1 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. And 2 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: if you remember from last week, I announced that we're 3 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 1: going to do a series on the twelve major hallmarks 4 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,159 Speaker 1: of aging and what we can do to prevent or 5 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: reduce the rate of aging from these hallmarks. So this 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: week is the first one, and we're going to explore 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: the topic of genomic instability, which is one of the 8 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: primary hallmarks of aging. You might be thinking, what the 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 1: hell is genomic or genomic instability. The clue really is 10 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: in the genome and this is really about our DNA 11 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: and managed to maintain the stability of our DNA. So 12 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: you probably know our DNA acts as a bit of 13 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: a blueprint for everything that happens in the body. Now, 14 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: over time, this generic material is constantly exposed to damage 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: from sources like ultraviolet light, toxins in the environment, and 16 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: even the natural process of metabolism and particularly breaking down 17 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: oxygen at a cellular level to create energy which then 18 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: create oxidative stress. So one way to look at it 19 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 1: is thinking of your DNA as a library of instructions 20 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: that basically tail sales what to do and when it's damaged, 21 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: it's like the pages in a book, becoming torn or smudged, 22 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: and you lose clarity on how things should operate. And 23 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: the issue with aging is that our DNA reper systems 24 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,199 Speaker 1: think of them as the natural librarians. They actually become 25 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: less efficient as you get older, which then allows these 26 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: damages to accumulate. And this genomic instability contributes to many 27 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: age related diseases, including, but not limited to, cancer, neurodegenertive diseases, 28 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: and immune dysfunction. No, what do we do about it? Well, 29 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: the first intervention you probably won't be surprised is exercise, 30 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: because the coe news is that exercise has a profound 31 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: impact on our cellular repair systems, and it does it 32 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: by a few different mechanisms. The firstly, I'm sorry. The 33 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: first mechanism is that exercise boosts or uplifts are DNA 34 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: repair mechanisms. So it's been shown to activate the repair 35 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: pathways that DNA repair pathways in the body, particularly the 36 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: ones that deal with the broken strands of DNA, and 37 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: it does this by boosting enzymes that actually fix these 38 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: errors before they become harmful. The next way that exercise 39 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: can be helpful in this process is by reducing oxidative stress. 40 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: So I hinted at that earlier on and I said, 41 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: just the normal process of metabolism can be harmful. Oxidative 42 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: stress occurs when there's an imbalance between free radicals, which 43 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:14,799 Speaker 1: are unstable molecules, and our antioxidant defense system in the body. 44 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: So that can be our indogenous antioxidant defense system, or 45 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: the antioxidants that we get from food. We call those 46 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: exogenous antioxidants. And this oxidative stress, we know is a 47 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: major contributor to DNA damage. So regular exercise produces the 48 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: body's production of antioxidants, and you're indogenous antioxidants, and this 49 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: is really really critical, right, I often so we know 50 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: that exercise boosts the production of a number of genes 51 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: involved in these antioxidant defense and they would be superoxide, dismutis, 52 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: glutotherone perioxidase, and the third one is catalyse. Now I 53 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: often refer to these antioxide and as the special forces 54 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: of your antioxin defense system. We know they are much 55 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: more potent than antioxidants that you get from food. So 56 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: doing regular exercise really increases the special forces for this 57 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: antioxin defense, which is really what you're after. Then the 58 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: third mechanism by which exercise is useful is that it 59 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: promotes autopogy, or this cellular spring clean that goes on. 60 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: So exercise has been known to activate autoplogy, particularly in 61 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 1: the muscle cells. And what that does is it basically 62 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:44,119 Speaker 1: cleans out the damaged cellular components, including those that could 63 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: harm DNA. You can think of this as the body's 64 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: housekeeping system that is working all the time to ensure 65 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: everything stays tidy and functional. And then the last way 66 00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: that exercise is useful for DNA damage or minimizing dnaamage 67 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: is improving your mitochondrial efficiency. And we will do a 68 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: deeper dive on this because mitochon damage mitochondria is one 69 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: of the major hallmarks. But we know that when our 70 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: mitochondria are not working well, it actually increases our DNA damage. 