By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

We all want to stay young, energetic, and healthy forever. But unfortunately, that isn’t entirely possible. Longevity is much more than just living a long life, longevity means living the longest, healthiest life possible.

There is good news for all those longevity enthusiasts out there: certain nutrients can actually help slow down the aging process. Longevity is a hot scientific topic these days, and many lifestyles, health habits, nutritional supplements, and medications are now being studied to discover their role in slowing the aging process.

Longevity is more about the “health span” of life, which can be defined as the period of one’s life that one is healthy. A more specific definition is being free from serious disease for as long as possible.

Successful aging means protecting your physical body as well as your mental health. Often, when we do things that are healthy for our physical bodies, these actions benefit our brain health as well. And vice versa. Exercise, for example, is one of the best ways to help protect both our physical health AND our mental health. Our bodies are all interconnected systems, so usually what helps one part of the body, helps the rest of the body.

That is one of the ways we look at nutrients and other supplemental substances—do they benefit more than one system in the body?

One of the most promising new areas of research has to do with energy pathways and metabolism. And one of the most promising supplements in this area is a natural substance called Berberine.

One of the most consistent findings in longevity research is the simple intervention of caloric restriction (CR) for expanding the lifespan. CR protects the body from the deterioration of biological functions, and reduces the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.

Caloric restriction is defined as caloric reduction of around 20-40% in intake. Beneficial health effects have been shown in organisms such as yeasts, mice, all the way up to Rhesus monkeys and humans—and ongoing research is being conducted with humans.

More recent research has shown that periods of fasting and restricting eating to active hours also boost health. Other scientific studies show that those that lived the longest had much better metabolic health, lower overall blood sugar and better insulin sensitivity.

This is where berberine comes in. Berberine has been receiving plenty of scientific attention because of its ability to regulate blood sugar levels and to activate the longevity pathway AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) which is your metabolism’s “master switch.” AMPK is an enzyme found in cells, that helps regulate cell energy.

ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is an energy-carrying molecule that is found in the cells of all living things. ATP obtains energy from the breakdown of food, and releases it to fuel other cellular processes.

When ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) levels in the cells are low, berberine activates AMPK which in turn regulates the signaling pathways to replenish ATP supplies in cells and ramp up fatty acid oxidation. So berberine helps to boost your energy by telling the body to burn more fat for energy.

What is Berberine?

Berberine is an alkaloid compound made from plants such as the barberry plant. Berberine is being researched to be one of the most effective natural supplements available in terms of longevity, blood sugar metabolism, heart disease, cancer, weight loss, and diabetes management.

Berberine has some pretty awe-inspiring health benefits and impacts your body at the molecular level. Berberine is one of the few supplements that has been found to be as effective as a pharmaceutical drug—in several different ways.

Weight Loss

Because one of the primary actions of berberine is to lower blood sugar and mimic calorie restriction, berberine is effective in helping people lose weight. A study on the effects of berberine on body fat showed that a 500mg supplement of berberine three times a day (standard sized dose) for just 12 weeks, resulted in an average loss of 5 pounds—with no other lifestyle modifications such as calorie restriction or exercise. Body fat was reduced by 3.6%. Another study of people taking berberine showed an overall reduction in BMI—from 32 to 27.

Cholesterol-Lowering

This same study showed that participants’ cholesterol was also reduced cholesterol—primarily LDL and triglycerides—two types of blood lipids doctors consider to be risk factors for heart disease and strokes.

In this study, overall cholesterol was reduced by .61 mmol/L or 24 mg/DL. LDL decreased by 25mg/DL and triglycerides were reduced 44mg/DL.

Berberine studies have also documented lower apolipoprotein B by 13-15%, a critical risk factor for heart disease and strokes. Apolipoprotein B is a protein involved in metabolism of lipids and is the main protein component of lipoproteins like very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and low-density lipoprotein. VLDL is considered a major factor in heart disease.

According to some studies, berberine works by inhibiting an enzyme called PCSK9, which allows the body to remove more LDL and VLDL from the bloodstream.

Berberine and Diabetes

Berberine has been studied for its effects on blood sugar. Study results showed a significant blood glucose-lowering effect with berberine. In one study, berberine was found to significantly decrease HbA1c levels in diabetic patients.

