For millennia, people have pursued the desire for eternal youth. In doing so, humans have not only tried bizarre but also sometimes life-threatening methods over the years. Whether it was mercury treatments, electron therapy, or the implantation of monkey glands – creativity knew no bounds in the past. Even X-ray facial treatments were in vogue for a time. Fortunately, thanks to modern research, we know significantly more today. While in the past aging was merely determined by optical features or personal feelings, there are now scientific methods like the Horvath clock that can objectively determine biological age.
But that's not all; science has shown that our biological age is reversible.Some even dream that in the future we will be able to completely turn back our biological clock and thus (theoretically) live forever. Even though we are still far from that today, research in this field is advancing rapidly.
Here we give you an overview of this exciting field. We explain to you what distinguishes biological from chronological age , what the Horvath clock is, and why the research on human clones has initiated a potentially revolutionary future therapy.
What does aging mean? Causes and mechanisms
Before we dive into the matter, we first need to deal with aging per se. Because even with today's knowledge, the process of human aging is still not fully understood.What is behind the aging process? Why are we so much more susceptible to diseases in our later decades of life?
According to recent research findings, genetic and epigenetic factors are particularly decisive for the aging process in humans. To understand the complex mechanisms behind aging, scientists like López-Otin have defined the Hallmarks of Aging . They are the key mechanisms that contribute to aging.
What is biological age and how does it differ from chronological age?
Biological age is not only measured by the months or years a person has lived (this is chronological age), but refers to physical and mental condition.This means concretely: a person is 40 calendar years old, but their biological age can be less than or greater than 40. The greater the deviation of biological age from chronological age, the younger or older one is at the cellular level. A baby is born with a biological age of 0 years. Over time, however, the biological age of every person increases.
Some people colloquially manage to “stay young.” In other words, this phrase describes that their appearance looks younger than their actual chronological age. Similarly, there is the opposite case, where people look significantly older or sicker than they actually are.
Did you know? At the so-called Rejuvenation Olympics, a kind of rejuvenation competition, there is an “Epigenetic Leaderboard.”There, participants compete to see who can lower their biological age the most. The founder is Bryan Johnson, a biotech entrepreneur who invests several million dollars annually in rejuvenation therapies. There is (as yet) no German counterpart to this.
What role does biological age play in longevity?
Biological age is directly related to a person's longevity. This large meta-study demonstrated that measuring biological age is a reliable method for predicting life expectancy. Additionally, the researchers identified factors that accelerate biological age.Among them were many chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, HIV, but also smoking, drinking, and socio-economic status. However, if there are factors that make people age faster, it must also be possible to "turn back the clock" or at least slow it down..
Among those working on this are doctors like Oliver Zolman, founder of the Longevity School and Zolman Clinics. With his approach, he aims to turn the biological clock of 80-year-olds back to that of a 60-year-old by 2030. Sounds ambitious, but also somewhat surreal at first. However, there will certainly be significant breakthroughs in the field of longevity research in the coming years – and all are directly related to biological age.
Measuring biological age with the Horvath clock and epigenetic tests
Especially in connection with the aging process, there are several indicators that can be used to u.a. assess biological age. These include the determination of telomere length or the evaluation of certain biomarkers in the blood. The currently most well-known method for determining biological age is a so-called “epigenetic test.” The idea for the Horvath Clock, introduced in 2011, is based on the relatively new field of research in epigenetics.
Epigenetic changes do not affect the genetic code itself. The ancient Greek syllable “epi” means around or upon – thus beyond our DNA.In epigenetics, one does not deal with mutations, but with modifications that influence the activity of certain genes. These modifications include, for example, methylation, which leads to the shutdown of cellular processes. In this process, a chemical group (CH3) is transferred to certain places in the genetic code, resulting in, for example, proteins no longer being produced. With increasing age, not only random changes occur, but also typical epigenetic changes. Since these changes (methylations) can be measured, they allow conclusions to be drawn about a person's biological age. From this information, Steve Horvath and his colleagues were able to develop a special algorithm that can determine biological age.
