International medical research is currently examining various ways to reverse or slow ageing and hence prevent the diseases, pain, suffering and expense of old age.
The photo showing a United States Patent cover is for a patent to decrease senescence and increase healthy longevity in humans. (USA Patent: US 6,328,997)
Ageing is the largest risk factor for a plethora of medical conditions and diseases – from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and dementia, to other lesser known degenerative, inflammatory and infectious diseases. Ageing results also in enormous human pain and suffering. There is an explosion in financial costs to society for medical and hospital treatments which places considerable financial burdens on younger generations.
Initial hallmarks of ageing include the loss of intracellular information resulting from DNA and RNA damage and the loss of appropriate intracellular epigenetic information. Epigenetic information coordinates DNA processes in our body cells and the loss of epigenetic information contributes to the disfunction of cells over time. Inflammation and cell senescence occur. This results in an acceleration of ageing and a plethora of medical conditions and diseases.
What is epigenetics? Epigenetics means “beyond the genes”. It refers to the processes and chemical groups associated with our DNA that turn genes on or off depending on our body cells’ local chemical environments. Epigenetic signals can be affected in turn by our whole body environment. Air pollution, alcohol, smoking, diet, hormones and exercise affect epigenetics and consequently DNA processes. The “epigenome” is plastic and is sensitive to a range of internal and external chemical cues.
The international medical research community is currently examining various ways to reverse ageing in cells. Various chemical ingredients are being exposed to ageing cells both in the laboratory and in experimental animals. These chemicals include resveratrol (found in berries); urolithin and ellagic acids (found in nuts and pomegranates); re-purposed drugs such as zidovudine (an anti-retroviral drug); thalidomide (an anti-leprosy drug); metformin (an anti-diabetic drug found in the plant called French lilac); and rapamycin (an immune modulator drug used to dampen down rejection of organ transplants).
In the context of the whole body, multiple published health studies have identified that certain minerals in drinking water, particularly magnesium in drinking water, is beneficial to human longevity. Indeed, the National Academy of Sciences in the USA published results that the increased longevity areas of the USA had drinking water that contained concentrations of magnesium ranging from 30 milligrams to 200 milligrams per litre. The decreased longevity areas in the USA had drinking water containing below five (5) milligrams per litre.
There have been other investigations involving drinking water supplies that correlate longevity with water containing magnesium. These investigations have been completed in Europe, Japan, Britain, USA and Canada. Many of these investigations involved examining epidemiological evidence for the role of drinking water supplies in prevention of atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. It was found often that magnesium concentrations that exceeded 30 milligrams per litre in drinking water were correlated significantly to decreased prevalence of heart disease.
One of the first patents (if not the first patent) granted in the world for specifically increasing healthy human longevity was granted for the consumption of magnesium in drinking water (USA patent: US 6,328,997). Based on decades of research, the patent identified that continuous consumption of magnesium in drinking water decreases inflammation, decreases degenerative diseases and decreases senescence. Magnesium in drinking water also increases energy levels in the body. Magnesium per se is an integral part of the cell energy molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
Does magnesium in drinking water help to maintain fundamental DNA function and epigenetic information in cells? Certainly, the densely positively charged magnesium ion in cells shields DNA and the intracellular energy molecule ATP from aberrant reactions of their multiple negatively charged phosphate groups.
Intense medical research has discovered that human ageing and senescence results significantly from epigenetic alterations and long-term low grade inflammation. Indeed, ageing is now called inflammaging by specialists researching ageing. It appears longevity can be maintained by decreasing inflammation and increasing energy which results in better cell and tissue maintenance and repair.
Perhaps, over the years, the consumption of magnesium in drinking water may have given rise to stories about a mythological Fountain of Youth. Do the high concentrations of magnesium in fish, beans, potatoes, berries, herbs and water that are consumed in the famous “Blue Zones” of the world contribute to the well-known health and longevity of the inhabitants? These “Blue Zones” include Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya Penisula, Costa Rica. Certainly, magnesium concentrations are quite high in ocean water (and hence ocean fish) and volcanic basalt soils (and hence vegetables). There is an overlap between the “Blue Zones” and those areas where inhabitants consume a “Mediterranean Diet”.
For an excellent and understandable summary on recent theories of ageing and scientific attempts to reverse ageing, see the popular book by the science writer Sue Armstrong: “Borrowed Time: The Science of How and Why We Age”. By Sue Armstrong (Published by Bloomsbury Sigma).
In summary, the current theory of ageing that appears the most credible and is supported by the most scientific evidence proposes that ageing is the result of the failure of DNA function and appropriate epigenetic function. Some other theories of ageing with less universal agreement amongst researchers are:
- The body wears out over time due to the constant wear and tear of life. That is, our bodies are machines that eventually break down and stop.
- Damage is done to cells by the free-radicals that form during oxidation reactions – particularly if there are shortages of antioxidants in the body. This theory is the favourite of vitamin supplement companies.
- There is a shortening of telomeres at the end of chromosomes each time a cell divides – so body cells can only divide for a defined number of times.
- Excess consumption of calories in the diet results in excess metabolic products that the body finds difficult to handle – so fat, cholesterol and other products accumulate in tissues and aberrant calcification occurs.
- There is a loss of stability of the proteins in cells and tissues. Proteins go “sticky” and lose their strength and function.
- Old senescent cells continually release inflammatory molecules called cytokines which lead to chronic inflammation.
- There is a decline in immune system function which leads to blood disorders, infections and tumour development.
- There is a decline in mitochondrial function which starves cells of energy resources.
- There is senescence of blood forming cells. It has been known for some time that the infusion of young blood into old animals appears to reverse some of the biological signs of ageing – particularly ageing of the brain in experimental animals. Recently, the factor behind this phenomenon has been identified and the factor has been found to originate from blood platelets. The factor is called platelet factor 4 (or PF4). It is released from platelets by a body hormone (klotho) and by physical exercise (identified particularly in humans).
An excellent article on longevity and genetic adaptation arising from conditions in the Pacific Ocean can be located in the world’s top scientific journal Science, Vol.374, 2021. This article identifies the classic markers of ageing including DNA damage, nutrient sensing, immunity, inflammation and chronic inflammation (inflammaging).
