Next Level Longevity: Turn Your Genes On

Influence your genes to rewind your biological age

Last week, my husband Andrea and I did something we rarely do—we took ourselves out to lunch. Unless otherwise scheduled to meet with business colleagues or a friend, we relish our daily “power” lunches, which often start with a neighborhood walk and end with a simple meal in our wonderful kitchen, so this was a pleasant change of pace. We ended up at a locally owned spot that used to be one of our favorites. Although I’ve ordered the same thing there for years, I nonetheless scanned the menu, and as our chipper waiter jumped in to point out a few new items, one caught my attention: a red cabbage slaw.

“That sounds yummy,” I thought out loud. “I’ll get you a sample,” he cheerfully offered, and I’m so happy he did. It was a tasty surprise and a welcome reminder that I woefully fall short in certain aspects of my diet. Cabbage, a cruciferous vegetable, is a nutrition powerhouse packed with vitamins, fiber, and the all-important sulforaphane, which has antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. And red cabbage contains significantly more sulforaphane than the green variety, to boot. While I know the importance of this longevity power tool, I’m unfortunately not in the habit of eating it…yet.

Diet, lifestyle, and biological age
After leaving lunch, I kept thinking I needed to recommit to including more foods like cabbage in my daily meals for a slew of reasons, not the least of which is that it is an epigenetic staple. Science has clearly demonstrated that certain foods can positively influence our genes, laying the foundation for a long, productive health span. The ability to control our health through the expression of genes may sound far-fetched and too good to be true, but it’s not.

One of the researchers leading the charge in studying epigenetics and biological age is Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, the visionary behind the Younger You program. What is biological age, you ask? Chronological age is how long you have existed; biological age is how old your cells are. Dr. Fitzgerald has shown in two groundbreaking clinical studies that it’s possible to turn back the clock and reverse biological age by up to three years in just eight weeks by utilizing the power of epigenetics through diet and lifestyle choices. Two other studies (PMID 35895062, PMID 36202132) bolster her findings, demonstrating a correlation between a lower biological age (measured by four epigenetic clocks) and increased odds of reaching 90 with mobility and cognitive functioning intact.

These days, as age and chronic disease seem to go hand in hand, age-related ailments not only significantly impact the quality of daily life but are also the leading cause of premature death. With advances in longevity research, researchers and scientists can measure biological age—different from chronological age—and learn what positively influences genes. Lo and behold, most factors influencing genes are within our control.

What the heck is epigenetics, and how is it put into practice?
The study of epigenetics is relatively new and more complex than I’ll explain here. Perhaps it is best understood via a computer comparison that Dr. Fitzgerald references: DNA is our hardware, and epigenetics is the software that operates the DNA. Technically, epigenetics are modulated by small molecules that lay on top of our genes and act like a steering wheel. And what controls these small molecule steering wheels? Our behaviors and environment, sleep, exercise, relaxation, and diet. In other words, as I’ve said before… genes may load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.

In her book, Younger You—Reduce Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better, Dr. Fitzgerald outlines her belief that genetics do not determine how we age or our overall health and that we don’t have to accept a descent into unwellness as we age. Instead, the determining factor is something called DNA methylation. Basically, methylation is the chemical modification of the DNA molecule (that epigenetic software) that occurs by adding methyl groups to the molecule.

Dr. Fitzgerald’s Younger You program is designed to affect DNA methylation positively, thus steering our genes to optimum health. What I like and appreciate about her approach is that you can ease into it with the Younger You Everyday Plan or jump all in with the Younger You Intensive Plan, a longevity boot camp. Both plans incorporate the same principles of exercise, sleep, lifestyle, and diet, but with varying degrees of strictness. If you’re not inclined to follow the plan to the letter, she encourages you to start by layering longevity practices into your life that are easily incorporated, such as simply swapping berries for bananas or merely eating in a 12-hour window.

The holistic program is a way of living, a set of practices that add up to positive health outcomes. I read the book well over a year ago, and while I had already innately been doing some of the program’s practices, there were other principles that I was able to implement into my lifestyle easily. A list of recommended DNA methylation superfoods is dubbed “The Dynamic Dozen” and is readily available and mostly universally palatable. However, for picky people like myself, there are relatively easy workarounds. (For instance, I’m not a beet fan, and beets are star methyl donors, so there are a couple of suggested solutions.) There is also a “Life Prescription” section with straightforward recommendations, a whole chapter on supplements, and a “How to tailor the program to your life” chapter.

The last half of the book is chock full of recipes, shopping lists, and a comprehensive nutrient guide. All add up to an understandable plan for putting the program into action. It’s one of the books in my bookshelf’s health and wellbeing section that I often pick up to refresh my thinking…hence the nagging notion about the purple slaw. I had gotten a little lax and needed a nudge. (Thank you, jolly gentleman waiter!)

Take the test and dive in
The program begins by measuring biological age to establish a baseline and track progress. While a handful of epigenetic biological age clocks are in use in the scientific community, there is a convenient and quick online Biological Age Self-assessment quiz on the Younger You website to get your feet wet. (I was heartened to learn my “subjective biological age” of 55 is nearly eight years younger than my chronological age.)

If you really want to take it a step further, there is a lab version consisting of a DIY at-home spot blood test, a more in-depth health habit questionnaire, and a personal follow-up with a clinical nutritionist to create a plan to optimize your health. I’m curious about the lab results, so I’ll take that soon!

In addition to the book, there are online courses in the methodology and one-on-one clinical services and support. I haven’t personally gone through the courses or accessed the clinic, but from the looks of them, I think they would benefit anyone interested in improving their overall health. 

Longevity science
There is good and bad news in the ever-evolving world of longevity science. The good news is singular: we can utilize many advancements with absolute validity to reduce biological age. The bad news, however, is twofold: first, much of it is very technical and challenging to decipher, so it’s not easy to put into practice; and second, there are probably an equal number of snake oil salesmen to the real deal scientists.

This post is the first in the “Next Level Longevity” series, in which I’ll endeavor to unpack the emerging science, separate the real from the snake oil, and put into practice what makes the most sense. The Younger You program opens the door to understanding epigenetics’ well-documented and critical role in controlling how we age and packages it in a digestible, implementable plan. I frequently find myself measuring food and lifestyle choices with its trusty yardstick and recommitting myself to doing better. It is a foundational tool in my quest to live well, age great.

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