71 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: We know that exercise dramatically improves mitochondrial function, not only 72 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: the function, but it can also improve the number or 73 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: increase the numbers called mitochondria boogenesis, and having good mitochondria 74 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: and lots of them indirectly reduces DNA damage by keeping 75 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: oxidative stress in check. So they're the mechanisms by which 76 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: exercise is useful, and there's lots of research to show 77 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: that individuals who engage in regular, moderate to vigorous physical 78 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: intense exercise have lower levels of DNA damage and better 79 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: overall genomic stability compared to sentary individuals. And one thing 80 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: escinating study involving endurance athletes find that regular exercise increases 81 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: the expression of genes responsible for DNA repair, suggesting that 82 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: staying active can literally rewrite your body's ability to protect 83 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: itself at a cellular level. So we know from all 84 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: of the research, wes, I'm not going to go through 85 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: it at all, but we know that aerobic activities typical 86 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: cardio like running, cycling, swimming, they improve our cardiovascar health 87 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: and reduce our oxidative stress. We know that lifting weights, 88 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: lifting heavy shit as I like to say, has been 89 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: linked to enhance DNA repair mechanisms, and also high intensity 90 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: interval training. So there's a twenty twenty three study in 91 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: Nature Communications that show that regular moderate to vigorous exercise 92 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: increases the expression of DNA repair enzymes. And particularly interesting 93 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: with the finding that high intensity interval training seem to 94 00:06:54,760 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: be especially effective us up regulating these pathways. SPOT appears 95 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,799 Speaker 1: to be that government guidelines that minimum of one hundred 96 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: and fifty Well it's actually one hundred and fifty to 97 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: three hundred minutes of moderate figure physical activity or seventy 98 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: five to one hundred and fifty minutes a week of 99 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: vigorous physical activity, and don't forget to incorporate lifting heavy shit. 100 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: Now let's talk about nutrition. So there's been several nutrients 101 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: that have been shown to support DNA repair mechanisms, and 102 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: particularly foliate and vinamin B twelve are crucial for DNA 103 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: synthesis and what's called methylation, that ability to switch on 104 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: and switch off genes and regulate the expression of our genes, 105 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: which is really really key. So we know that green 106 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: leafy vegetables lay goomes fortified foods. They are excellent sources, 107 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: but animal foods are probably the best source of vinomen 108 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: V twelve, which is why if you're vegetarian or vegan, 109 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: you've really got a supplement because multiple lines of research 110 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: have showing that vegetarians and especially vegans are deficient in 111 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: P twelve, So ensure that you're supplementing if you're on 112 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: one of those diets. We know that a deficiency in 113 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: these nutrients has been directly linked to DNA strand breaks. Now, 114 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: just a little thing on folio, and this is where 115 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: we get a little bit technical of it and certain 116 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: variations of a particular gene, the MTFR gene, which we 117 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: call the motherfucker gene. If you have certain variations of it, 118 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: you really don't metabolize foliate very very well, and you 119 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: need to have an activated form. Now, the best way 120 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 1: to find out that is to actually do a generic test. 121 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: Go and see Denise who's been on this podcast. I 122 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: will put a link in to her website where you 123 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: can go and actually get some testing done. Because if 124 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: you're eating folio but you can't youake it done, it 125 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: can sometimes do more damage than good. And there's lots 126 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: of foods that are fortified in foli it, so you'll 127 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: want to make sure that you're actually able to use 128 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: the foliate in your diet. So the next thing is zinc. 129 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 1: Zinc actually plays a vital role in DNA repair enzymes, 130 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: and studies suggests maintaining optimal zinc levels through foods like 131 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: oysters are brilliant sources of zinc. As there's beef and 132 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: then to a lesser extent, things like pumpkin seeds. They 133 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: can enhance our sales ability to fix DNA damage. But 134 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: perhaps the most fascinating nutritional intervention is the role of sulfurifian, 135 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: which is the main active ingredient in cruciferous vegetables like 136 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: broccoli and cabbage. And you get like ridiculous amounts of sulfurifine, 137 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: particularly in broccoli sprouts. So if you can be arked 138 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 1: to sprout your own broccoli, that's ideal, or you can 139 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: actually buy broccoli sprouts, but just having lots of cruciferous 140 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: vegetables like broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, kale, all of those things 141 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: high in sulphurior fain, which activates the NRF two pathway, 142 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: and that pathway is really critical in cellular defense against 143 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 1: DNA damage. Now, the next thing I want to talk 144 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: about is sleep, and that is our time for cellular maintenance. 