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Insulin and aging Scientists have not yet figured out how we can all live to be 150. But recent research now suggests that the sugar-insulin connection may play a far more important role in longevity than most people realize. The link between sugar and aging started with studies in caloric restriction (CR). CR is not the same as dieting or starvation. It entails the reduction of caloric intake while maintaining the optimal intake of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, proteins, and essential fats. An article published in the August 2002 issue of Scientific American1, said that consumption of a low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet works extraordinarily well in a broad range of animals to increase longevity and prolong good health. To date, caloric restriction is the one means of retarding aging that is both well researched and proven. CR works as anti-aging therapy because it lowers body temperature, raises DHEA levels, and lowers plasma insulin levels. Unfortunately, for maximum benefit, people would have to reduce their caloric intake by roughly 30 percent (equivalent to dropping from 2,500 calories a day to 1,750 nutrient dense calories a day) to realize that benefit. Interestingly, lowering plasma insulin levels tends to lower body temperature and increase DHEA levels. This suggests that insulin may be a prime factor in the aging process. This was supported by studies that showed that the glucoregulatory agent, metformin (a prescription drug used to control diabetes), might be just as effective as CR in reversing aging and rejuvenating the elderly. RESEARCH LINKS INSULIN AND AGING The role of insulin in the aging process is becoming more and more apparent as new research becomes available. For example, last year, Brown University scientists found that insulin2: • Plays a central role in aging. The researchers concluded that insulin played a “central role” in aging. According to the study, when the chemical messages sent by an insulin-like hormone are reduced inside the fat cells of a fruit fly, the fly’s lifespan increases significantly, by an average of 50 percent. This is important, since fruit flies and humans share some 13,601 genes. • Regulates its own synthesis. The Brown University experiments shed important light on the role insulin plays in the regulation of its own synthesis. The study shows that if you block the hormone’s action inside a few specific cells, the entire body stays healthier longer. Scientists previously thought insulin triggered other hormones to achieve this effect, but Tatar and his team found that insulin regulates its own production and that it directly regulates tissue aging. Bottom line: keep insulin levels low and cells become stronger, better able to fight off infection and age-related diseases such as cancer, dementia, and stroke. THE PSEUDO-DIABETES OF AGING In contrast to the other hormones of aging that decline as we get older and cause manifestations of the aging process through their lower levels, circulating insulin levels actually increase in many individuals as they age. This occurs because the tissues that respond to insulin to lower blood sugar levels (liver, muscle, and fat cells) become resistant to its action. This, in turn, leads the pancreas to secrete more and more insulin in an attempt to keep the blood sugar at a normal level. This is sometimes called the pseudo-diabetes of aging. The higher circulating level of insulin sets into motion a cascade of damaging effects: • The cells lining the arteries produce higher levels of clotting factors and increase the risk of a heart attack; • Fat is accumulated, particularly in the abdominal region, which in turn makes the tissues more insulin resistant; and • The higher blood-sugar levels increase the accumulation of advanced glycation end products, which can destroy proteins, break down organs, and stiffen connective tissue. High insulin levels have also been linked to a higher incidence of certain cancers. If these levels remain high enough for a long enough period of time, they can kill the insulin producing cells in the pancreas and cause overt diabetes. Bottom line: A major focus of any anti-aging program is to keep insulin levels in a low normal range. So, what can you recommend to your patients? First, although as far as drugs go, metformin is relatively benign, it is not totally without side effects — and it is available only by prescription. It has also been known to cause death from lactic acidosis. WHAT YOU CAN DO It is quite likely that some minor changes in lifestyle and the use of natural supplements can offer the same benefits with no negative side effects and at less cost. As you work with patients in an anti-aging protocol, advise them to: • Cut back on refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates are probably the top controllable aging factor. Tell patients to move their diets away from refined grains and sugars and eat foods consisting of complex carbohydrates found in most vegetables (but not potatoes), proteins, and natural fats (avoiding refined oils and hydrogenated oils). Fresh fruits are okay in moderation, but absolutely unacceptable in processed form (as found in pastries and jellies) and unacceptable as found in bottled juices. • Do a fresh vegetable juice fast one or two days a week. I have always recommended doing just that for its health benefits in cleaning out the body; but as it turns out, it also has significant longevity benefits. Studies have shown that when rodents are fed all they can eat, but fasted every two, three, or four days, they have an increase in longevity, though the increase isn’t quite as great as that of rodents on the standard kind of calorie restriction. • Use natural glucoregulatory herbs with your meals. The use of these herbal extracts will significantly reduce the amount of simple carbs the body absorbs, and minimize the insulin response from those that get through. In effect, they will mimic the effect of metformin, without the side effects. These include herbs such as: nopal cactus, konjac mannan, gymnema sylvestre, high galactomannan fenugreek extract, banaba leaf extract, bittermellon extract, and cinnamon extract. • Use a full spectrum antioxidant formula. This will minimize the destructive aging impact of free radicals produced in the body. • Use an L-carnosine based formula. This minimizes the impact of advanced glycation end products, which can destroy proteins, break down organs, and stiffen connective tissue. • Consider using an all-natural progesterone crème. There are formulas available for both men and women to help throttle back insulin production in the body. One final note. Make sure you tell your patients that it is never too late to start. Studies have shown that CR is just as effective in extending life span late in life as it is early in life.3 In fact, many of the major benefits can be received in as little as four weeks on a program. So, keep your patients alive and well and they will greatly appreciate your services. References 2 Dae Sung Hwangbo, Boris Gersham, Meng-Ping Tu, Michael Palmer, Marc Tatar. Drosophila dFOXO controls lifespan and regulates insulin signalling in brain and fat body. Nature June 3, 2004; 429: 562-566 3 Dhahbi, J. Reduced Calorie Intake May Prolong Life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 22, 2004, early edition. |
Jon Barron, author of Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, is president of Baseline of Health Foundation and International Health Resources. He can be contacted through the Web site, Advertising | Classifieds | Cardpack | Datebook | Past Issues | Chiro History
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