Does Elevated Glucose Cause Dementia?

Does elevated glucose cause dementia?  Even in non-diabetics?

This would seem to be the initial conclusion based on a recent study published in the NEJM:

Glucose levels and risk of dementia.  

Read more »

Longevity isn't Paleo!

At the end of a recent post, I cited the following study:  Fitness cost of extended lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans.  

Abstract:  An insulin/IGF-I-like signalling pathway determines the rate of aging of the adult nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Mutations in genes encoding this pathway can result in a doubling of lifespan. While such mutations may appear to have little effect on development or fertility, evolutionary theory predicts that large increases in lifespan will not be optimal for fitness. We demonstrate by laboratory natural selection that partial loss of function of the insulin receptor-like protein DAF-2 results in dramatically reduced fitness even under laboratory conditions. Despite long-lived mutants appearing healthy, they exhibit a heavy fitness cost consistent with an evolutionary theory of aging.

Read more »

An elegans argument in insulin's favor

No, that's not a typo in the post title.  I'm referring to the nematode (aka worm) known as Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans  for short.   More recently the topic of longevity has been introduced into discussions regarding diet and health, and when one looks into aging research, they will inevitably be inundated with studies involving these worms.  The caption of the picture at right is "adult and two juveniles".  Apparently there are some similarities between some genes in this worm and insulin receptor genes in humans.  I'm always intrigued when the "I am not a mouse (or rat)" crowd starts citing worm longevity research to support their theories on metabolism and endocrinology.  Surely they see that where there are differences in rodent and human physiology, these differences are dwarfed many times over when one tries to extrapolate worm physiology to humans!   

Read more »

Pictures ...

Well, yet another installment of pictures worth 1000 words is up from Jimmy Moore.  I've been criticized for posting pictures of health and diet advocates and commenting on their looks particularly in regards to how well they appear to be aging.  Some of that criticism is fair.  Because aging and looks are largely genetic, and I've acknowledged this many times.  When one factors in photoshopping and cosmetic/surgical means of altering one's makeup, and it is becoming increasingly difficult these days to compare oneself with what is considered "normal" aging, etc.  If I'm ever on TV, I want Hillary Clinton's makeup artist from the 2008 primary debates on my team (and the best Spanx out there)!  Still, although I've certainly not lead a healthy life diet-wise for many periods during  my adulthood, my genes have been good to me and I consider myself blessed in that regard.   So Jimmy decided to add to the apparent Facebook pile on of one Gillian McKeith with this comparison of two similarly aged women.

Read more »