The effect of decreasing HbA1c was comparable to that of metformin, a widely used pharmaceutical oral hypoglycemic medication, also known as Glucophage. Several impressive studies show that berberine can lower blood glucose as effectively as metformin–without the negative side effects.

Taken alone, as monotherapy, berberine improved all glycemic parameters including HbA1c, Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) and Postprandial Plasma Glucose (PPG).

Berberine also decreased insulin resistance, helping to make the body more insulin sensitive, which makes insulin do its job at lowering blood glucose more effectively. In addition, berberine–

• Increases glycolysis, the breakdown of glucose inside cells.
• Decreases glucose production in the liver.
• Slowed the digestion of carbohydrates.
• Increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Two of the best-known peer-reviewed studies published in the journals Metabolism and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology compared berberine in one group to metformin (Glucophage) in another group. The berberine group had very similar blood sugar-lowering effects as the metformin group.

• Hemoglobin A1c decreased from 9.5% to 7.5%
• Fasting blood glucose (FBG) decreased from 190.8 to 124.2 mg/dl
• Postprandial blood glucose (PBG) decreased from 356.4 to 199.8 mg/dl
• Triglycerides from 100.5 to 79.2 mg/dl

In addition, utilizing berberine also effectively reduced the patients’ triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure–three things that metformin does not.

Berberine and Cancer

Berberine’s health and longevity benefits are not limited to just blood sugar and cholesterol. Berberine is being studied for other health benefits including its ability to kill cancer cells and prevent their spread. Research conducted thus far has shown that berberine is effective at stopping the growth and spread of several different types of cancer including breast, lung, gastric, liver, colorectal, ovarian, cervical, and prostate cancer.

Berberine’s mechanisms of action include inhibiting cancer cell growth, suppressing cancer metastasis, inducing apoptosis (cancer cell death), activating autophagy (cell cleanup of dysfunctional cells), regulating the gut microbiota, and improving the effects of anticancer drugs and other natural anticancer supplements. Berberine has also been found to have a synergistic effect when paired with curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric), as well as several anticancer drugs.

This study published in Biomed Research International reported the synergetic anticancer activity of curcumin and berberine, inducing a cell death of more than 77%, compared to pure berberine, which was <45% and curcumin with <54% on average.

Other recent studies have shown that berberine can be used in combination with chemotherapy agents. Berberine seems to boost chemosensitivity, making the chemotherapy drugs more effective at lower doses, while reducing the unpleasant side effects of the chemotherapy.

Other Health and Longevity Benefits

Berberine also possess strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, fights depression, helps prevent or reverse fatty liver disease, reduces risk of heart failure, and fights harmful pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. It is safe to say that berberine is a healthy longevity supplement with many different actions. These positive health effects are so powerful that scientists believe that berberine truly can add to a person’s healthy longevity.

Researchers are hard at work trying to isolate and study substances in berberine that make it such an effective and powerful natural longevity supplement.

How to Take Berberine

Many studies discuss dosages of berberine from 500mg to 2700mg daily. A usual dose is 500 mg, three times daily before meals.

Berberine has a short half-life lasting only a few hours, so it is critical to spread your dosage several times daily to attain steady blood levels.

In general, berberine has an excellent safety profile. The main side effects of berberine are some reports of constipation, cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, or stomach pain.

Berberine is not very bioavailable, but new forms of berberine are becoming available as berberine hydrocholoride or liposomal berberine to help its absorbability.

While berberine has been compared to metformin, the diabetes medication, berberine has health and longevity qualities far beyond what metformin is capable of, with its long list of lipid-lowering, blood sugar lowering, cancer-fighting, heart disease fighting, AMPK-activating actions. As a natural supplement, it also has far fewer negative side effects than metformin as well.

While it’s attractive to just take a pill that helps to increase longevity, don’t forget the massive health and longevity benefits of exercise for both your brain and body, the power of a good night’s sleep, the rejuvenating effects of getting outside, the relief of stress reduction and the importance of lowering inflammation.

Here’s to your health on your 100th birthday!

References
https://www.testing.com/tests/apo-b/
https://www.britannica.com/science/adenosine-triphosphate
https://youthandearth.com/blogs/blog/berberine
https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/berberine-benefits-side-effects-and-dosage/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24058-autophagy
https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/how-long-does-it-take-for-berberine-to-work/

The post Is Berberine the New Longevity Solution? appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

The newest diet trend is NOT eating. That’s right. Intermittent Fasting. It certainly makes sense, given that our primal ancestors went through periods of not eating while searching for food, as well as periods of feasting when food was plentiful. Our bodies were made to adapt to that—not regularly timed, three meals a day, 7 days a week readily available food. So it makes biological sense to skip a meal or two occasionally.

