega-3 and cardiovascular health has long been well established. As a result, people have been seeking food products and supplements that contain omega-3 as a convenient option to maintain a healthy heart. Furthermore, the American Heart Association (AHA) has recommended using omega-3 fatty acids from fish and fish oil to reduce heart-related complications, such as heart attack or stroke, in people with preexisting cardiovascular disease. This means omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to maintaining overall heart health in healthy people; this group of nutrients also helps individuals with heart conditions prevent the disease from worsening and even aids in the treatment process. According to a report by Harvard Medical School, omega-3 supplementation in over 8,000 patients with high cardiovascular risk reduces blood triglyceride levels, the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes, the need for heart surgeries, and the mortality rate.   Cognitive Function Omega-3 fatty acids are not only essential for the normal functions of the heart but also for the development of the brain. Research has found that these substances protect against cognitive decline among elderly individuals. Given the prevalence of dementia at up to 10 percent among individuals aged 65 and 30 percent above 85, sufficient omega-3 intake has been recommended to reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Omega-3 also plays a vital role in the composition of the brain. Research shows consuming more of these fatty acids is associated with greater gray matter volume. Gray matter allows humans to maintain memories and regulate emotions. Such an association may mediate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on a human’s mental capacity. Other research shows supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids can prevent loss of gray matter thickness, aiding in treating a mental disorder.   Eye Health The human eye has a very high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, optimizing the integrity and visual function of the retina. These fatty acids accumulate in our eye tissues even before we are born. DHA also has a protective role in the retina. It contributes to releasing the healthy oil that lubricates our eyes for eye comfort. On this account, omega-3 fatty acids are essential in maintaining eye health, especially in seniors. One common eye condition among the elderly is dry eye syndrome, in which the tear cannot provide sufficient lubrication for the eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, people with dry eye syndrome feel relieved from the symptoms after consuming omega-3 fatty acids. Further, people who consume the most omega-3 fatty acids have a lower risk of dry eye than those who consume little or no seafood.   Omega-3 Deficiency in Health and Longevity Coronary Heart Disease Given that omega-3 is essential to cardiovascular health, a deficiency can cause heart-related morbidities in humans. According to research, people who consume no fish have a higher coronary heart disease mortality rate than those with at least some fish weekly. Those refraining from fish consumption also have a higher risk of non-sudden death from a heart attack. In women, the risk for coronary heart disease death is up to 34 percent higher in those who rarely eat fish compared with those consuming fish over five times per week.   Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive disorder characterized by a progressive deficit of memory, thinking, and behavior due to the abnormal build-up of a harmful protein known as amyloid-β. Research shows that Alzheimer’s patients have lower DHA levels than healthy people of the same age, suggesting that a DHA deficiency may contribute to cognitive impairment. Accordingly, DHA supplementation can protect against the production and accumulation of amyloid-β in subjects with Alzheimer’s disease.   Age-related Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central part of a person’s vision without causing total blindness. Research shows a negative correlation between omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of AMD. While evidence has not yet confirmed whether increasing omega-3 may help prevent or delay the progression of AMD, these fatty acids can offer protection against it, and a deficiency may hasten the development of the disease.   Recent Findings in Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 Improves HDL Cholesterol to Reduce Cardiovascular Risks HDL, or “good” cholesterol, absorbs the “bad”