Comments on: The Longevity Gene SIRT1 Part I - CR, Fasting and Aging Diseases

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:40:20 +0000

More recent published studies on SIRT1:

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:20:56 +0000

Andrew - Here is something a little more recent…but most studies appear to be several years old. Full Article here (long one)

” Sir2 Deacetylases: Anti-aging, Pro-aging, or Both? In summary, the results in S. cerevisiae and invertebrate model systems, coupled with similarities between Sirt1-deficient and long-lived IGF-I-deficient dwarf mice (Longo and Finch, 2003), suggest that the safest bet at this point is that Sir2 deacetylases play both pro- and anti-aging roles in different contexts. One hypothesis to be tested is that reduced Sir2/Sirt1 activity can promote life-span extension by causing entry into a slow aging starvation response phase whereas Sir2/Sirt1 overexpression can promote life-span extension by inducing other changes such as fat breakdown and enhanced physical activity. The field critically awaits studies of mouse longevity. Will mice overexpressing Sirt1, mice deficient in Sirt1, or neither enjoy extended longevity? Will CR extend life span in mice lacking Sirt1? Will Sirt1 deficiency further extend the life span of mice with mutations in the IGF-1/Akt pathway? Other critical mechanistic questions also remain to be answered. What are the key targets of the Sirt1 deacetylase? Does resveratrol stimulate Sirtuin activity toward biological substrates and, if so, which ones? These results and others will no doubt begin to clarify the links between Sirtuins and mammalian longevity.”

While CR studies have shown all the benefits of anti-aging, disease prevention, reduced inflammation, improved cellular defenses to stress…whether SIRT1 as a supplementation in mammals is going to be the real answer to all our problems….and all the pathways it is involved in…remains to be seen.

By: Andrew J Morris

Andrew J Morris — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:39:21 +0000

That article, and your synopsis of it, sure make Sir2 sound like a panacea … but it seems whenever we find something promising, someone else comes along and turns the table on us.

http://www.cell.com/content/article/abstract?uid=PIIS009286740500913X

has an article titled “Sir2 Blocks Extreme Life-Span Extension” that is dated a few months earlier than the article you cite. Both are a couple years old … anyone know of anything more recent that clarifies this?

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:22:33 +0000

Patri - I agree. I think you will start to see more and more studies on the health benefits of fasting….unfortunately on a longevity scale those studies would take a long time to do. You find great benefit to daily short fasting as far as insulin resistance reversal and general health and weight loss….but also for deeper cell health (and those with bigger health issues) the longer fasts seem to be of benefit. In the end….does a person doing daily IF over months get more benefit than a person doing a once a week fast of 24 hours? I think the real differences are not going to be too different…in the end, quality of foods when you eat is going to be the bigger factor in overall health benefits. Focus on eating healthy, do some sort of fasting or modified CR, keep your life simple and stress free (or control stress) and you should live a long and happy life. Plus there’s more to longevity than just fasting and foods….as I believe there are important lifestyle factors that have an effect on our health such as having a positive/happy outlook , living life with purpose, and limited exposure to type of stress (environmental and mental). Here’s a good post on those type of things.
In the end….IF is supposed to be “intermittent” anyways and your body best adapts to random protocols…..so do IF weekly…maybe eat full schedule on the weekends….add in a 24 hr fast once in a while….mix it up and chances are the body will thank you. Much like your macronutrients….mix it up….carbs after workouts, day of low carbs, protein changes, fat intakes vary, high cal days vs low cal days, etc….your body’s sensitivity and utilization will increase with cycled periods of lower and higher intake.

By: Patri Friedman

Patri Friedman — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:10:16 +0000

Thanks for the article, it was very interesting! Good to learn more about the science behind IF. I wish there was more data on how often and how long to fast to get maximum benefit. How does one window a day (Warrior Diet or Fast 5) compare to two 24-hr fasts/week?

By: resveratrol

resveratrol — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:19:08 +0000

Thomas,

The one item no one has really mentioned is ‘reproduction’ regarding SIRT1. I am glad you put it on your diagram, as it is very important to many people who are in their late 30’s, early 40’s and are having a hard time conceiving.

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:56:30 +0000

Thomas - Yes the magazine and articles were quite informative, Thanks again. I figured you might be thinking “when the hell is he going to get around to it”. Ha. As for all the scientific jargon, I don’t feel I am a medical expert…but I like to just keep it simple myself…as with all this new found longevity we now are receiving from all this wonderful information…our extended time shouldn’t be spent just staring at more and more gobbledegook! Keep it simple and then just go do it.

By: Ian's Dad

Ian's Dad — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:24:23 +0000

Mike,

I’m glad the magazine was able to provide relevance to your site. You have a truly impressive way of distilling the scientific gobbledegook into something understandable for an average knucklehead like me.

I’ll keep my eyes open for more material.

Thomas