Ron Put

Dean, I actually agree with you quite often and have learned a bunch from you and a few others here :) Saul, take a look at the last post here: P.S. I just read through this, which may be familiar to many here, but it was new to me. Interesting.

Quercetin appears to increase gastrointestinal barrier permeability, which may cause a host of issues, including increased inflammation. Currently, there is really no rational reason to conduct such experiments on oneself with either of the concoctions discussed above. Reasonable CR and maintaining healthy habits (including eating a plant-based diet) are currently the main rational options, primarily because they are likely to extend "healthspan," if not necessarily lifespan. Perhaps in a decade or two we may see better options, but right now it just looks like grasping at straws, some of which may in fact be poisonous.

Yeah, I've been thinking of getting tofu on the menu more regularly. I also eat, daily, non-fortified nutritional yeast and brewer's yeast: As far as I know, both contain ample amounts of naturally occurring lysine, but unfortunately Cronometer's databases don't contain detailed data.

Here is my protein intake for the last six months, according to Cronometer. Of course, no matter how religious I am at entering foods, there is limited data available for some of the stuff I eat, so I guess my protein intake is higher still. Which is why I am not too concerned about lysine being at 90%. I will recheck my IGF-1 in a couple of months (will try plasma IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio instead of just circulating IGF-1) and see if it has changed at all.

Pot...? :D

For my purposes, I find flax and chia valuable and eat them virtually every day (steel cut oats maybe three times a week lately, but only like 10-20g per occasion). Flax (40g on average) and chia (15-20g on average) are my main sources of Omega-3 and since about May, I've been striving to stick with close to 1 to 1 ratio for Omega-3 to Omega-6. As I noted elsewhere, I attribute this change to my total cholesterol dropping to close to 150 and the ratio of LDL to HDL being close 1 to 1 (tested late August). Flax and chia are a bit protein-heavy (I often go to 120%-140% of minimum for protein, especially if I add legumes), which may be a factor in my IGF-1 being in the mid-180 range. But I just don't see how else I can get Omega-3 as a vegetarian (striving for vegan). Plus the fiber they provide is important, too. As to coffee, I drink about two large cups every morning, before I eat. Coffee appears to promote autophagy, so I am hoping that drinking it about two hours before I normally eat my first meal helps get rid of a few more damaged cells.

Saul, do you mean all grains? I know that paleos don't eat grains, but to me, their reasoning is faulty. But I don't think you are a paleo adherent. I am not religious about it, but I rarely eat bread anymore. On the other hand, I eat milled flax, chia and often steel cut oats, and I and they help my fiber intake push in the 70g-100g range on most days. Great source of plant Omega-3, too.

Interesting observations, mccoy. Thanks! I am a bit confused by the IGF-1 studies and what they mean for health and longevity. Curious if others have sensible argument pro and con?

IMO, the OP is not tracking correctly, as if she was truly eating 800 calories per day and exercising, even lightly, on most days of the week, she'd be losing weight. Also, what is the body fat %? If mostly muscle, it may explain the 59kg, to an extent, but I doubt that she would be posting the question in such a case. Plant based diets can be great, if comprised of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Not so great if mostly pizza and french fries.... :) Perhaps becoming religious about measuring and entering in Cronometer, adjusting nutrient intake as needed and getting something like a Fitbit or a Garmin tracker (or an Oura smart ring) to track activity, would help give a clearer picture of the cause of the weight gain.

An AI bot test? 20% A troll? 50% A really confused individual? 30%

I'd follow mccoy's advice. Cronometer is a great tool, as it provides nutritional information and allows one to optimize nutrients, as well as keep track of calories. Going slow and being religious about logging food and tracking is important, IMO. It's also important to try exercising as much as you can, Thomas. Even going for walks on an incline would work, but do it regularly. Start slow and build a routine. It will get easier as your body resets and you should feel a lot better. Good luck.

Sorry to hear this, Todd. I wonder how you got this concentration? Old water pipes? Environment? Soldering? I can't imagine it's all from food source, but it's still good that you are eliminating the potential culprits. I know nothing about lead poisoning, but according to this, increase your garlic and cilantro consumption: https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-two-best-herbs-for-lead-poisoning_1957074.html And definitely see a knowledgeable professional.

LOL. What evidence is that? Innuendo and conjecture spread by trolls and fake accounts, and by random videos pushed to social media? The real evidence is available, both from official records and from a bunch of researchers. Based on the evidence, it is far, far more likely that Calment was a true outlier and was as old as claimed. You choose to disregard the real evidence and embrace the crackpot/disinformation nonsense, defending it with zeal. There are always people who will do this: the religious, those who still claim that the Rosenbergs were innocent, those who voted for Le Penn and for Brexit "because the Turks are coming." The last time I was in Moscow, someone explained to me that the US didn't have engines capable of delivering Apollo 11 to the Moon, "proven" by some article they had read. The only reason I engage with you on topics like this, is because if nobody challenges this garbage, it spreads. Here is some more "evidence" to rile you up.... https://www.history.com/news/moon-landing-fake-conspiracy-theories

