Next Level Longevity: Applying Future Concepts to Our Health Today
Gleaning inspiration from advanced longevity therapies
One of the many podcasts that I listen to, Feel Better, Live More, recently featured host Rangan Chatterjee interviewing wellness expert Dr. Darshan Shah about important daily habits that can add decades to life. The discussion turned to the exploding field of longevity therapies and to advanced treatments that Dr. Shah believes have merit, including plasma replacement. As the conversation progressed, Dr. Shah outlined the litany of tangible benefits of plasma replacement therapy and said that he had tried it. He noticed an immediate increase in energy and better sleep, as well as generally feeling better. Gosh, I thought, this could be an exciting possibility. Then Chatterjee asked how often one should undergo this approximately $1,000 wonder treatment. Possibly every 6 months.
My enthusiasm nosedived. Seriously? Aghhh. For most of us, it’s not realistic to start a costly, arguably superfluous treatment that would require twice-yearly maintenance. After realizing that I most likely would not undertake that type of therapy, my mind shifted to concept cars. (Stay with me here…)
I am a closet car enthusiast. I love cars. Have since I was a little girl, when I preferred model cars to tea sets. Fast forward to my college years at Art Center College of Design, a world-renowned institution for automotive design, where I had a glimpse behind the curtain and wondered if I was in the wrong major. Watching the design process was captivating, particularly the full-size clay futuristic concept vehicles that served as the 8th-term students' final project.
Interesting thing, concept cars. At that time in the mid-1980s, most car manufacturers had advanced concept studios located in sleepy, industrial cities in the greater Los Angeles area, autonomous from their company design department. At first blush, it’s hard to imagine why millions of dollars would be sunk into experimental show cars that will never see production… until you understand how inspiration from the concepts impacts the design of the cars on the road. From the overall design, color palette, and novel materials to the mechanics and advanced engineering, revolutionary conceptualization influences the next generation of production.
Experimental concept unpacked
That’s how I made the connection of longevity advancements to concept cars. I started wondering: even though plasma replacement therapy, also known as Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE), is considered experimental and out of my reach, what could I glean from the concept that I could apply to my health today?
In the most basic terms, TPE is a blood transfer that involves removing “polluted” or “aged” plasma from the blood and replacing it with clean, individualized fluids intended to support cellular health and the body’s regenerative capabilities. The therapy aims to eliminate inflammatory proteins, toxins, and cellular waste that are believed to contribute to aging and age-related diseases. Proponents suggest that it can reduce the effects of inflammation and reverse biological age.
Unpacking the goals of the therapy reveals strategies that we can apply to our health. First up, eliminate inflammation. Chronic, low-grade inflammation known as inflammaging is believed to contribute to the development of many age-related diseases and accelerate aging. Inflammaging is nearly totally within our control, and there are many ways we can at least mitigate, if not eliminate, it through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices as I outlined in “Inflammaging, Yes it’s a Real Word,” from two years ago.
Next up, toxins. While our exposure to environmental toxins is pervasive and may seem unavoidable, many aspects of everyday toxins are within our control through simple choices and swaps. For instance, by using all-natural, fragrance-free personal care products, washing detergents, and cleaning products, we can eliminate an array of endocrine-disrupting chemicals from our lives. In the kitchen, toss all the plastic containers and non-stick cookware, use glass for storage, and opt for steel and cast iron for cooking. To avoid microplastics, don’t drink water from plastic bottles or lined to-go cups. I could go on and on, but you can read further in “What’s This I Hear About Microplastics?,” “Toss The Toxins,” and “Kitchen Detox.”
Lastly, cellular waste. This caught my attention because I’ve been thinking lately that my focus should be at the cellular level, as our cells power our health. I wrote in “Combatting Zombie Cells” about “zombie” or senescent cells that stop dividing but remain active, releasing inflammatory molecules that harm surrounding cells. Although still in early research stages, there are several natural supplements (quercetin, fisetin, and resveratrol) and pharmaceutical drugs (Apigenin and Rapamycin) known as senolytics that dispatch these deleterious zombie cells.
Also in our cellular arsenal is autophagy, a naturally occurring process that breaks down and recycles damaged and unneeded cells. Autophagy is increased with modalities such as fasting, high-intensity exercise, and a ketogenic diet. And let’s not forget our bodies’ lymphatic system, the built-in waste clearance apparatus that clears cellular debris and toxins that I wrote about in “The Labyrinthine Lymph,” and the glymphatic system, which similarly cleanses the brain. We can safeguard and increase the function of both these miraculous systems with movement, hydration, brushing, and sleep.
While replacing my blood plasma is out of reach, I can implement the basic concept of TPE through a handful of alternate, low-tech, much-lower-cost methods and lifestyle habits. Will they be as beneficial? Hard to know at the moment, but it’s a great start to better health in general, so why not implement them now?
Gene therapy that inspires
Scientists and researchers are working on numerous advancements to help people live longer, healthier lives, including gene therapy, a particularly promising arena of exploration. It has the promise to target the hallmarks of aging and reprogram genes to reverse age-related changes and rejuvenate cellular processes, but it is now only in the experimental stage.
What can we do in the meantime to leverage the same conceptual principles? Epigenetics is an active field of medicine that explores how external factors and behaviors can influence gene expression related to aging. Slower epigenetic age acceleration has been observed in long-lived individuals, suggesting a connection between epigenetic modifications and healthy longevity. Factors like diet, exercise, stress, sleep, and exposure to certain chemicals can all impact epigenomic changes and affect aging rates. Research suggests that lifestyle interventions and even certain micronutrients can potentially reverse or modulate age-related epigenetic alterations.
While we are waiting on gene therapy, we can take tangible steps to positively impact how our DNA responds and influence cellular renewal by following epigenetic protocols. I covered this in “Turn Your Genes On,” in which I highlighted the groundbreaking work of functional medicine longevity researcher and practitioner Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, who wrote Younger You.
Stimulate sauna’s next-level heat benefits
We can even glean insights from the humble sauna, which is strongly linked to increased longevity and a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Why? The activation of “heat shock proteins” decreases systemic inflammation and helps protect cells from damage and stress. Additionally, saunas induce a physiological response similar to exercise, including increased blood flow and heart rate. Combined, the sauna’s activation of these heat shock proteins and concurrent physiological response can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac death. This effect is also seen in improved blood vessel function, lower blood pressure, and better endothelial function.
If we don’t have access to a sauna, what can we do to mimic some of these physiological responses? Activities that promote circulation, a slight rise in body temperature, and sweating are the core concepts. Regular moderate-intensity exercise, hot baths and showers, and infrared sauna blankets can, to a slightly lesser degree, replicate some of the benefits of a sauna.
Make the aspirational, achievable
I will continue to be excited about all the exciting longevity therapies, both current and on the horizon, and to view them through the “advanced concept car” lens. Not as untouchable but as teachable. Concepts to unpack and learn from. Core principles applicable today to many aspects of lifestyle, diet, and exercise…with the ultimate goal of living well, aging great.