PREFACE
Stephen Holt, MD
This book asks and begs the unanswerable question “Why do we age?” The inability to respond with brevity to this question rests with the knowledge that aging involves multiple factors and issues. Credible or “cast iron” descriptions of means and ways of increasing average and maximum lifespan in humankind are limited by the necessity for lengthy clinical studies to provide proof of any proposed techniques for anti-aging. In this book, I have chosen three areas of anti-aging sciences (the triad) that I believe have the greatest promise to provide an understanding of aging and create options for anti-aging strategies “here and now”. These areas form the “interconnecting triad” of telomeres, stem cells and aspects of calorie restriction. In these writings, I attempt to address “anti-aging medicine” in a manner that permits logical interventions for longevity or regenerative medicine. While the “staunch” scientist may describe some of the contents of this book as mere speculation, others are driven to try new interventions for longevity promotion, most often with the desire to “do no harm”.
My underlying approach to longevity promotion involves what I believe to be safe advice on how to use current knowledge to extend human survival. Although I am limited by many incomplete scientific studies to make firm conclusions, there will be a day when stem cell sciences, telomere/telomerase modulation and calorie restriction are used to “turn back the clock on aging”. This day may be hopefully “around the corner”, rather than a distant promise. If we ever approach the “fountain of youth”, we will realize that this fountain involves a complex cascade of different interventions to induce longevity and not some “magical” single approach. There is no unitary “holy grail” of eternal youth and Ponce de Leon was probably on a “wild goose chase”. When I started to delve into the science of telomeres, stem cells and calorie restriction, I perceived my writings to be a “trilogy”. A trilogy is a literary work made up of three parts, each of which is complete by itself. By no means are calorie restrictions, telomere tampering or stem cell treatments distinct or complete subjects in the field of anti-aging medicine. They form a triad or group of three closely related matters. I trust that readers will tolerate my echolalia when I state that aging is a multi-factorial circumstance, with multiple mechanisms of aging that require multi-pronged interventions. In these truncated writings, I hope to portray how the selected components of my chosen “triad” may interact to provide synergistic interventions that may promote long life with health (longevity).
This book contains intentional repetition, in order to ground the non-expert in the concepts. Repetition supports learning. Perhaps the only current, applicable, evidence-based approach to anti-aging is calorie restriction. Significant dietary restriction of calories, without the induction of malnutrition, results in favorable changes in body structures and functions that cause an increase in maximum and average lifespan. These phenomena have been noted in “all species” of organisms that have been researched. Such observations have been made in many living organisms ranging from yeasts, through worms to mammals to primates and to humans. There is a recognition that calorie restriction delays the onset or progression of many diseases or disorders, e.g. diabetes mellitus, renal disease, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer…to name a few. In turn, our “international waist line” expansion is contributing to premature extinction (the pot-bellied human dinosaur).
Stephen Holt, MD
This book asks and begs the unanswerable question “Why do we age?” The inability to respond with brevity to this question rests with the knowledge that aging involves multiple factors and issues. Credible or “cast iron” descriptions of means and ways of increasing average and maximum lifespan in humankind are limited by the necessity for lengthy clinical studies to provide proof of any proposed techniques for anti-aging. In this book, I have chosen three areas of anti-aging sciences (the triad) that I believe have the greatest promise to provide an understanding of aging and create options for anti-aging strategies “here and now”. These areas form the “interconnecting triad” of telomeres, stem cells and aspects of calorie restriction. In these writings, I attempt to address “anti-aging medicine” in a manner that permits logical interventions for longevity or regenerative medicine. While the “staunch” scientist may describe some of the contents of this book as mere speculation, others are driven to try new interventions for longevity promotion, most often with the desire to “do no harm”.
My underlying approach to longevity promotion involves what I believe to be safe advice on how to use current knowledge to extend human survival. Although I am limited by many incomplete scientific studies to make firm conclusions, there will be a day when stem cell sciences, telomere/telomerase modulation and calorie restriction are used to “turn back the clock on aging”. This day may be hopefully “around the corner”, rather than a distant promise. If we ever approach the “fountain of youth”, we will realize that this fountain involves a complex cascade of different interventions to induce longevity and not some “magical” single approach. There is no unitary “holy grail” of eternal youth and Ponce de Leon was probably on a “wild goose chase”. When I started to delve into the science of telomeres, stem cells and calorie restriction, I perceived my writings to be a “trilogy”. A trilogy is a literary work made up of three parts, each of which is complete by itself. By no means are calorie restrictions, telomere tampering or stem cell treatments distinct or complete subjects in the field of anti-aging medicine. They form a triad or group of three closely related matters. I trust that readers will tolerate my echolalia when I state that aging is a multi-factorial circumstance, with multiple mechanisms of aging that require multi-pronged interventions. In these truncated writings, I hope to portray how the selected components of my chosen “triad” may interact to provide synergistic interventions that may promote long life with health (longevity).
This book contains intentional repetition, in order to ground the non-expert in the concepts. Repetition supports learning. Perhaps the only current, applicable, evidence-based approach to anti-aging is calorie restriction. Significant dietary restriction of calories, without the induction of malnutrition, results in favorable changes in body structures and functions that cause an increase in maximum and average lifespan. These phenomena have been noted in “all species” of organisms that have been researched. Such observations have been made in many living organisms ranging from yeasts, through worms to mammals to primates and to humans. There is a recognition that calorie restriction delays the onset or progression of many diseases or disorders, e.g. diabetes mellitus, renal disease, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer…to name a few. In turn, our “international waist line” expansion is contributing to premature extinction (the pot-bellied human dinosaur).