Epigenetic age explained simply: This is how the measurement works
Admittedly, it was expressed quite scientifically. Here is an analogy that might help you better understand an epigenetic age test. Imagine your DNA is the text in a book. However, you never read the entire book because it is far too large, but only sections of it. And to remember which sections you want to read, you have stuck little Post-It notes at the beginning and end of the text passage. These Post-It notes are your epigenetic markers, methylated sites on your DNA.They do not change your DNA itself, but determine which sections are read or found and which are not. If this explanation does not help you further, you can read our article on epigenetics. There we compare the markers to volume controls for better understanding.
Through researchers like Dr. Steve Horvath , we have found that some of these "Post-it notes" are suitable for measuring a person's biological age.
Epigenetic tests are mostly simple saliva tests - including the in-house Molecular Profile test from MoleQlar.
Why should one lower their biological age?
A high biological age is associated with many diseases such as z.B. cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases such as z.B. dementia. Researchers have developed algorithms that statistically evaluate the impact of biological age.
In addition to the epigenetic clock, telomere length has also come into focus in longevity research. A study showed that telomere length is inversely associated with cardiovascular diseases. This means: The longer the telomeres, the lower the likelihood of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. A similar relationship has been found between telomere length and Alzheimer’s disease.It is therefore quite sensible to keep your biological age as low as possible. Learn more about the connection between telomere shortening and aging in our article on telomere shortening.
Did you know? In a clinical study by Prof. Sekhar, older participants showed an improvement in various hallmarks of aging with regular intake of GlyNAC, including reduced inflammation, fewer senescent cells, decreased genomic instability , and improved insulin sensitivity. This is one of the few studies where direct results in humans, and not just in animals, have been investigated.
GlyNAC is a promising molecule when it comes to cellular energy and biological age.
Methods to reduce biological age – lifestyle, nutrition & exercise
There are a variety of methods and strategies to reduce biological age. Some of them are based on giving up certain habits or changing one's lifestyle. Oliver Zolman has also compiled scientific data on this.
According to experts, being a non-smoker compared to smoking can extend life by up to 12 years. Sports and exercise could potentially extend life by 8 years.Further measures include a calorie-reduced diet (z.B fasting ), a healthy BMI between 18.5 and 22.5 and, paradoxically according to a study, also the consumption of half a glass of wine due to the contained polyphenols.
One of the potentially interesting ingredients in (red) wine is the so-called resveratrol. It should be mentioned at this point that the correlation between longevity and moderate wine consumption has not always been reproducible in follow-up studies.
For powder fans and capsule lovers - Trans-Resveratrol from MoleQlar is for everyone.
Example Bryan Johnson: How an entrepreneur wants to lower his biological age
Also Bryan Johnson, the biotech entrepreneur and longevity hacker mentioned earlier, relies on a sophisticated longevity plan to lower his biological age. He eats 3 vegan meals and fasts daily for 16 to 18 hours. We have also written about the benefits of a plant-based diet and intermittent fasting in previous posts – and in our article on longevity and nutrition , several diet forms are discussed and compared in more detail.
Johnson's diet consists of large amounts of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and plant-based protein. In addition, he takes an incredible amount of 111 supplements daily! His daily supplement routine includes u.a. Vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids, NAD precursors, Calcium alpha-ketoglutarate or glucosamine.
Did you know? Blood for rejuvenation – this questionable method was tested by scientists from Harvard and Duke University on mice. The blood circulations of young mice were connected with those of older mice – in technical jargon also parabiosis called. For the first time, it was shown that, in addition to an improved stem cell function, enhanced cognitive performance, the epigenetic age of the old mice could also be lowered. This led to a longer life for the old mice and a better state of health.The task of the research is now to find out which factors in the blood of young mice are responsible for the decline in biological age.
