The axes of aging, with Pierre Haddad

3:20 - The axes of aging

In fact, it is the basis of how the body functions in general.

The nervous system: The cognitive aspect is very important to maintain. As we know, there are many neurodegenerative diseases. So, keeping the central nervous system healthy is very important.

The immune system: also very important. It's true that we can suffer, but we can also die from communicable diseases. This is what has caused longevity to increase significantly since the advent of health aspects (hygiene). People had more germs. Simply by cleaning our environment... What did we do during the 2 years of the pandemic? It's washing, sanitizing everything.

This sanitization of our environment has resulted in far fewer people dying from communicable diseases. Thus, the immune system, keeping it healthy, is "trained" to recognize and get rid of pathogens.

The musculoskeletal system: Staying physically fit is also important. So is the appearance of your joints, bones, and muscles. Physical inactivity causes muscles to atrophy.

The metabolic system is also very, very important. We've talked about it extensively in previous live broadcasts. A healthy metabolism is very important for all functions.

The cardiovascular system: This is one of the leading causes of death. This is why we call it cardiometabolic disease, because metabolic problems primarily affect the blood vessels and the heart. Here too, there are supplements to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.

6:00 - Can people who have difficulty swallowing capsules or tablets open them?

There are capsules that are resistant to stomach acid and disintegrate in the intestine to allow for better absorption and not be destroyed. I don't think that's the case with the supplements we put in this capsule (formula to come). It's always possible to open the capsules and put them in a little yogurt or something else to consume them, or in water (although it may not dissolve).

Of course, there will be some bitter ingredients that will taste a little. That's the other negative aspect.

I would have to check again carefully the components that we put in it, to see if there is a risk that the stomach will degrade some of the components.

9:30 - A question of balance

For the past few weeks, I've been diving into the literature on aging to try to understand the different agents that seem to affect aging and what are the actors in the body that govern this. What strikes me is that it's really a question of balance. We need to maintain a balance in general.

I've already talked about Hans Selye's book "Stress Without Distress." Hans Selye is a professor at McGill University who worked in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, if I remember correctly, and who discovered stress hormones. His message was, and remains so 50 years later, with all the research that has been done (this is clear from my reading), that stress is essential to life. That is to say, our bodies are designed to manage stress. Stress is what makes our cells adapt.

The cardiovascular system and all the major systems we just mentioned adapt to the environment, adapt to life, and cope with stress, even if it's just by walking! It's when our joints aren't working as well that we understand the stress we don't feel. The movement, the weight, and all that; everything is well-oiled, well-managed.

In my reading, what I see is that aging is accelerated when stress is unbalanced, too much. Even intense physical exercise; great athletes are sometimes not so healthy. This is just an example to illustrate that it's really a question of balance, because all the factors that contribute to aging are a little bit of stress.

12:30 - Infrared sauna

What is heat therapy? It stimulates the body to manage heat stress, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Our proteins have a temperature window within which their shape, folding, and function are ideal. If we deviate from this, we need molecules called heat shock proteins that surround and keep our most important proteins in their correct shape so they can function normally.

It's interesting, because studies said that it's also regularity. In a Finnish study - Obviously, in Finland, they do a lot of saunas. But there were some who did it once a week. They compared it with people who did it 2 or 3 times and 4 to 7 times or more. And the greatest reductions in the risk of cardiovascular death (heart attack, angina, etc.), types of death related to the cardiovascular system, were reduced for people who did this sauna 4 to 7 times a week. That's very interesting, because it's a thermal stress. This stress increases the (heat shock) proteins that protect...

5:30 p.m. - Stress without distress

Going too far creates distress. We can also talk about psychology. Indeed, we all face challenges in life, whether physical or emotional.

Why do children in concentration camps or refugee camps retain a surprising zest for life? In their difficulties, they linger, they see the small joys of life. They linger on them and cling to them too, because it's a bit of a survival thing, but it can be applied to life in general.

Try to notice all the little joys, all the little gifts; I always talk about them as little gifts in life that come to us, whether it's the song of a bird, whatever, whatever makes you feel good. It could be going for a walk, having a nice chat, enjoying a good meal...

It's also interesting in psychology. I think there are five main emotions. There's one that's positive, joy, and there are four that we can consider not negative, but... There's fear, sadness, anger...

This is because interactions between human beings depend a lot on feedback and interactions; I'm not a psychologist, but that plays into it.

So joy is very fleeting, but we must hold on to it, cultivate attention to small joys. Every day brings small joys; we must notice them and appreciate them.

8:30 p.m. - The microbiota

It's increasingly seen as an important player in metabolic and immune balance as well. So, two of the major systems we've talked about. Even many of the supplements that are interesting in aging act in part on the flora.

22:30 - Mental Health

We hear more and more often in the news that when people attack others, the attacker suffered from mental illness.

It's becoming increasingly unbalanced. But the society we live in doesn't help us manage stress very much. We're constantly bombarded with information now, and our little tools (smartphones) that we're all becoming addicted to are wonderful; they've improved a lot of things and made our lives easier, but at the same time, they shorten our attention span. I was at a parents' meeting last night, and we were discussing this with one of the teachers; it's becoming more and more evident among students.

26:00 - Body repair mechanism and targets to improve longevity

Everything we ingest, everything we breathe... You're right; it's one of the causes of aging.

What is aging? It's precisely damage to your DNA or proteins that exceeds the body's repair capabilities. Unfortunately, we have an expiration date. We can't live forever. Over time, there's a decline in repair mechanisms. That's why the way to prolong life involves minor stresses that will help maintain these repair mechanisms.

I was talking to you about heat shock proteins, also about the famous gene methylation. There are also certain elements in there to protect and maintain. So, if there is damage to your DNA, then damage to your proteins, a cell will eventually say that there is too much damage, that it cannot handle it and will trigger senescence, programmed death, and make way for someone else.

The targets for improving longevity revolve around keeping these mechanisms functional for as long as possible. Physical activity is part of this, heat stress is part of this, healthy eating is essential, and diversity on the plate is essential.

28:30 - What can promote methylation and biological age

The famous sirtuins, which are the target of resveratrol and other components we've heard about, and which help with longevity. I'm learning more and more about the exact mechanisms, but what I quickly saw is that it will help maintain this methylation, these famous shields to protect and control gene expression. Moreover, the basis of the tests I mentioned to you to assess biological age uses these many sites.

There's a company that looks at 2,000 sites on DNA to see what level of methylation there is. This gives a good idea of ​​age; it's very closely correlated with biological age.

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