Taking a break from eating has several proven dramatic health benefits including slowing down aging, increasing Human Growth Hormone for muscle growth, increasing insulin sensitivity, and overall fat burning.

In addition, IF has been shown to help fight cancer, disease, diabetes, and other serious diseases, according to this study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Additionally, according to other scientific studies, IF benefits extend to asthma, allergies, infectious diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Tourette’s syndrome, cardiac arrhythmia’s, hot flashes from hormonal fluctuations, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s and more.

Intermittent fasting can also increase energy, help with focus and clear thinking, and improve mood as well. Practicing IF helps reduce symptoms of depression. This study published in the Journal of Nutritional Health and Aging found a significant reduction in anger, tension, confusion and low mood in a group of older men who were practicing IF.

Researchers have also found that intermittent fasting lowers the risk of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and even helps improve recovery from strokes. It is thought the fasting protects the neurons against various kinds of damaging stress.

During a period of intermittent fasting, the body switches its energy source from glucose (unless you are fully ‘fat-adapted’, to burning fat for energy. When we fast for a longer period of time, we use up all glucose stores and convert body fat to fatty acids or ketones. It is a way of helping to flip your ‘metabolic switch’ and help your body become better at being ‘fat adapted’.

A scientific review, published in the journal Obesity, shows that it is likely that intermittent fasting may be more healthful than other dieting strategies, as ketones put less stress on cells than the byproducts of other diets. In addition, IF helps the body become better and more efficient at utilizing fat for energy, especially if IF is done on a regular basis. It also helps the body switch back to fat burning if you have gotten off-track and carb heavy with your diet. It is, in essence a way to get back on track.

The point of intermittent fasting is that the periods of food deprivation allow your body to rest, renew and regenerate. Plenty of scientific studies on both animals and humans show that periodic fasting not only helps you lose weight but also increases your longevity. Caloric restriction through fasting also helps to turn on genes that repair DNA and cells. This adaptation of IF may allow certain cells to actually live longer, preserving the body’s energy, according to a study published in the journal, Cell Metabolism. This may also be part of the reason that fasting helps to extend longevity as well.

Scientists think that the IF acts as a form of healthy stress that revs up the cellular defenses against molecular damage. Fasting mice have been found to have higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a protein that prevents stressed neurons from dying. Low levels of BDNF have been tied to depression, anxiety, and dementia.

Fasting also ramps up autophagy, a kind of garbage-disposal system in cells that gets rid of damaged molecules, including ones that have been connected to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.

Intermittent fasting has also been shown to reduce cancers resulting from oxidative damage, and to help maximize the positive effects of chemotherapy, while minimizing the negative effects of cancer treatment.

The question is—should you try it? Intermittent fasting obviously can be a powerful tool to maximize health, but it’s important to carefully weigh its effects. Intermittent fasting can last for a period of hours or even days, but generally it entails a brief fasting period of 12-24 hours. Most of us may already be fasting from dinner time to breakfast, and if you skip breakfast, you are fasting—provided you only drink black coffee, tea or water during your fast.

There are a few primary types of intermittent fasting to follow, and you can switch them around as much as you want—the point is to create episodic eating/fasting/eating similar to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. So, you don’t really need to follow any particular fast–just surprise your body every once in a while with 24 hours of little or no food.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate IF into your routine is to just skip breakfast. Ignore the old saying of “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, and just drink black coffee, tea or water in the morning.

After a full night’s sleep, you wake up with the perfect hormonal terrain for burning fat. Low insulin and high glucagon levels make delaying your first meal an effective strategy for prolonging this fat-burning period.

Types of Intermittent Fasts

Skipping Meals–Every week or so, skip breakfast and don’t eat until lunchtime or dinner. Or just eat a late lunch and skip dinner and breakfast. Listening to your body and eating when your natural hunger occurs, instead of sticking to the meal clock and eating every morning, noon and night is a good way to readjust hunger.

Condensed Eating Window—One of the more popular and easier to follow IF routines is to condense your food intake into a set number of hours, usually about 8 hours. This generally means you eat an early dinner, and a late breakfast, much like the 16:8 plan. For sixteen hours you avoid eating, and eat only during a compressed time of 6-8 hours during the day.