Lowering biological age through molecular approaches – NAD, SIRT1 &and Spermidine in focus
In a very comprehensive paper the well-known aging researcher Dr. David Sinclair described the molecular processes behind aging and provided a summary of studies on reversing epigenetic age. He describes four stages in the life of a cell:
- A0: The embryonic cell.At this age, the cell is young and healthy
- A1: The young cell: The first signs of aging occur in the otherwise healthy cell
- A2: Aged cell: The cell is aged and no longer functions as well
- A3: Senescent cell: The cell has reached the end of its life and can no longer divide
Dr. Sinclair describes in his paper possible approaches to reverse biological aging. It mainly concerns A2 cells, as these can be rejuvenated through various methods. This is related to the fasting process. We have summarized the most important findings for you below. If you want to know the exact biochemical backgrounds, you can find them in our fasting article.
Sirtuins
Among the Sirtuins is a group of proteins that are potentially life-extending. Especially SIRT1, which requires NAD as a cofactor, plays an important role. High NAD levels, for example through the supplementation of precursors, along with the activation of SIRT1 (for instance through fasting, or molecules like resveratrol or glucosamine) lead to a measurable reduction of biological age.
Spermidine
Furthermore, the molecule Spermidine also seems to be effective.On the one hand, Spermidin is closely related to improved autophagy. When our in-house waste disposal is strengthened, old, damaged cells (A2) are disposed of more effectively. At the same time, spermidine acts on the histones. You can think of histones like the wrapping string of a gift. They are around your DNA. Spermidine can, similar to SIRT1, loosen histones so that the underlying DNA can be read. The crucial point is: The loosened histones are located at parts of the DNA that are associated with a longer life.
Did you know? As we age, our NAD levels decrease. By now, we know that high NAD levels have a positive effect on our health. They can also help lower our biological age by supporting the activity of SIRT1.
How can we counteract the decline of NAD levels with age? There are three possible approaches: First, one can supplement the precursors of NAD supplement. Second, support the NAD-producing enzymes. And third, slow down the breakdown of NAD. You can find all three options combined in the regeNAD Complex from MoleQlar. If you want to determine your NAD level, our NAD dry blood-test provides an easy way to do so.
With the NAD test from MoleQlar, you will find out where you stand regarding your NAD levels.
Turn back the biological clock? Future vision stem cells
Strengthening old cells through exercise, supplementation, and diet is a promising approach in aging research. However, if you want to turn back the biological clock even further, this approach will not be enough. Here we need to dive into the field of stem cell research:
What are stem cells? Basics explained
Each of us has a whole arsenal of stem cells. For example, stem cells in our bone marrow ensure that we can constantly produce new red blood cells, immune cells, and platelets. Simplified, a stem cell is capable of developing into different cells.Your "potency" depends on the type of stem cell.
Let's return to our example: A "hematopoietic" stem cell in the bone marrow can transform into a red blood cell, an erythrocyte, during division – but also into a lymphocyte or monocyte. Both are representatives of our immune system. However, the hematopoietic stem cell cannot transform into a kidney, liver, or heart muscle cell. As our stem cells become less efficient with age, we have fewer immune cells and are more susceptible to infections.
So, could the secret of biological rejuvenation be hidden here? Could we renew our organs, strengthen the immune system, and halt aging with healthy, new stem cells? This is still a vision of the future, but it could very well become a reality.
Yamanaka Factors and iPS Cells – A Look into the Future of Rejuvenation
The foundation for this was laid by the Japanese Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka from Kyoto University. He discovered the Yamanaka factors in 2006/2007. By introducing 4 genes, Yamanaka was able to convert skin cells back into embryonic stem cells. These are also referred to as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS for short. These cells are capable of transforming into all types of tissues, similar to a human clone.
However, the discovery was followed by disillusionment, as the introduced genes triggered cancer. We are still not at the point where we can renew our organs with stem cells.Research is being conducted with great enthusiasm in this area, and it is possible that groundbreaking new therapeutic approaches could emerge here.
Conclusion: Measure biological age and age healthily
The biological age is a crucial factor in the topic of longevity. Therefore, you should try to keep it as low as possible. In line with the motto "Healthy Ageing," which simply means aging healthily or that the chronological age is higher than the biological age. In the future, it will be exciting to see if and when there will be rejuvenation therapies that can drastically reset biological age. In the MoleQlar Magazine, we will keep you updated on this!
