#160. How To Reverse the Aging Process Scientifically? - Hannah Went | Everything Epigenetics

Understanding Your Genetic Variants

You need to get your genetics tested. You need to understand your genetic variance. Once you optimize, you're only going to have better epigenetic expression as well. I truly believe knowledge is power.

Discover More: How to Slow Down Your Aging Process

Discover more is a podcast for independent thinkers who appreciate the importance of mental health and social sciences. Today's conversation will explain how to reverse the aging process scientifically by harnessing the so called longevity genes. Learn how to expand your longevity before engaging in the July 4 festivities coming up this weekend.

Is Nature or Nurture Bad for You?

Is it nature or nurture? Of course, we both know the answer is both. We're seeing the epigenetics that nurture outweigh that nature, that genetic information and material. Why do you feel like people are often fixated on one or the other?

Why Should People Care About Genetics?

Epigenetics is how you're controlling your own genetic material. We can now do things from a lifestyle perspective, supplement medication, to affect how our genes are being expressed. Once you optimize and understand your genetic variants, you're only going to have better epigenetic expression.

What is Chronological Age and Pace of Aging?

Hannah: What is the difference between chronicle age and biological age, and what does it mean to slow down our pace of aging? Benoit: chronological age is not a good biomarker for health. Biological age is how you're aging at a cellular level.

First generation clocks: Their history, use

This was really created ten years ago by a PhD out of UCLA. Epigenetic testing was just predicting chronological age. When this really started becoming more medically advanced or used in a clinical setting is around 2018, 2019. Second generation clocks use biological information on top of the epigenetic markers.

The mind, body, epigenetics

Mind, body, paradigm body keeps its core is a book. A lot of people resisted the idea that psychophysiologically, body and your mind can be an entry point. So it is exciting to see the rise of epigenetics.

Has there been any pushback to the epigenetics of mental health

Ben Wal: Epigenetics has a role in identifying certain diseases. Clinical trial showing you can reverse this Metric came out in August of 2019. It's a complex interplay between different genetic markers and epigenetics. We're in a really fun area now, and I have more questions to ask.

Do Functional Medicine and EBP overlap?

functional medicine can also be controversial. How do you recognize the role of individuality while still recognizing the importance of empirical data? Do you lean more toward lifestyle factors or do you want to go a little safer?

Mental Health: The Future of Healthcare

A lot of people are afraid of getting their blood labs done, are afraid to go to the annual checkups. Not getting those labs or not testing epigenetics and not testing genetics is more likely to have a negative health outcome later on in life. It all comes down to how we want to shape our lives.

Problem Talk vs. Solution Talk in Psychotherapy

I want to go into the realm of problem talk versus solution talk, as we call it in psychotherapy. One of the most effective mental health approach that I tell my clients and patients is do more of what makes you feel good. That's also mental health.

The positive applications of epigenetics in science

There's also positive epigenetics, right? Where you, for example, our long term mindfulness practitioners, like monks, people like that, their mindfulness and their gamma ray frequency increase also has epigenetical impact on long terms. But conversely, are there any of the opposite effect or positive aspects?

Mental health and epigenetic aging

Benoit: We know stressors increase epigenetic biological aging and have negative effects on epigenetics. He says meditation, mindfulness, breathing exercises, reading, writing, walking, whatever you need to do, makes you happy. That has positive outcomes on your epigenetics, he says. Benoit: There are some connections with epigenetical expressions.

Do Your epigenetics Predict How Fast You're Aging?

Epigenetics shows us that it's a long term strategy, a long game approach. Measure your pace of aging every two to three months. If you stack too many habits based on strength, it actually is detrimental for your health.

Benoit: Homeostasis

There's so much pressure these days, right? Just in society, in everyday life. I think that has an effect on epigenetics too. This is why 98% of new year resolution fail, especially with weight loss. What I hear in terms of reasonable expectation is not accepting complacency.

Does caloric restriction slow the pace of your aging?

A study shows that caloric restriction is the number one recommendation to improve overall health, span and lifespan. The only clock to capture the change was that pace of aging we've been talking about. Hannah, can you identify some common other contributing factors that we can act on immediately?

Eat When You're Hungry

We can also talk about the other side, which is eat when you're hungry. It's really listening to your body. Are you eating out of habit, or are you eating because you're actually hungry?

Senescent Cells and immortality

Many medical professionals believe that if we can control this hyper regenerative process of ourselves, we can achieve sustainable longevity. We need to stop the proliferation of cancer cells. How do we remove those senescent cells but have a healthy balance?

Do you have any spiritual beliefs? The more you dive into epigen

Do you have any like spiritual beliefs? The more you dive deep into your own biology and the study of epigenetics and biology. It's making me want to act on it more after, you know, talking about this and having this conversation.

Do DNA and epigenetics have any ethical issues?

Can you explain the landscape of bioethics with a rapidly emerging interest and research into the field of epigenetics and so on? Make sure with the company that you're looking at, if you are wanting to test your epigenetics, make sure they own their own lab.

Trade Diagnostic's First Gen Biological Clock

Trade diagnostic company just created the most advanced biological age clock with Harvard in partnerships. Clock includes clinical lab values, proteomic values, and metabolite values. It's going to be able to predict almost anything, and really in the future, take over about 60% to 70% of traditional lab testing.

Immortality and the epigenetics of aging

Hannah: What are some beliefs people used to have about genetics and epigenetics they no longer believe or uphold? She says as much of it is in our control. Epigenetic signatures are actually passed down. We can tell where you live based on your epigenetics, down to the zip code. Hannah: There is also emerging emphasis on social detriments of health.

Quality of Life vs lifespan

Benoit: We are larger than the sum of our parts. Everything about our well being is integrated. Nothing lives in the silo. Everything integrates. And everything will spill over if you do not address it. Benoit: By reclaiming ownership of our aging, we can improve the quality of our life.

A Taste of Aged People

Hannah: We can't control everything that's happened to us previously that may have negatively or positively impacted our biological aging. Give yourself grace, move forward just as much as you can, and work on it one day at a time. See you again in the next week's episode of Discover more.