This is a tremendous book with a simple, yet radical concept: we can and will cure aging as a systemic disease. We have already been sending it to our clients and friends. Get ready, it is a serious science book and if it has been a while since one has read something containing molecular formulas, it can initially feel intimidating. Please, persevere. It is worth it.
We are big fans of David Sinclair, and to be sure, he is not without controversy. His science may be correct and it may not be, we will learn more with time. He is, however, a great writer, funny, engaging and with a welcome sharp wit that is rare in the science crowd. He has the gift of being able to both live the science world at the highest levels and communicate clearly what he is learning and what it means to us regular people.
This latter point is key. If we are extending health spans, and eventually life spans, what are the consequences? It is a dialogue that many in research don’t or won’t have.
How exactly is this life span extension thing going to happen? It is complicated, much of it is uncertain. Human biology is incredibly complex; A+B does not always get one to C. If there is one overall proven idea, it is something we talk endlessly about here, it is that STRESS IS GOOD! But a certain kind of pulsed stress, not chronic stress, but specifically implemented stress called hormesis.
“Here is the important point: there are plenty of stressors that will activate the longevity genes without damaging the cell, including certain types of exercise, intermittent fasting, low protein diets and exposure to hot and cold temperatures. These are called hormesis. Hormesis is generally good for an organism, especially when it can be induced without causing lasting damage. When hormesis happens, all is well. And in fact, all is better than well, because the little bit of stress that occurs when the genes are activated prompts the rest of the system to hunker down, to conserve, to survive a little longer. That’s the start of longevity.” (Page 26)
The last chapter of the book A Path Forward does a marvelous job of answering the questions: Why would we want to extend life, how to get going as a society and what that could look like. If we agree or not, and we happen to think he is correct, just having the discussion is worthwhile. Think about it, if cancer is bad, why is fighting aging as a disease bad or unnatural?
If you are a fan, I would also recommend his information-dense Twitter feed, and his many guest podcasts, of which the Joe Rogan ones are my favorite.
We have already received several emails from people wanting our opinion or offering comments on this book. Let’s keep the conversation going, let us know what you think.
