Aging is inevitable, but more and more scientists think how we age can change. A recent TIME magazine interview with longevity researcher Dr. Nir Barzilai looks at why some people live past 100 and stay healthy, and how his work could help more of us do the same. Below is a recap of the interview, and where we think food fits in.
The science of aging and longevity
Dr. Barzilai directs the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He believes we're in the middle of a shift: instead of treating heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's as an unavoidable part of getting older, researchers are going after aging itself. Aging drives many of those conditions, so slowing it down could push them back.
His interest started as a teenager, when he noticed his grandfather, then only in his 60s, already looked frail. Later he learned that biological age (how fast your body is wearing out) can be different from chronological age (the number of candles on your cake). That gave him hope that we might age better.
Research on centenarians backs up his optimism. In the interview, he says his team has studied around 850 people who reached 100 or older, and that on average they developed diseases 30 years later than the general population and were sick for only a short time before they died. Genes play a big role. Many centenarians carry variants that turn down the body's growth hormone pathways, so less energy goes to growth and more goes to repair. Most of us don't have those genes, but finding them could lead to drugs that copy their effects.
What we can do today: lifestyle strategies
While scientists hunt for "longevity genes," Barzilai says there's plenty we can do now. He points to the basics: sleep, exercise, diet and staying socially connected. Each has real biological effects, at any age. He's wary of the flood of unregulated "anti-aging" supplements, since a bottle may not contain what it says and nobody fully understands how supplements interact.
He's more hopeful about a few prescription drugs already approved for other uses, including metformin, GLP-1 agonists and bisphosphonates. These seem to affect pathways involved in aging, and researchers are studying whether they're safe and effective for that purpose.
Barzilai also practices intermittent fasting himself, going about 18 hours a day without food. He credits it with more muscle and clearer thinking. Animal studies suggest that time without food switches on repair pathways linked to longer life.
Emerging therapies on the horizon
He's also excited about several early-stage treatments:
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which exposes the body to high levels of oxygen and may help cells repair damage.
- Mitochondrial replenishment. As we age, our mitochondria (the cells' power plants) decline in number and function, and infusing healthy mitochondria might help rejuvenate tissue.
- Partial cellular reprogramming, which aims to "reset" cells to a younger state. Barzilai imagines young adults one day getting occasional treatments to keep their cells young.
- Super-ager studies. The American Federation for Aging Research, where Barzilai serves, is recruiting 10,000 centenarians to find more longevity genes and build targeted therapies.
All of this is early, but it shows how fast the science of aging is moving.
How ChipMonk Baking fits into a longevity lifestyle
Diet is one of the pillars Barzilai keeps coming back to, and a lot of packaged snacks are loaded with sugar and refined carbs. We bake the other kind. Our cookies and bites are low-carb, made with almond flour, and sweetened with allulose and monk fruit instead of sugar.
A cookie won't add years to your life. But if you pair good food with the other basics (exercise, sleep, friends and less stress), you're doing what the research points to. And while researchers like Dr. Barzilai keep working on the rest, we'll be cheering them on, cookie in hand.
Note: This post summarizes key points from Dr. Nir Barzilai's interview in TIME magazine. It is not medical advice. Talk with a health professional before changing your lifestyle or taking any medication.
