Is the Fountain of Youth actually hiding in your own body?

The Spanish explorer Ponce de León famously searched for the Fountain of Youth, but he could have found it without ever leaving Spain. In fact, he didn’t even have to leave his house!

That’s because the “fountain” was inside him the whole time.

According to new research, this access to a youthful, rejuvenating effect is available to you too. But it’s not a fountain, it’s a fascinating chain reaction in your body that’s just waiting to happen.

And setting it in motion couldn’t be easier.

Maintaining all-important muscle and antioxidant activity

For many years, researchers at Japan’s Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have been studying aging and metabolism.

Today I’ll share the results of two OIST studies, beginning with their most recent, published in Scientific Reports this past January.

The researchers analyzed blood samples taken from four participants who had just fasted for 58 hours. Specifically, the OIST team monitored the activity of metabolites—compounds produced by cells when your metabolism converts nutrients into energy.

These compounds include proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, vitamins, and minerals.

To the surprise of the researchers, 44 metabolites increased activity when prompted by fasting in all four participants. In some cases, the metabolites became 60 times more active.

Previously, this research team identified certain metabolites that became less active with age. But even those metabolites got a significant boost under the influence of fasting.

Here’s how one of the researchers put the results in perspective: “These are very important metabolites for maintenance of muscle and antioxidant activity, respectively.

“This result suggests the possibility of a rejuvenating effect by fasting, which was not known until now.”

It may not have been known, but previous research pointed the way toward this possibility—including other metabolite-boosting methods that don’t require you to deprive yourself of food for more than two days.

Protecting yourself from age-related cellular changes

Dr. Marc Micozzi features an earlier OIST study in his Insider’s Ultimate Guide to Outsmarting “Old Age.”

When the researchers analyzed the blood of younger and older volunteers, they found 14 metabolites that may be related to specific aspects of the aging process.

“Basically,” Dr. Micozzi says, “this means we may finally know some cellular reasons for why we lose strength and become more susceptible to chronic health problems as the calendar pages turn.”

Half of the 14 metabolites were found to be higher in the older participants. The other seven were all lower in the older group, and each is related to antioxidant and muscle activity.

But those metabolites aren’t locked into place. Along with occasional fasting, you can take additional steps to protect yourself from these age-related cellular changes.

For instance, the researchers point out that older individuals should consume more antioxidants and make a point to exercise their muscles on a regular basis.

Dr. Micozzi agrees with this advice, but says he would add a few carefully selected supplements to your daily regimen.

He says, “Higher vitamin and mineral intakes are good for your health. They lower the risk of every major chronic and degenerative disease. Which, of course, adds up to a longer and healthier life.”

Three must-haves for arresting aging

Dr. Micozzi cites breakthrough research that shows how a supplemental intake of just three simple nutrients may put the brakes on your aging process.

South Korean researchers followed nearly 2,000 middle-aged and older adults for 10 years. They found delayed biological aging was linked to higher consumption of these key nutrients:

• Vitamin C
This superstar nutrient is abundant in many fruits, bell peppers, leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and sweet and white potatoes.

Dr. Micozzi also recommends taking 250 mg of vitamin C twice a day.

• Potassium
You’ll find this essential mineral in bananas, citrus fruit, leafy greens, carrots, and potatoes, as well as meat and seafood.

Dr. Micozzi recommends supplementing with 90 mg of potassium per day.

• Folate
Dr. Micozzi notes that this member of the vitamin B complex is hard to get from a plant-based diet alone, although some is found in leafy greens, asparagus, fruits, nuts, and legumes. A better source is dairy products, poultry, meat, eggs, and seafood—which is why a balanced diet with a full range of healthy foods is so important.

You can also supplement with a high-quality vitamin B complex that contains 200 mcg of folate. And studies show older adults can benefit from 100 mcg of selenium and 200 IU of vitamin E.

The importance of all these nutrients is undeniable. But now that we have evidence that they play such an influential “anti-aging” role in your body, their place in your everyday regimen is essential.

In Dr. Micozzi’s Insider’s Ultimate Guide to Outsmarting “Old Age,” he also emphasizes the importance of regular moderate exercise in stimulating metabolite activity. To help with that, he outlines easy, step-by-step of exercises that are proven to add years to your lifespan while cutting heart attack risk in half.

Click here to enroll today, or to learn much more about this indispensable protocol.

 

SOURCES

“Diverse metabolic reactions activated during 58-hr fasting are revealed by non-targeted metabolomic analysis of human blood.” Scientific Reports, 2019; 9(1). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36674-9

“Fasting ramps up human metabolism, study shows” Science Daily, 1/31/19. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190131113934.htm)

“Individual variability in human blood metabolites identifies age-related differences” PNAS 2016; 113(16): 4252-4259. DOI: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1603023113