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Your weekly longevity insights are here.

Your organs are aging at different speeds — which makes sense, since your lungs didn’t have to live through tequila night.

Scientists say organ-specific aging clocks could revolutionize how we track and prevent diseases.

Don’t keep longer. a secret—share it with your friends!

This week in longevity:

• 🧪 Microplastics linked to artery inflammation

• 🩸 Stem cells hold keys to blood health

• 🧬 Urolithin A redefines mitochondrial care

• ❤️ HRV as a potential aging biomarker

• 🔬 New funding boosts anti-aging skin research

• 🌱 Gut sensitivity to food additives decoded

Read time: 6 minutes

THIS WEEK IN LONGEVITY

FEATURED

🌱 Gut bacteria reveal who’s sensitive to food additives

Scientists at the Institut Pasteur have developed a way to predict whether someone’s gut is sensitive to emulsifiers, a common food additive. Emulsifiers, like CMC—a substance used to improve texture and shelf life in foods like bread, ice cream, and plant-based milk—can negatively affect gut health in some people. With a simple stool test, researchers can now identify who might be at risk, paving the way for personalized diets to protect gut health.

What to know:

• What are emulsifiers? These are additives used to make processed foods smooth and long-lasting. They’re found in everyday products like sliced bread, ice cream, and even plant-based milks.

• Why do they matter? For some people, emulsifiers disrupt gut bacteria, potentially leading to inflammation, gut diseases, and metabolic problems.

• Not everyone reacts the same: Researchers discovered that some people’s gut bacteria (microbiota) are sensitive to emulsifiers like CMC, while others show no harmful effects, and observed similar effects in mice after high-fat diets and weight loss.

• New testing method: Scientists developed a stool test to analyze gut bacteria and predict if someone is sensitive to emulsifiers.

• Next steps: The team is expanding the study to patients with Crohn’s disease and exploring ways to prevent emulsifier-related gut issues.

Why it’s important: This breakthrough could change how we approach nutrition. Imagine getting a simple test to find out which foods are safe for your gut, helping prevent issues like chronic inflammation or even managing diseases like Crohn’s. It’s personalized health, starting from the inside!

FEATURED

🧬 How fast are your organs aging?

A new study from the University of Chicago and University of Pittsburgh reveals that DNA methylation clocks—tools used to measure biological age—are less reliable for tissues outside of blood. These clocks, which estimate aging based on chemical changes in DNA, may need to be customized for specific organs like the lungs, colon, or kidneys to give more accurate results.

What to know:

• What’s a DNA methylation clock? It’s a tool that estimates your biological age by analyzing chemical changes in your DNA (called methylation).

• Blood vs. other tissues: While these clocks work well for blood samples, they’re less accurate for tissues like lungs, colon, and kidneys.

• Aging at different rates: The study found some organs, like the testis and ovaries, appeared younger than expected, while others, like the lungs and colon, seemed older.

• Why it matters: Organ-specific differences suggest aging doesn’t happen evenly across the body. New tissue-specific clocks might improve health tracking and age-related disease prevention.

• Next steps: Larger studies are needed to create more accurate, organ-specific clocks for better diagnostics and personalized health strategies.

Why it’s important: This research highlights how aging isn’t one-size-fits-all—even within your own body! With better tools to measure biological age by organ, scientists could predict and prevent diseases more effectively. Personalized health plans could become as detailed as tracking how your lungs or kidneys are aging!

💡Pro Tip: Want to dive deeper? Use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to simplify complex studies. Copy, paste, and get a clear summary—it’s like having a personal research assistant.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

1. New Drug ABT-263 Reverses Aging in Skin and Speeds Up Healing
Researchers at Boston University discovered that the drug ABT-263 speeds up wound healing in aging skin by clearing senescent cells (damaged cells that block repair). Applied topically, it boosted healing in older mice, with 80% fully recovering compared to 56% of untreated mice. This breakthrough could lead to better treatments for slow-healing wounds in older adults.

2. MIT Project Uses Sleep Stimulation to Protect Brain Health
MIT researchers, led by Dr. Laura Lewis, are developing ways to improve the brain’s ability to clear waste during sleep. The study focuses on enhancing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which helps remove harmful toxins that build up in the brain and are linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s. By boosting this natural cleaning process, the project aims to create non-invasive therapies to slow or prevent cognitive decline as we age.

3. Healthy Habits Could Slow Aging of the Immune System
As we age, our immune system weakens in a process called immunosenescence, making it harder to fight infections and respond to vaccines. A new review shows that regular exercise, a nutrient-rich diet, quality sleep, and stress management can slow this decline by boosting immune cell production and reducing harmful inflammation. These habits could help protect against illness and keep the immune system strong longer.

LONGEVITY SNAPSHOTS

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS WEEK

🩸 Stem Cell Secret: Some blood stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells) stay youthful while others lose function with age. Removing aged cells with high CD150 (an aging protein) improved blood health and lifespan in mice.

❤️ Heart Rate Insight: Researchers suggest heart rate variability (HRV) may reflect oxidative stress, a key driver of aging and inflammation. HRV could serve as a simple biomarker to track healthy aging and redox balance (oxidation control).

🧪 Plastic Peril: Microplastics from food packaging may damage blood vessels and trigger inflammation, raising heart disease risk. Italian researchers found degraded plastics caused harmful changes in vascular cells crucial for healthy arteries.

🤖 Wellness Revolution: The $7 trillion wellness industry in 2025 is driven by AI personalization, Gen Z’s holistic health focus, and longevity trends. Tailored fitness, recovery tech, and community programs emphasize inclusivity and proactive health.

🧬 Urolithin A Breakthrough: Swiss biotech Timeline aims to make Urolithin A, a mitochondrial-boosting compound, as popular as omega-3s. Proven to enhance muscle endurance, skin health, and even immune defense, their patented Mitopure ingredient drives longevity innovation.

PROMPT OF THE WEEK

Meal Timing

WHAT WE’RE BOOKMARKING

📱 Social

🎧 Podcasts

• “Functional Mushrooms For Health” on Longevity Optimization with Kayla Barnes-Lentz: Julian Mitchell unpacks how Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps can boost cognition, sleep, and gut health, backed by science (Spotify link).

• “The Hidden Nutrient Deficiencies Sabotaging Your Health” | Ralph Esposito, ND: Discover how overlooked deficiencies may impact your well-being, (Apple link).

📚 Books

• “The Longevity Solution” by James DiNicolantonio and Jason Fung: Unlock five proven steps to live longer and feel better, inspired by the secrets of Blue Zones and practical wellness science (Amazon link).

⚙️ Tools to Try

• TytoHome Remote Exam Kit: Transform your home into a mini-clinic with this gadget, enabling remote exams, diagnoses, and prescriptions through telehealth (Product website).

Thanks for reading.

See you in the next issue.

Anna

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.