24-hour Fast—Generally this works for most people by eating a normal dinner and then fasting until the following evening. Others can choose to extend the fast until the following morning. For many people, this can be a weekly or monthly routine.

Why Women Should Be More Cautious About Fasting

Fasting sounds like a terrific way to improve health and lose weight, right? Well it’s a little different for women and there’s a few things to consider, if you are a woman, before you jump headlong onto the fasting wagon. Some of the great health benefits do not extend to women.

We women have hormones that help to regulate our cycles and fertility. IF is a hormone stressor, so for men this creates an adaptive response that is positive for health. For women, IF can interfere with fertility and menstrual cycles. Because women’s bodies are meant to nourish and support a pregnancy, our bodies are extremely sensitive to calorie restriction.

Fasting affects the hypothalamus in the brain which can disrupt the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is responsible for releasing Luteinizing Hormone, and Follicle Stimulating Hormone, both important for menstrual regularity and fertility.

When these hormones cannot communicate with the ovaries, you run the risk of irregular periods, infertility, poor bone health and other health effects.

Even if you are not planning on having children, fasting creates nutritional stress, which decreases fertility, and even decreases ovarian size.

Where IF improves insulin sensitivity in males, females don’t often see the same positive results. In fact, one study showed exactly the opposite results—glucose tolerance worsened. One study compared caloric restriction to intermittent calorie restriction in overweight and obese women. Both groups lost a similar amount of weight, but unfortunately, the intermittent restriction group lost significantly more lean body mass. This is muscle, the kind of body mass you want to keep.

Another looked at healthy men and women doing moderate intensity morning cycling either fasted (overnight) or fed (breakfast). Although both men and women displayed greater increases in VO2 max and resting muscle glycogen concentration in response to fasted cycling training, only men showed greater skeletal muscle adaptations when fasted. Women had better muscle adaptations when fed.

So what does this mean for women? IF can be beneficial, just be cautious if you are trying to have a baby, nursing a baby or have menstrual irregularities. Instead of aiming for the longest fast you can tolerate, aim for the shortest fast that gives results.

Fasting for women is good if:

• You have significant amounts of fat to lose.
• Your oncologist giving you the go-ahead to try using it to improve the effects of chemotherapy.
• Your neurologist giving you the go-ahead to try using it to improve brain function in the face of cognitive decline or dementia.

Be aware–fasting in an extreme or unhealthy way can be a symptom of an eating disorder.

Fasting for both men and women can have some major health benefits, especially done in a controlled and safe manner. Just be careful you don’t take it too far. Prolonged fasting has also been associated with:

• increased cholesterol
• pancreas damage
• worsened insulin function (which increases the risk of diabetes)
• irregular heartbeat, headaches and fainting
• slight reductions in athletic performance, exercise ability and muscle mass

Note: Fasting is not recommended for those who need a regular supply of nutrients for their health, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people with certain medical conditions. Possible side effects related to fasting include malnutrition, dehydration, disordered eating and even death in some cases. But serious risks are rare and usually related to prolonged fasting, not IF.

The Best Type of Intermittent Fasting…

Deciding to do Intermittent Fasting can be pretty scary, but there’s one method I trust more than the others…

In fact, this method of Intermittent Fasting has been shown to help people lose upwards of 7 pounds in the first 5 days, and some have lost 4 pounds OVERNIGHT, as well as boosting sex hormones for both men and women, improving your energy, skin, & brain function, and so much more.

The great thing is that the fat loss from THIS type of Intermittent Fasting is the most stubborn fat on your body – the fat you’ve tried to lose for years, but just won’t go away. But please keep in mind that this is so effective it’s only recommended you do it once, maybe twice, a week…

Click here to discover this powerful Intermittent Fasting method and lose up to 4 pounds overnight

References
https://draxe.com/intermittent-fasting-women/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-intermittent-fasting-might-help-you-live-longer-healthier-life/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-intermittent-fasting/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting/
https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-fasting-2610033142.html?
https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-fasting-2610033142.html?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&socialux=facebook&share_id=4021616&utm_medium=social&utm_content=EcoWatch&utm_source=facebook
https://blog.paleohacks.com/whats-the-best-way-to-do-intermittent-fasting/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321690.php
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.22065

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