This week we sat down with Erin Brockovich. Ring a bell? You might recognize her from the wildly popular movie, Erin Brockovich. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s amazing. While Erin is mostly recognized as an activist (and she’s a great one), she’s also very active in the health and fitness community where she’s…

Have you ever tried a low-calorie or sugar-free diet, only to be foiled by sugar cravings? See if this sounds familiar. You swear to stop eating all sugar (or chips, or fast food, or whatever). You stick to it for a few days, or maybe even a few weeks. But before long you’re feeling deprived,…

Key takeaways:~ Alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) plays an important role in energy production, epigenetic regulation, stem cell proliferation, and inflammation regulation.~Energy, inflammation, and cell renewal are essential for avoiding age-related diseases.~ Levels of alpha ketogluterate decline in aging.~ Supplemental alpha-ketoglutarate studies show intriguing results for improving healthspan. What is alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG)? Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a molecule produced…

We’re charging full steam ahead into the holiday season. And between family dinners, festive libations, and indulging in comfort food to deal with holiday stress, it’s easy to overdo it this time of year. But worrying about your food choices can add to your anxiety — as if you needed extra stress during this already-hectic season. And over…

Article: Tissue specific signature of HHV-6 infection in ME/CFS Frontiers in Molecular Bioscience Overview: Researchers examined brain and spinal cord postmortem tissue samples from ME/CFS patients. They found that HHV-6 (human herpesvirus 6) miRNA was abundant in these tissues. This was in stark contrast to control tissue samples. Additionally, the researchers found active EBV infection…

Listen to this episode of Longevity by Design on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts This episode of Longevity by Design discusses concepts related to women’s health, including the brain-ovary connection, reproductive health, ovarian aging, and the health implications of menopause. Our guest today is Dr. Garrison, a neuroscientist, and expert in reproductive health. Dr….

By Daria Timonina  PhD Candidate, USC-Buck Biology of Aging Program in the Verdin lab. Every cell in our body has its own clock. This clock tells the cell whether it is time to energize, rest, or perform a task. In much the same way, we have times when we eat, sleep, and work. If we…

Key takeaways:~ Genetic mutations in cardiac muscle proteins cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.~ This is one cause of sudden cardiac death, especially in young adult athletes. It is the reason sports physicals have been required since the 1980s.~ Knowing about a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation means you can get the necessary medical treatments to prevent future problems. Members…

By Eric Verdin, President and CEO of the Buck Institute The microbiome is rightfully having a scientific moment (more like a scientific decade) and it seems like the right time to think about its role in aging. The microbiome – the hundreds of species of bacteria living on and within us, and especially in our…

Here’s some food for thought: our brain makes up about 2% of our total body weight, but it accounts for about 20% of our energy consumption. That’s like having a supercharged computer sitting on top of our shoulders.  The brain’s energy consumption varies depending on the task at hand. Binge-watching Game of Thrones, for example,…