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We cannot rely on the magical elixir of life to stay forever young and healthy, but we can change certain lifestyle habits associated with premature aging. Our guest and professor of Biochemistry and Physiology at the National University of Singapore, Dr. Brian Kennedy, focuses on longevity and disease prevention in the newest episode of the Longevity by Design podcast.
In this episode of the Longevity by Design podcast, our co-hosts, Dr. Gil Blander and Ashley Reaver, are joined by Dr. Brian Kennedy to discuss his research on longevity and aging. In this episode, Dr. Brian Kennedy unpacks concepts like caloric restriction, lifestyle habits, and specific supplements that can impact longevity and what's to come in the field of longevity in the future. Tune in to the latest episode to find out more. If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Brian Kennedy's unique discovery, you definitely will not want to miss this one.
Meet Longevity by Design’s podcast guest, Dr. Brian Kennedy
Dr. Brian Kennedy is a professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Physiology at the National University of Singapore. Additionally, he is the Director of the Center for Healthy Aging. He seeks new ways of delaying, preventing, and treating human aging and associated diseases. Dr. Brian Kennedy is currently running two programs. The first takes place at the Center for Healthy Longevity, and it demonstrates the effects interventions have on human aging. The second program is held at the Bia-Echo Asia Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equality. It focuses on understanding declining fertility in women to increase women’s options regarding career and family planning.
Longevity is a complex matter, but Dr. Brian Kennedy explains its most vital details in the latest episode of the Longevity by Design podcast. Find out more about how food choices, supplements, exercise, and other lifestyle habits that we can control encourage longevity and prevent associated diseases.
Fasting may impact longevity, and be a more sustainable option than caloric restriction
Food, of course, is an integral part of every human being's life. Moreover, an increasing body of research points to the connection between the amount of food consumed, micronutrients, and longevity.
"You're a human, and you're eating. And if you're not getting any excess calories, you have to make sure you get all the right micronutrients. Many people do calorie restriction, and it works for them. But I think for the majority of the population, it is challenging to achieve it. And that's one of the reasons that fasting became so prominent. I think fasting is an easier thing to do. It's more sustainable for people." Dr. Brian Kennedy continues, "A fasting approach is pretty sustainable, and it likely gives them a beneficial effect on age."
Dr. Brian Kennedy uses biomarkers to quantify aging
Common markers used to evaluate a person's biological state, and condition are walking speed, strength, pulse wave, velocity, and more. However, what these markers can tell us are limited by older chronological age.
Dr. Brian Kennedy talks about the necessity of markers that can quantify biological aging at any chronological age. "If you're doing interventions at a younger age, which is what we want to do to prevent disease, you need measurable biomarkers. What we're measuring are your biological agents, which is more telling than your chronologic age. If you look at 10-year-olds and 50-year-olds, they don't need a DNA sequencing machine to determine that they're aging at different rates. We can predict biological age, not from your skin, but the age of your whole body, using things like inflammatory markers and metabolomes."
Dr. Brian Kennedy uses his own age as an example, "I’m 54, and my biological age says I'm 50. That's not an error of the measurement. That's measuring my biological age. So, I’m aging better than my chronological age.”
Four habits to implement today to slow aging
The key to achieving a healthier longer life lies in simple, improved lifestyle habits. Embracing these four factors lead to successful aging and disease prevention: a sustainable exercise regimen, a healthy diet, stress management, and sleep.
"Any little changes that can be made in healthier directions in those areas will have an impact. And not only will they have an impact 20 years from now, but they'll have an impact right now. But they have to be sustainable. If I tell people to be vegan or marathon runners, they're not going to do it. The secret is incorporating things that you like and are sustainable in your lifestyle. If you can do that, your health will improve.”
Predictions for the future of longevity
Dr. Brian Kennedy concludes with his thoughts on the future of aging, "Aging is the biggest risk factor for everything, and we need to do something about it. And it seems obvious to me now, but it's hard to convince politicians, clinicians, and other people that this is true. I'm very optimistic that in the next 5 to 10 years we'll have good, convincing data that interventions truly impact human aging, and are scalable on a population level.”
