PREVIEW Aliquot #106: The Science of Longevity Vitamins: Taurine, Ergothioneine, and PQQ
Release Date: 04/30/2024
PREVIEW Aliquot #106: The Science of Longevity Vitamins: Taurine, Ergothioneine, and PQQ
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Get more Aliquots! and get full access to our members-only podcast, The Aliquot, plus live Q&As with Rhonda, every-other-week Science Digest emails, and more. Learn more about The Aliquot podcast Vitamins are substances that our bodies need to develop and function normally. When considering vitamins, we tend to think of the usual suspects – A, C, D, E, and K, plus the eight B vitamins. However, the body produces many molecules that fit the description of a vitamin, driving physiological processes from infancy through later life. Some of these molecules might even be...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #92: The Underestimated Role of Resistance in Body Recomposition
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Having a healthy body composition, with plenty of lean mass – in the form of muscle and bones – is essential for health throughout the lifespan. Achieving a healthy body composition requires a balanced approach that emphasizes resistance training – and calorie reduction where appropriate. In this Aliquot, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld describes a balanced approach to maximizing muscle growth and strength and dispels early myths about possible blunting effects of aerobic training, the need to train to failure, and the "go heavy or go home" philosophy. Here's what you'll find in this...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #85: The Science of Wrinkle Prevention ⎯ Building Resilient Skin
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Your skin is a crucial barrier to the outside world – the first line of defense against environmental exposures, and the primary means by which the body retains fluids necessary for survival. Consequently, maintaining a healthy skin barrier is important for your overall health. In this Aliquot, I describe some things you can do to protect your skin and possibly prevent wrinkles, too. (00:00) The role of UV exposure in skin aging (00:19) Strategies for reducing the effects of photoaging (00:40) Preventing photoaging with hydrolyzed collagen (02:41) Cocoa for...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #78: The minimum effective dose for hypertrophy
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Incorporating resistance training into your exercise regimen presents a scheduling dilemma – there's simply not enough time. Performing time-efficient workouts that involve supersets, paired sets, drop sets, and multi-joint exercises decrease training time while providing the minimum effective dose necessary for muscle hypertrophy. In this Aliquot, experts Dr. Brad Schoenfeld and Dr. Stuart Philips provide tips for optimizing gym time and share the workout routines and healthy lifestyle behaviors they practice to promote healthy aging. (00:00) Introduction (00:23) Minimal effective...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #70: Preventing age-related muscle loss
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The progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging, referred to as sarcopenia, begins as early as our 30s or 40s. Many factors contribute to sarcopenia, including diet and inactivity. Building muscle mass in one's early years is essential for staving off the age-related loss of muscle mass and may promote longevity. In this Aliquot, Dr. Stuart Phillips discusses the importance of building muscle through resistance training and why starting early is important. (00:00) Introduction (00:58) Why muscles decline with age and what to do...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #65: Concerns with chronic NSAID use
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PREVIEW Aliquot #61: How dietary fiber influences metabolic health
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Dietary fiber is a broad term that refers to the non-digestible components of fruits and vegetables. Gut microbes break down certain types of fiber, releasing micronutrients trapped in the fiber matrix and producing beneficial metabolic byproducts, such as short-chain fatty acids. Fiber exerts a wide array of beneficial health effects, influencing metabolic health, and may be an important, if overlooked, component of ketogenic diets. In this Aliquot, Dr. Michael Snyder, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, and Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss the benefits of dietary fiber. (00:00) Introduction...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #59: How alcohol affects sleep, behavior, and cancer risk
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Alcohol, one of the most used drugs worldwide, is a controversial subject. Whereas some research suggests drinking alcohol improves health, an abundance of evidence indicates that drinking alcohol also harms health. Particularly, higher alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of many cancers. Some of the deleterious effects of drinking may be due to alcohol's effects on sleep. Although alcohol may help us feel calm and ready to sleep, it has surprising effects on REM sleep and maybe our waking behaviors too. In this Aliquot, we discuss some of the risks and surprising...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #54: Dietary and environmental factors that may impact autoimmune diseases
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Autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis occur when the immune system mistakes the body's own proteins for those released by invading pathogens. The immune system has strategies for filtering these autoimmune cells out of circulation; however, this filter can malfunction due to age, genetic predisposition, disruption of the gut barrier and gut microbiota, or other environmental exposures. In this episode of the Aliquot podcast, we'll discuss autoimmunity and how childhood exposure to germs, dietary fiber intake, and fasting can build a healthy...
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PREVIEW Aliquot #51: What's the best omega-3 dosage for maximum benefit?
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Early studies of omega-3 fatty acid intake demonstrated dramatic biological effects. Since then, the body of research enumerating the profound anti-inflammatory and multi-system, generalized health-promoting qualities of omega-3s continues to grow; however, some studies fail to show any effects from omega-3 supplementation. This source of consternation may, by and large, boil down to low doses, raising the question: what is the right dose of omega-3 to use? In this Aliquot, Dr. Bill Harris shares his experience administering some of the largest omega-3 doses ever used in human trials...
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In this Aliquot, I talk about three substances that may act as longevity vitamins – taurine, ergothioneine, and PQQ.
This episode includes several key discussion points:
- (03:09) Is taurine the key to Okinawan's long lifespans?
- (04:49) How taurine promotes mitochondrial health
- (06:05) How taurine deficiency impacts muscle mass
- (06:41) Does supplementing the age-related decline boost longevity?
- (08:58) Okinawa's High Intake vs. Japanese in Brazil
- (10:01) Blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose levels
- (13:07) The role of ergothioneine in shielding membranes from oxidative damage
- (15:14) How ergothioneine's unique lipophilic properties protect mitochondria
- (19:18) Why some people transport ergothioneine better than others
- (20:17) Whether to get ergothioneine from foods or supplements
- (24:18) Is ergothioneine destroyed by cooking?
- (25:02) The unusual antioxidant power of PQQ
- (26:21) The role of PQQ in the brain
- (29:12) PQQ's impact on NAD and sirtuin levels?
- (30:37) Does PQQ blunt the positive effects of exercise?
This episode features segments taken from several Q&As with Dr. Rhonda Patrick. You may view these episodes and their show notes here: