Peter Attia is one of the most renowned and well-known people in the longevityscene. The American doctor with Canadian roots is known, among other things, for his podcast "Drive", in which he discusses a variety of topics for a healthy and long life together with guests.
With his new book "Outlive - The Science and Art of Longevity", Peter Attia also became known outside the scientific community. But after all the scientific studies, what is his recipe for success for living as long as possible in good health? Find out more about Peter Attia's background and which routines he believes lead to a longer life expectancy.
Who is Peter Attia?
For those who don't know him yet, Peter Attia is a Stanford graduate and former general surgeon at John Hopkins Hospital. His childhood dream, however, was not medicine, but to become a professional boxer . More than 6 hours of training a day was normal for him. Sport still plays a crucial role in his life, but his goals have changed quite a bit.
Peter Attia's background
After graduating in math and engineering, he switched to medicine. Early on in his career, he realized that classical medicine, which he calls Medicine 2.0 in his book, was not enough for him. Too often, he had to see his patients' illnesses progress too far for them to really be cured.
This frustrated him so much that he gave up his surgical career and initially switched industries completely. For a few years, he worked for the corporate consultancy McKinsey, before returning to medicine. In his practice ("Early Medical"), he is dedicated to longevity and the prevention of disease.
Did you know?
Degree in medicine, math, engineering, consultant at McKinsey, TED speaker, podcaster and entrepreneur. When you look at Peter Attia's CV, you think of a high achiever at school. According to him, this was not the case. He was rather lost at school and many teachers did not see any potential in him. Except for one, to whom he is still grateful to this day. Without this teacher, he would never have gone to university.
According to Peter Attia, the path to longevity is primarily through physical activity.
What does Peter Attia do today?
In addition to his medical practice, Peter Attia appears on several podcasts and also hosts his own, "Drive"where he discusses the latest scientific findings on the subject of longevity. In doing so, he managed to generate enthusiasm for scientific topics among the general public for months and years. For example, David Sinclair did something similar with his book "Lifespan".
In his book, Peter Attia lists the most important reasons for ageing and explains in an understandable way (albeit in English) what we can do about it. He doesn't just list loose scientific studies to back up his theses, but puts the scientific findings into practice in his everyday life. In his book, he takes the reader on his personal and exciting journey, including missteps and mistakes, through the world of longevity research.
Medicine 3.0 - what's behind the term
To understand the difference between Medicine 2.0 and Medicine 3.0, Peter Attia gives the following example: Medicine 2.0 deals with the treatment of diseases that have already manifested themselves. This means that a doctor only treats diabetes mellitus when it can be shown in the laboratory with increased blood sugar levels . Medicine 3.0 in contrast, takes a closer look at the causes behind the disease and treats the diabetes at an earlier stage, when only insulin resistance is present. This is because it is still reversible.
The basis for his statements are the findings of many years of research. Ageing is a process that takes place at various molecular and biochemical levels in our body.
If you want to delve deeper into the molecular level of ageing, take a look at our series of articles on the topic Hallmarks of Aging . Here you will find the individual molecular building blocks of ageing explained in an understandable way and with concrete examples.
Did you know?
Peter Attia set himself fitness goals at the young age of 13. Back then, he wrote them down on small pieces of paper and this method helped him to get better and better. He still uses the same mental trick today.
Chronic diseases - the four horsemen of the apocalypse
Peter Attia invests a large part of his working time in the prevention of chronic diseases. In particular, he focuses on four disease groups, which he likes to call the four horsemen of the apocalypse, as they are responsible for more than 80% of deaths in people over 50who do not smoke.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse are:
- Arteriosclerosis (associated with cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease)
- Krebs
- Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's
- "Fundamental" diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2
In addition to explaining the processes behind these diseases, Peter Attia gives some advice on how to prevent them.
Attia's anti-aging recipe:
Sport, sport, sport! One of the main pillars of Peter Attia's book is his fiery plea for more exercise:
"More than any other tactical domain we discuss in this book, exercise has the greatest power to determine how you will live out the rest of your life..."
He recommends a mix of strength and endurance exercise, with a focus on different training intensities and exercises. Admittedly, his training program may not be sustainable for everyone. At least 10 hours a week, including some "unusual" exercises, may sound quite ambitious.
One of Peter Attia's favorite exercises is running fast with a 20-30 kilogram backpack on his back. Based on the intensity and scope of the training, you can recognize the (almost) professional athlete behind it. Peter Attia himself says that he needs the endorphin rush to survive.
But that shouldn't put anyone off. Just 90 minutes of exercise a week can have a very positive effect on your health!
Sport - and what else?
Although sport takes up several chapters in Peter Attia's book, there are a few more ingredients to his anti-ageing recipe.
