Biohacking Weekly: Muscle Health, Low-Carb Diet and Ketones
May 10, 2023This is Biohacking Weekly - A curated news roundup designed to help you increase your longevity and improve healthspan.
In this edition of Biohacking Weekly:
- Muscle is the longevity organ.
- Book recommendation: "Built to Move" by Kelly and Juliet Starrett.
- The best foods to fill common micronutrient gaps.
- Low-carb diet can help reverse type 2 diabetes.
- Ketones may be a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.
1. "We aren’t over fed. We are under muscled." - Dr Gabrielle Lyon
Muscle is the organ of longevity. It increases our survivability in the face of illness. Skeletal muscle is our metabolic skin and the largest site for glucose disposal.
Muscle is accessible to all of us as the internal fountain of youth.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, functional medicine practitioner and a founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine®, explains the impact of muscle on the human body health in her Instagram post .
Related: Supplements for Building Muscle After 40 and Reversing Sarcopenia
2. A Simple Game Plan for Staying Active by Kelly and Juliet Starrett
In their book "Built to Move," Kelly and Juliet Starrett emphasize the importance of staying active and maintaining mobility well into old age.
They assert that while regular exercise can further enhance one's well-being, the key to sustaining movement in later years lies in incorporating it into one's daily routine now. By promoting consistent movement and integrating simple activities, the Starretts aim to help individuals maintain their muscle, balance and mobility throughout their lives.
Check out the "Built to Move" book on Goodreads.
2. Prioritise These Foods to Fill Common Micronutrient Gaps and Reduce Undernutrition
Researchers identified the top food sources of the most commonly lacking micronutrients essential for optimal health.
Organs, small fish, dark green leafy vegetables, bivalves, crustaceans, goat, beef, eggs are found to have the highest micronutrient density hence be the most effective when it comes to filling micronutrient malnutrition gaps.
Source: Beal T et al., Priority Micronutrient Density in Foods, Front Nutr., 2022
4. Study: 51% of Type 2 Diabetes Patients Achieve Remission on Low-Carb Diet
Type 2 diabetes implies that the body cannot effectively use insulin and absorb sugar, showing poor control over the blood sugar levels.
A recent study suggests that a low-carb diet may help achieve more effective glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, 51% of participants were able to achieve remission and stop taking medications after adopting a low-carb diet.
Low-carbohydrate diet involves limiting the intake of foods that are high in sugar (e.g. bread, rice, potatoes, etc.). This reduction of energy intake, in turn, helps induce type 2 diabetes remission by reducing the levels of liver fat and improving the function of pancreatic beta-cells.
Read the full article on the Medical News Today.
5. Studies Show Ketones Boost Memory, Cognition and Language Skills
Ketone bodies may be a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, as they can immediately provide additional or more efficient energy production for individuals with or at risk of such conditions.
Preclinical studies suggest that persistent presence of ketone bodies in the blood (usually resulting from a state of low insulin and high fatty acid oxidation or by taking exogenous ketones or medium-chain fatty acids as supplements.) may enhance ketone metabolism through adaptations influencing cerebral metabolism.
Small to medium-sized clinical studies in Alzheimer's disease suggest a positive effect on cognitive functions related to memory and language. Ketones can be increases by including ketogenic supplements, diets, and new drugs used for lowering glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.
Related: Carbs vs Fats. Glucose vs Ketones.
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