Yeah, it's an extremely elaborate ruse, by me, the residents and government of Arles, all of Calment's friends and neighbors, and of course all of the researchers who have examined her. All to fool you and to affirm French gene superiority (unless you know the REAL reason for the conspiracy...). Also from Wikipedia: "Belgian demographer Michel Poulain said that although Zak's paper was detailed and made a good case, Jean-Marie Robine, one of two validators of Calment, said that she had correctly answered questions about things that her daughter could not have known.[34][35] Robine also dismissed the idea that the residents of Arles could have been duped by the switch.[35][36] Michel Allard, the second doctor who helped verify Calment's records, said that the team had considered the identity switch theory while Jeanne was still alive because she looked younger than her daughter in photographs, but similar discrepancies in the rates of aging are commonly found in families with centenarian members.[9] Allard said the evidence brought forward by Novoselov and Zak was inconclusive.[9] The Washington Post, after interviewing several experts, noted that "statistically improbable is not the same thing as statistically impossible".[5]" This nonsense is tiring.

LOL, because nobody took samples or examined Ms. Calment?!! Here is the relevant excerpt from Wikipedia: "Medical follow-up[edit] Medical student Georges Garoyan published a thesis on Calment when she was 114 years old in January 1990. The first part records her daily routine, and the second presents her medical history. She stated that she had been vaccinated as a child but could not remember which vaccine(s). Apart from aspirin against migraines she had never taken any medicine, not even herbal teas. She did not contract German measles, chickenpox, or urinary infections, and was not prone to hypertension or diabetes. In April 1986, aged 111, she was sent to hospital for heart failure and treated with digoxin. Later she suffered from arthropathy in the ankles, elbows, and wrists, which was successfully treated with anti-inflammatory medication. Her arterial blood pressure was 140mm/70mm, her pulse 84/min. Her height was 150 cm (4 ft 11 in), and her weight 45 kg (99 lb), showing little variation from previous years. She scored well on mental tests, except on numeric tasks and recall of recent events. Analysis of her blood samples were in normal ranges between ages 111–114, with no signs of dehydration, anemia, chronic infection or renal impairment. Genetic analysis of the HLA system revealed the presence of the DR1 allele, common among centenarians. A cardiological assessment revealed a moderate left ventricular hypertrophy with a mild left atrial dilatation and extrasystolic arrhythmia. Radiology revealed diffuse osteoporosis, as well as incipient osteoarthritis in the right hip. An ultrasound exam showed no anomalies of internal organs.[7]:22–42 At this stage, Calment was still in good health, and continued to walk without a cane.[7]:22–42 She fell in January 1990 (aged 114) and fractured her femur, which required surgery.[2] Subsequently, Calment was bound to a wheelchair,[6]:1–13 and she abandoned her daily routine.[6]:85–92 At the age of 115, Calment attracted the attention of researchers Jean-Marie Robine and Dr. Michel Allard, who collaborated with her attending doctor, Dr. Victor Lèbre, to interview her, verify her age and identify factors promoting her longevity. According to their year-long analysis, Calment's vision was severely impaired by bilateral cataracts, yet she refused to undergo a routine operation to restore her eyesight; she had a moderately weak heart, a chronic cough ("caused no doubt by her previous use of tobacco"), and bouts of rheumatism. On the other hand, her digestion was always good, she slept well, and did not have incontinence. During the last years, she was 137 cm (4 ft 6 in) tall, and weighed 40 kg (88 lb); she confirmed that she had always been small, and had lost weight in recent years. Her eyes were light gray, and her white hair had once been chestnut brown.[6]:1–13 At the age of 118, she was submitted to repeated neurophysiological tests and a CT scan. The tests showed that her verbal memory and language fluency were comparable to those of persons with the same level of education in their eighties and nineties. Frontal brain lobe functions were relatively spared from deterioration, and there was no evidence of progressive neurological disease, depressive symptoms or other functional illness. Her cognitive functioning was observed to improve slightly over the six-month period.[42] Calment reportedly remained "mentally sharp" until the end of her life.[15]" Of course, none of it matters to some.... They will always find their god in the gaps.

Tom, what's your beef with The Washington Post? You seem to be oh so eager to defend conspiracy theories, from claims of millions of "missing" Japanese centenarians, to this Calment nonsense. Please stop and think of the implications of this particular conspiracy theory. Do you really think it's plausible that the whole town was in on the conspiracy to switch the identities of the mother and daughter? All the neighbors, friends, shopkeepers? And the administrative authorities? Why would all these people be in on such conspiracy? Because they planned to set a record three quarters of a century later?!! And wouldn't anyone spill the beans to a tabloid somewhere for 15 minutes of fame, or some cash? And do you really believe that the French government is in on it? Across party lines? For the glory of France, perhaps? And do you really believe that all those Western scientists are in on it, too? Because a number of them have verified and studied Calment (UCLA has a whole page on her). Why would they do this? Perhaps you have good answers to all these questions? I am all ears.