To prevent arteriosclerosis, he has regular blood tests carried out to determine his ApoB value among other things. He interprets the studies to mean that the lower the ApoB value, the lower the risk of developing arteriosclerosis. For this reason, he takes various medications such as statins, ezetimibe and PCSK-9 inhibitors to lower his blood lipid levels.
If you want to know the exact background to ApoB and find out what role your blood lipid levels play in longevity, then take a look at our guide to blood lipid levels
To protect himself against cancer Peter Attia makes use of regular check-ups, such as gastroscopies and colonoscopies. Against neurodegenerative diseases he applies the same concept as for arteriosclerosis because poorer blood flow to the brain in old age is a risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Wusstest Du?
Some studies have found that people in countries where many soy products are eaten have a lower risk of cancer. Soy, whether as tofu, soy milk or tempeh, contains many isoflavones, which can have a positive effect on telomere length. As a reminder: telomeres are the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes.
Another "widespread disease" is diabetes or, in its preliminary stage, insulin resistance. Peter Attia sees insulin resistance as one of the main factors in the deterioration of health in old age.
Did you know?
Studies show that Berberine, a naturally occurring pigment extracted from the bark of barberry plants, has an effect on the body via the regulation of several signaling pathways and longevity pathways, including AMPK, NF-κB, sirtuins and several others . Among other things, on our sugar metabolism. Berberine (as well as the trace elements chromium andzinc ) have been shown in several scientific studies to have a positive influence on blood sugar levels (particularly insulin sensitivity) . All three substances occur in combination in the Berberine Mineral Complex from MoleQlar .
Berberin phospholipid with chromium and zinc - for your sugar metabolism.
Sleep to live - Peter Attia on the importance of restful sleep.
Ever since the renowned researcher Matthew Walker published his bestselling book "The Big Book of Sleep" , a greater number of people have become aware of the importance of good sleep . This includes Peter Attia, who in his earlier days as a surgeon experienced first-hand what chronic sleep deprivation can do to you. Nowadays, he attaches greater importance to sleep and tries to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep regularly .
Did you know
Another interesting substance extracted from soy is spermidine. It is a naturally occurring polyamine and has been shown in some studies to have a life-prolonging effect. It can stimulate autophagy processes and switch old cells back to "youthful" via epigenetic changes in the cell nucleus.
Spermidine highly dosed from soybean extract and chlorella algae powder.
Mental health - what's the point of a long life if it's not worth living
In the last chapter of his book, Peter Attia describes his very personal story and why he now believes that a healthy mind is the most important ingredient in the anti-ageing recipe. Without joy, a long life is more of a punishment than a gift. Working with psychologists, Peter Attia was able to work through his "own demons from childhood" that prevented him from living a happy life in the here and now.
This process had not been easy for him. Nor was it a straight path; he had to overcome many setbacks. His anger and obsession, coupled with an obsession with perfectionism, had almost cost him his marriage and many good friends. He was never enough for himself and always wanted to be even better. But this eventually took the joy out of his life.
Only with the help of psychologists did he get back on the right track. It is a heartfelt appeal to not forget your own psyche alongside all the optimization possibilities.
The supplement routine from Peter Attia
In his podcast, Peter Attia recently revealed which supplements he takes and his reasons behind them:
- Omega-3 in the form of fish oil: Peter Attia takes a fairly high dose of 2g EPA and 1.5g DHA per day. In the podcast, he also reveals his reason. He wants to ensure that the concentration of EPA and DHA on the cell membrane of his red blood cells is 12%.
- Vitamin D: Here he takes 5,000 International Units (IU) daily to prevent vitamin D deficiency .
- Magnesium: In total, he tries to consume 1 gram of magnesium. Mainly through magnesium oxide, which you can also find in our Magnesium Complex .
- Folic acid and vitamin B12 : Peter Attia is a big fan of measurable biomarkers. A B12 and folic acid deficiency can lead to anemia. This is one of the reasons why he takes these two supplements. Another is his homocysteine level. Excessive levels of this amino acid can promote cardiovascular disease. Betaine (TMG)is also particularly effective against high homocysteine .
- Vitamin B6. Here the American takes 50mg three times a week. B6 can also help with high homocysteine levels.
- Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) . Here he takes a small dose every day, but also warns that the study situation is not clear. The older you get, the higher the risk of falling. For this reason, you should not take aspirin without a clear indication!
- 2 g Glycine powder: This amino acid is a real all-rounder in our body. Did you know that around 35% of our collagen consists of glycine Collagen is responsible for the firmness of our skin and decreasing collagen concentration is one of the reasons why our skin ages. If you combine glycine with three methyl groups, you get the well-known betaine (TMG)from beet. Betaine releases the methyl groups in the body, for example to help convert the harmful homocysteine into the harmless methionine.
- Ashwagandha : Peter Attia takes 600mg daily. The Indian sleeping berry is said to have a number of positive properties and has long been part of Ayurvedic medicine. Ashwagandha is said to promote sleep in particular and relieve stress .
