Optimizing Gene Expression for a Longer Life
Can we tweak the expression of certain genes to promote a longer, healthy life?
More than genes
Many factors influence our health and lifespan.
From genes to lifestyle, from exercise to diet, many things matter. To make it even more complicated, these different factors interact with each other.
And why stop there, let’s add another complication: the effect of each of these factors, as well as the effect of their interaction, will differ substantially among individuals.
To use an example I’ve written about: diet.
Calories and protein matter. Of course, these factors interact. Protein has calories, after all. The protein composition matters too. Some amino acids (such as glutamine and methionine) appear to affect several aging pathways. But… that effect depends on how well (or how badly) your body metabolizes these amino acids, which depends on your genetic background.
Likewise, the effect of calorie restriction appears to differ among individuals with different genotypes.
So, it’s about the genes after all, then?
Well, only partially.