As noted elsewhere, I have restricted my previously liberal use of EVOO and now consume it only occasionally, usually if in a restaurant which serves it (I enjoy with good Italian bread). I don't consider it particularly healthy, but it is healthier than animal fat and thus good as a replacement for it. To get most of the benefits of EVOO, consider olive leaf extract, which contains most of the good stuff, but without the fat.

"... The lipids in cocoa butter, for example, are not as effi ciently or as rapidly absorbed as those in other vegetable fat because of the rather complex molecular confi guration of these fatty acids in cocoa triglycerides, which slows the time for overall metabolism and, in particular, slows intestinal absorption [4, 5] . With respect to the consumption of cocoa butter and its effects on serum lipids, the slower rate of absorption of the triacylglycerides in cocoa butter and the high polyphenolic content in cocoa actually have a salutary effect. In humans fed cocoa, plasma LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL (so - called bad cholesterol components), and apo B (an important lipoprotein polypeptide critical to LDL function) are decreased, while plasma HDL cholesterol (so - called good cholesterol) is increased [6 – 8] ." http://cms.herbalgram.org/heg/volume9/files/Chocolate_Appendix10.pdf

Ah, just like Pizzagate and the Moon landing, this will live forever on the internets.... But of course, let's trust a random Youtube videos using (and flattering) De Grey as a "strong refutation" to the "ugly" Washington Post allegations below. Because, as the saying goes, nobody has lost money underestimating the gullibility of the populace. "The world’s oldest person record stood for decades. Then came a Russian conspiracy theory. The email came just hours into the new year, landing in the inboxes of the two renowned French gerontologists who had validated the age of the oldest person ever documented in the modern world. Also copied was the consultant who analyzed age-related cases for Guinness World Records, which had given Jeanne Calment the title before she died at 122 in 1997. “Colleagues, take action, take evidence for verification,” read the message, from the email account of Russian doctor Valery Novoselov, continuing in cryptically rendered English. “Otherwise, there will be many people who will want to participate in this show.” Novoselov, the chairman of gerontology for a naturalist society at Moscow State University, had recently conscripted a researcher to write a report contesting Calment’s record. The study made an explosive claim: that Calment was not Jeanne but her daughter Yvonne, who had stolen her deceased mother’s identity to avoid paying inheritance taxes, and was therefore not older than 100. It kicked off a storm of media attention that was cresting when Novoselov’s message was sent. Novoselov made a vague threat about law enforcement in the email to the three men. “Do not write about the war between Russia and the West,” he wrote. “Concerning the behavior of one of the participants of the show, a complaint was written to the NIA. Last week I wrote a request to the SK RF (similar to the FBI). Next week there will be an appeal to the FBI.” The gerontologists who received the email said they already were questioning the soundness of the Russian study. Now one of the people behind it was saying he had made a complaint to the United States’ National Institute on Aging and the SK RF — a federal investigative committee in Russia that deals with politically involved crimes, as well as terrorism and theft. There were other strange events. Random accounts had been popping up on the 110 Club, an online forum dedicated to supercentenarians, to talk about the case. The Wikipedia page for Jeanne Calment had recently undergone edits that wove in doubt about her age. And an internal message from the 110 Club’s administrator’s board appeared on Novoselov’s Facebook page. This was not how academic disputes were typically settled. And Russia was not particularly well thought of in the close-knit world of people who study the exceptionally old in Europe and the United States. At least one of the scientists started wondering whether something else was going on. ... The gerontology department of the naturalist society that he heads prominently displays one of its main goals for 2019 on its website: “to invalidate” Calment’s record. It lauds the research done by Zak, among others. “They showed how much the freedom of scientific thought and the level of Russian knowledge sometimes surpasses Western science,” it said." https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/01/12/how-madame-calment-worlds-oldest-person-became-fuel-russian-conspiracy-theory/?noredirect=on

Me too.

Well, maybe the letter wasn't published for a reason. And part of the reason may have been that some of the signatories appear to be cozy with the milk or meat industries. It doesn't automatically mean that their argument is flawed, but presumably the editors made a reasoned decision not to publish the letter. Of course, it's far from settled that protein intake is the end all for longevity, but there are quite a few recent studies which support the idea, especially where animal protein is consumed.

I am a vegetarian (vegan on most days) and my iron intake seems more than adequate, at 324% of RDA over the last 4 weeks, according to Cronometer.. I hadn't examined it closely, since I've never had trouble getting the RDA, but it appears that adding spices such as cumin and turmeric are an easy way to get iron. As to absorption, my latest blood work shows: Iron: 127 ug/dL (35-168) Ferritin: 30ng/mL (22-415)

Or, just trolling....

Ubiome files for Chapter 7: Bankrupt poop-testing startup uBiome is shutting down Ubiome.com is down.

Thanks for this, mccoy. I might try it. Actually, I was thinking of trying the real Longo box, then transition to this, so I can compare. The 0s for cashews, etc. are a glitch, I assume. But do you count the olive oil, I don't see it reflected?