X-Message-Number: 19864
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 15:59:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scott Badger <>
Subject: Re: CR going mainstream

Thomas Donaldson <> wrote:
 
> About calorie restriction:
> 
> Calorie restriction, as done on rats initially, will
> increase their
> lifespan. The experiment has been done repeatedly on
> rats with the same result; 
> 
> However in some ways it is done in a paradoxical
> way. No, we do
> NOT just lower glucose levels or that of any single
> nutrient. WE
> keep the total calorie level lower than before, but
> try to make
> sure that we get enough vitamins, minerals, etc.
> Right now there
> are efforts going on to understand why it works, and
> thus find
> out have to get the same effect without the
> discomfort of calorie restriction itself.
> 
> But restricting sugar, or any other single nutrient,
> or even a  subgroup of them, just doesn't work. 



This from the FAQ of the www.calorierestriction.org

BY WHAT MEANS DOES CR WORK?

"...many theories of aging hold that aging has
something to do with the body's use of glucose: the
higher the circulating levels of glucose are, one of
these theories holds, the more likely the glucose is
to form damaging chemical links to essential
biological molecules, like enzymes and DNA; over time,
this damage is fatal."

This is the Glycosylation Theory of Aging which
suggests that cross-links generated in proteins and
nucleic acids by nonenzymatic glycosylation may
contribute to age-related declines in the functioning
of cells and tissues.

Dr. Dean Ward believes that Metformin can safely
effectively mimic the glucose lowering effects of CR
(see caveats).

Here's a quote from Paul Wakfer,

"Next to free radical damage, I think that glycation
and its advanced end-products (AGEs) is the most
important aging decline producer, of the system
garbage accumulation type (as distinct from things
like telomere shortening). AGEs, in particular,
accumulate irreversibly (or at least with very low
destruction rates) are implicated in many, many
disease processes (just have a look at the number of
abstracts on medline sometime). In addition, I think
that lowered average glucose (and glycation, and
perhaps insulin as well) is *one* of the reasons why
CR extends lifespan.

My fasting blood glucose, even on calorie restriction
is never very low (normally 89-94 - still 80 at the
end of my 64 hour fast). I therefore have taken steps
to lower its average level (acarbose lowers both the
spikes and the average, but not the fasting level) and
the consequent glycation pressure. I am also taking
several things (aminoguanidine among them) which
should lower the glycation rate for a given average
blood glucose. Metformin is that only (safe) thing
that actually lowers fasting glucose levels in
diabetics. At least one person that I know who
is not a diabetic has told me that it also lowered his
fasting glucose."

Though I never said that lowering blood glucose was
the only thing one has to do to add years, I remain
convinced that sugar is a major culprit in aging and
should be tightly controlled by non-diabetics as well
as diabetics. Of course, a sensible diet and exercise
are always part of any life extension regimen as well.

Scott Badger


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