Last month, I was awarded the Rosalind Franklin Society Special Award in Science for my research on using a diet and lifestyle program to favorably change DNA methylation and reverse biological aging. I’m humbled and honored to receive this award, which is given to the top papers of the year written by women or underrepresented…
DetailsDr. Fitzgerald’s latest research peer-reviewed publication (published March 2023 in the journal Aging) reports on a case series of women who followed a structured version of her 8-week bioage-targeting protocol. Collectively, the participants reduced their biological age by an average of 4.60 years compared to their baseline. In this month’s blog, we pose some key…
DetailsIn the fields of functional medicine, functional longevity and epigenetics, research is moving quickly – and so spending time delving into the scientific literature and discussing new findings with other experts in the field is essential. Last month, a new paper landed on my desk, published in the leading journal Cell. It lays out a…
DetailsHow Much Should We Eat For Optimal Health & Longevity? Plus my thoughts on combining with Younger You epinutrient targets About a month ago, I podcasted with Valter Longo, PhD, a highly respected scientist and director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. Of course, our conversation hit on protein, something…
DetailsThis article was contributed by our founding Nutrition Programs Director, Romilly Hodges MS CNS CDN IFMCP. Romilly is the author of the new book IMMUNE RESILIENCE, published in April 2022 by Penguin Random House and available wherever books are sold. Don’t forget to order your copy! In the field of personalized health, it should…
DetailsHave you heard about epinutrients? Surprisingly, they’re barely mentioned in research papers and yet they are potent epigenetic regulators (i.e. they control how our genes are expressed). And I think it’s time to shine some light on these longevity superstars. But first, have you ever wondered why food has such powerful effects on our health…
DetailsThis April marked an important milestone for me and my team with the publication of our groundbreaking clinical trial on reversing biological age through diet and lifestyle. And since then, quite a number of research articles have been published on this very same topic.
DetailsA new report suggests that COVID-19 patients have increased autoantibodies, resulting in an increased risk of severe early and long COVID-19 symptoms. Autoantibodies represent a misdirection of our natural immune response towards “self” tissue. Researchers from Yale School of Medicine tested 194 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients for autoantibodies and found a dramatic increase in autoimmune reactivity compared to…
DetailsPeople appear to subconsciously remember the location of high-calorie foods better than other, healthier foods, suggesting that bringing these foods into your home may sabotage even the best intentions and strongest will for healthy eating or weight loss. A study published in Nature investigated “high-calorie spatial memory bias” to better understand whether human memory is biased toward…
DetailsNearly 1 in 25 individuals who undergo bariatric bypass or sleeve surgery engage in unhealthy alcohol use up to eight years after surgery, according to a study of military veterans. This retrospective analysis of over 2,600 US veterans with no prior history of unhealthy alcohol use before bariatric surgery found those who underwent sleeve surgery had a 3.5%…
DetailsIntriguing new research shows that it is possible to reverse age-related cellular dysfunction in vivo, specifically age-related vision loss. This suggests that modifying epigenetic expression is a powerful tool to counteract the damage of aging. The study published in Nature sought to reset the epigenome and DNA methylation patterns by expressing transcription factors, which help…
DetailsA sedentary lifestyle is associated not only with a higher risk of early death and also an increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you’re like one of the millions of people in a sedentary job or lifestyle, you may wonder how to counteract the negative health impacts…
DetailsMore research confirms that maintaining optimal vitamin D levels is extremely important for reducing the risk of infection with SARS Cov-2. A six-week observational study of 154 people published in Nature found that 97 percent of individuals with severe COVID-19 had vitamin D deficiency (mean concentration was 14 ng/mL) compared to 33 percent of people…
DetailsThe results from a newly-published trial on the effects of a dietary intervention in overweight adults are impressive: 14 lbs weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, a 19.3 mg/dL reduction in total cholesterol, 15.4 mg/dL reduction in LDL cholesterol, and reduced fat distribution in the liver and muscles (associated with reduced risk for fatty liver and…
DetailsA large number of cancer therapies are approved by the FDA without randomized clinical trials and only increase median survival by 2.4 months, according to a new review article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). This may come as a surprise and disappointment considering the urgent goals of cancer research to…
DetailsPeople of all ages, from kids to older adults, are encouraged to limit sedentary behavior and increase daily exercise, according to updated guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO). These guidelines, which replace 2010 WHO recommendations, highlight the importance of combining aerobic plus strength training, and include guidance for pregnancy, postpartum women, and individuals with…
DetailsSome of our favorite polyphenol-rich foods, including green tea, muscadine grapes, cacao, and dark chocolate appear to block an enzyme in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, inhibiting its replication. A docking simulation and in vitro study published in Frontiers in Plant Science found that these flavan-3-ol and proanthocyandin-containing foods can block and bind the function of this enzyme, or protease, which…
DetailsSupplementing with melatonin may decrease the likelihood of contracting COVID, particularly among African Americans. Researchers analyzed data from an observational study of over 26,000 people from a COVID-19 registry at the Cleveland Clinic Health System and found that melatonin use is associated with a 52% reduced likelihood of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test in African Americans.…
DetailsPeople who have been exposed to a seasonal “common cold” may experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms. While we’ve discussed this topic previously, a study from the Journal of Clinical Investigation reports the first clinical evidence of cross reactivity with the common cold and COVID. This is due to previous immune responses against the four endemic…
DetailsScientists are continuing to explore the role of furin proteases in the development of drugs to address COVID infections. This is a topic Dr. Fitzgerald has written on previously, including a peer-reviewed publication discussing dietary, lifestyle, and natural options to consider for lowering furin levels.
DetailsHigh-dose biotin appears to be ineffective and potentially harmful in the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), contradicting an earlier study. A randomized trial from The Lancet of over 600 participants with MS found those who took 100 mg of biotin three times per day (10,000 times higher than the RDA) or placebo failed to…
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