145 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: When we go to sleep, our sales activate these DNA 146 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: reper mechanisms and these are little enzymes. Just want to 147 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: think of these little enzymes that run all the way 148 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: through your body, checking yourselves looking for cancerous and pre 149 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: cancerous sales, and when they find them, they tag them 150 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: and then your natural killer sales come along and execute them, 151 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: which is pretty cool shit. What we know is that 152 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: groundbreak and study from the University of Washington to show 153 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: that just one night of poor sleep can alter the 154 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: expression of over a one hundred gene involved in DNA 155 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: rapper mechanisms. So ensuring that you're getting regular, good sleep 156 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: it's hugely important. I've talked a lot of times about 157 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: sleep hygiene, but one of the other things that's important 158 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: to note around sleep is that if you eat late 159 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: at night, the basically your liver and your pancreas will 160 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:26,839 Speaker 1: sense the nutrients and they actually switch on what are 161 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: called these peripheral clocks that then turn off our DNA 162 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: reper mechanisms. So making sure that you finish eating three 163 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: hours before you go to bed is really important for 164 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: your DNA rapper right. And I know there's lots of 165 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: couples sit and listen to this and one of them go, see, 166 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 1: I told you we should be eating dinner early. Sorry 167 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: for the other people, but that is the research. Now 168 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: let's talk about some other interventions that show promise but 169 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: need a bit more research. One is the whole concept 170 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: of core misis. You know, I love this concept. This 171 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:06,079 Speaker 1: is basically mild intermittent stress and that's that what doesn't 172 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: kill you makes you stronger, because we know that certain 173 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 1: hormetic interventions are repair or help our cellular repairer systems. 174 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: So that's things like exercise, which I've talked about already, 175 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: intermittent fasting, which research is showing can entanse your DNA 176 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: repair by activating certoons, and I talked about that late 177 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: night eating, so avoiding that cold exposure. Some researchers are 178 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,679 Speaker 1: showing some evidence that cold regular cold water exposure may 179 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: stabilize DNA structure as can solely use. So basically the 180 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: staff that is releasing heat shock proteins or cold shop 181 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: proteins either or are actually protects our cellular components. So 182 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: that intermittent exposure to stressors or toxins, which at high 183 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: levels can kill you, at low to moderate levels drive 184 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: hormetic mechanisms which, amongst other things, protect your DNA repair. 185 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: And the last thing I want to say, I've been 186 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: talking about all the stuff that you can do to 187 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: improve your DNA repairer and the other obvious thing is 188 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: on the other side of the ledger and trying to 189 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: minimize your DNA repair damage. So probably three things stand 190 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: out here. One is just making sure you don't have 191 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 1: excessive UV exposure from the sun, because we know that 192 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: excessive UV exposure actually causes DNA damage, so it's important. 193 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: It's kind of the Goldilocks effect with some it can't 194 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:39,599 Speaker 1: be too much, can't be too little, it's got to 195 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: be just right. And then the next one is chronic inflammation, 196 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: so having diseases or conditions, whether their aarable ball syndrome, 197 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: dental issues as well, can crosse chronic inflammation or autoimmune conditions. 198 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: These things that chronic inflammation can really rekavoc with your 199 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: DNA repair mechanisms, so making sure you try and address that. 200 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: And then the last one is minimizing your oxidative stress, 201 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: so reducing the amount of ultra process shit and exposure 202 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: to environmental toxins everything from chemicals in makeup, plastics that 203 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: are frigging everywhere. And it's basically just trying to eat 204 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: good foods and not exposing yourself to your whole rains 205 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: of toxins, which is kind of hard to do in 206 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: modern life, but there are certainly things that we can do. 207 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: So just to wrap up, remember that genetics, our genomic 208 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: stability isn't just about preventing damage. It's also about enhancing 209 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: our natural repair mechanisms, and it's making sure that we 210 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: are affecting both sides of the Ledger. That's it for 211 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: this week. Catch you next week for the next installment.