Live forever
Longevity, again, plus the usual mind–body science highlights
In the past few months my social media has been bombarding me with ads for tests to discover my methylation profile (I am also being bombarded with ads for weight loss injections, which is depressing me slightly and making me feel judged but that’s a conversation for another time). Is it because I keep writing about longevity and ageing?
Now, as a scientist and, more importantly, as a former editor of a molecular biology journal, I know what methylation means, but I was very intrigued that this highly jargony term was being used as the hook for a health test. I’m going to assume that the average person has no idea what methylation is. Perhaps when they see these ads, they assume it’s something important that they probably should be testing as part of their health and wellness planning.
In case you are wondering, methylation is a chemical process that affects whether your genes are expressed or not, which in simple terms translates to affecting whether you are making certain proteins. In essence, it is a way of regulating what protein is made and when. Whoever wrote the copy on that particular website either deliberately stayed vague to blind readers with jargon or doesn’t understand basic principles of science communication ie that you should explain your jargon and also explain why it’s important rather than keep throwing it around in every sentence and headline.
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I believe that in the context of these tests, scientists look for the expression of certain genes that are linked with health, for example brain function. I don’t have an opinion at this point about whether it’s important or useful to know these things, although I will say that this kind of information is only useful if its actionable, ie you can make changes to your lifestyle that can lead to actual improvements.
I was thinking about this on my morning run (yes, I am back to running on a bid to improve my cardiovascular fitness) while listening to the Zoe podcast about Bryan Johnson’s efforts to reverse the ageing process and prevent death. Apparently he’s one of the most methylated-measured people in the world, which he measures to track the speed of his ageing alongside various other things. (my apologies for linking to X/Twitter)
A part of my brain – the competitive part that gets annoyed when my Oura ring tells me that my cardiovascular age is aligned with my actual age because I’d prefer it to be lower and to congratulate me on how great I am – was intrigued by the tracking of data and markers and all that, the self-experimentation. After all, once a scientist, always a scientist even when you retire from the bench.
The other half of my brain was getting annoyed because really, a lot of this seems ridiculous and extreme. I recently read an article recounting the routines of couples in their health quests – the article is behind a paywall, but you can watch this Youtube video to get an idea. She showers in filtered water, uses a hyperbaric chamber every day, and eats dinner at 4pm. No thanks! (Each to their own though).
I’m still going to advocate for the importance of a healthy lifestyle to maintain healthspan, but perhaps in a bit more measured way. And, to reference yoga philosophy, perhaps with a little less attachment to live forever. Your house could catch on fire and you could die in your sleep.
I’m going to go do my yoga practice now. Stay healthy!
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Mind–body research highlights
Slim pickings this month I’m afraid, but here are a few that stood out.
What effects does yoga have on our minds and bodies?
Speaking of healthspan, this systematic review looked at 65 studies investigating the effects of yoga on our mental health, our cognitive abilities and our physiology. Nothing new and exciting to report here, but overall the findings suggest that yoga practices (which included physical practice ie asana, breathing practices ie pranayama, and meditation) help to improve negative mood, and enhance memory and cognitive function in older adults. There was a mix of findings regarding whether there was activation of the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nervous system, but that’s not surprising given the breadth of practices. It’s also a little telling of the quality of yoga research that they only selected 65 studies out of over 2,000.
Bhastrika pranayama
If you wanted more evidence that Bhastrika, the fast-paced belly breathing practice, increased your heart rate, here’s a study. It had just 20 participants, who practices bhastrika for 5 minutes and had their data measured. They heart rate went up, and they showed additional changes aligned with sympathetic activation.
iRest yoga nidra for pain relief
This is a pilot study (ie a small study that wants to check if the intervention works before taking it to a larger population) looking at iRest yoga nidra for persistent pain. Participants reported feeling more relaxed, experiencing less pain and even considering reducing their pain medication (opioids). BUT I have huge reservations about this study because it’s a pilot, I don’t know what the sample size is and iRest was not compared with anything else (ie it wasn’t controlled). Previous research on yoga nidra and pain has been inconclusive, although I am open to the possibility that it might work well towards reducing opioid use as pain is highly subjective. (also, mini-rant but this paper is labelled as open access but it’s actually not free to read).
News, workshops, events
New class! Friday poetry, yin & yoga nidra
You can now practice with me on Friday evenings at a lovely new studio in Muswell Hill. Wind down from your week with the softer side of yoga, infused with a carefully selected poem each week to help you really tune into your mind and body. There’s currently a spring sale 25% off, so buy your pass now and join me every Friday at 6.15pm.
Yoga and immunity
Melanie and I are joining forces again this year to run workshops on yoga and the immune system. Dates are still TBC, but topics include (based on your feedback):
Depression, inflammation and yoga
Sleep and the immune system
The gut microbiota
Stay tuned for more info and to book.