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Podcast Recap | Pathways to Well-Being: Increasing Healthspan: From Micronutrients to Hormetic Stressors | Dr. Rhonda Patrick

February 29, 2024

In this episode of the Institute for Functional Medicine's Pathways to Well-Being podcast, Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D. outlines the latest research on longevity and actionable strategies to reduce risks of age-related disease.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a cell biologist and cofounder of FoundMyFitness, a compendium of resources focused on promoting longevity and optimal health. She trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute.

Here are the key takeaways from her talk:

Podcast length: 1 hr., 3 min.

1. Take a vitamin D supplement if serum vitamin D 25 test shows a need for one.

• About 70% of the U.S. population has inadequate vitamin D, defined as <30 nanograms per milliliter. Reasons for this inadequacy range from lack of exposure to sunlight to factors such as aging, differences in melanin, or genetically lower levels of vitamin D.
• Well-established research demonstrates that having levels above 30 is associated with lower all-cause mortality. Higher vitamin D levels are particularly linked to lower cancer mortality and lower mortality from respiratory disease; the evidence is more mixed with respect to CV disease.
• A vitamin D deficiency is defined as <20 nanograms per milliliter; persons with such a deficiency can supplement with about 4,000 IUs per day to bring their levels closer to above 30 nanograms per mil. 4,000 IUs per day. This is the tolerable upper level intake set by the Institute of Medicine for vitamin D.

2. Get adequate magnesium from dietary sources such as dark leafy greens, almonds, legumes and oats; also consider supplementing with magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate or magnesium citrate, all of which have good bioavailability.

• Magnesium is needed by enzymes that ameliorate DNA damage, a hallmark of aging, as well as for DNA synthesis.
• The average RDA intake for magnesium is about 400 milligrams per day for an adult; however, physically active adults who exercise frequently may require 10% to 20% more than the RDA, as magnesium is excreted through sweat.
• Observational studies have found that people with the highest magnesium levels have a 40% lower all-cause mortality and a 50% lower cancer mortality compared to people with the lowest magnesium levels.
• Another study specific to pancreatic cancer found that for every 100 milligram decrease in magnesium intake, there was a 24% increase in pancreatic cancer incidence.

3. Get adequate omega-3 fatty acids from dietary sources such as fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) and microalgae, or supplement as needed. Consider an omega-3 index vs. an omega-3 blood test to measure the long-term status of omega-3 levels.

• Omega-3s refer to three types of fatty acids: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) found in plant sources such as flax seeds and walnuts, and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are the two marine sources found in fish and microalgae.
• Most people have an omega-3 index of less than 5%. However, multiple studies have shown that people with an omega-3 index of 8% have a five-year increased life expectancy compared to those that have an omega-3 index of 4%.
• Chronic, low-level inflammation is a driver of the aging process itself; omega-3s play a critical role in lowering inflammation and improving the structure and function of cell transporters and receptors.
• New research shows that omega-3s may protect against muscle disuse atrophy.
• Despite concerns about toxins, the inflammatory-lowering benefits of omega-3s found in certain fish outweigh any potential detrimental effects of mercury or PCBs.
• If supplementing with omega-3s, consider brands that have a high level of EPA and DHA, low oxidation, and low mercury.

4. Exercising regularly (150 minutes of normal, moderate exercise per week) is the single most important thing anyone can do to increase longevity.

• The type of exercise—resistance training, high intensity, or aerobic training—is not as important as just doing any exercise that one can do regularly.
• Since evolutionary times, our genes were meant to be pushed by intermittent stress to not only age better, but to just age normally.
• Beneficial hormetic stressors can include cardiovascular exercise or resistance training, use of hot tubs or saunas, intermittent fasting, or even the ingestion of certain phytochemicals from plants (sulforaphane, resveratrol, or curcumin).

5. Engage in vigorous, high-intensity exercise (80% of estimated maximum heart rate) for the greatest brain and cardiovascular benefits.

• Even 1 to 3 minutes of short, but intense exercise (aka "exercise snacks), just 3 times per day can have anywhere between a 30% to 40% lower all-cause mortality and cancer-related mortality.
• Individuals who engage in vigorous exercise use up glucose which then gets metabolized into lactate, which is a very efficient source of energy for both the brain and other tissues, and not a "waste metabolite" as had been widely thought for many years.
• Aerobic exercise can be important for cancer prevention and recurrence. When people who've been diagnosed with either colon cancer or breast cancer engage in aerobic exercise, their circulating tumor cells drop down.
• Research shows that high intensity interval training can ameliorate the negative effects of sleep deprivation on blood glucose regulation.

Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast recap are solely that of the host and guests and do not reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of epocrates and athenahealth.

Source:

(2023, November 9). The Institute for Functional Medicine. Pathways to Well-Being. Increasing Healthspan: From Micronutrients to Hormetic Stressors, With Dr. Rhonda Patrick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCrwa8yOogg