Mitochondria are crucial for life, and increasingly research is finding that they hold the key to better aging and longevity, as a critical hallmark of aging. While optimising mitochondrial health through exercise, diet, and stress management is essential for maintaining their function, targeted, research-backed mitochondrial solutions are proving effective at unlocking a new level of longevity-focused results.
This month: Yes, yes, yes: intensive lifestyle interventions (4 papers); omega-3 fatty acids and exercise all WORK on preventing and/or reversing cognitive impairment, including in those with genetic risk (including APOE4). Do adipocytes house epigenetic memory leading to the inevitable weight regaining phenomenon we have long seen? The longevity potential of phytonutrients (you know I am bullish here!). And what about that wildly popular Nature Aging paper on aging happening in two bursts—am I hanging up the towel when I hit 60? (Short answer: no.)
Sip Your Way to Health: The Glow & Thrive Mocktail Recipe for Longevity The New Year is a time for fresh starts, thoughtful intentions, and celebrations with loved ones. But why not toast to your health while you’re at it? Enter the Glow & Thrive Mocktail, a festive, alcohol-free drink that not only…
Happy holidays everyone! As you enjoy the festive season, I wanted to take a moment to share with you below some of the highlights from this past year here at Dr. Kara Fitzgerald. It’s been quite a 12 months, and I’ve been so honored by the participation and contributions of those who continue to work so hard to deepen our understanding of functional medicine, epigenetics, and longevity. I would like to call out some notable highlights for me including my conversations with the legendary Drs. Greg Fahy, Janine LaSalle, Artemis Simopoulos, and Vittorio Sebastiano. However, there were so many other heavy-hitters and I encourage you to look back over all the year’s content to see what you may have missed.
Hippocrates is said to have stated “All diseases begin in the gut.” 2000 years later, advancement in gastrointestinal testing, like the GI360™ stool profile from Doctor’s Data, allows medical professionals to ascertain what is in the gut, and how it might be contributing to health and disease. The gastrointestinal tract (GI) is a person’s first line of defense and the largest interface between the outside world and our bodies. The microbial ecosystem in the GI, referred to as the gut microbiome, is partially responsible for maintaining human health and is also associated with various diseases. A healthy gut microbiome needs greens, beans and berries to steer clear of dysbiosis.
Since my time in a laboratory at the start of my career in 2006, where I was a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine (including principal author on the Nutrient & Toxic Elements chapter), I have had lead on the brain, as it were. Given the fact that the research is pretty clear that ANY lead exposure is a problem (especially in kids and in pregnancy), I pay attention to lead – in all of my patients, in myself and my daughter. In my wider family. I am a firm believer that we need to make, at a minimum, an annual sweep of general toxin status in the body. And when we identify something, move forward with appropriate steps for removal and treatment.
This month, we are sharing short summaries of some of the key research and news pieces that we have been paying attention to. Our focus spans intriguing questions about health and nutrition, from the potential risks of fish oil supplementation to the role of grip strength in aging. We also dive into the effectiveness of different protein sources, the temporary aging effects of pregnancy, and the controversial impact of multivitamins on longevity. These five topics shed light on emerging findings and the need for a nuanced understanding of nutrition and health. Join us as we explore these important insights!
If you prioritize your health, you’re likely familiar with the foods and supplements that support muscle growth, heart health, and a robust immune system. But have you considered your brain health? Our cognitive well-being underpins our aspirations, achievements, and life experiences. We all aspire to be among the remarkable few whose minds seem as sharp and vital at age 80 or 90 as they did at 30 or 40. So, how can we start nurturing our brain health today, to maximize supporting for a healthy mind for decades to come?
In this short video blog (6 minutes, 24 seconds), Dr. Fitzgerald asks Ryan Smith, founder of TruDiagnostic, a lab that researches and specializes in understanding and reporting insights derived from epigenetic methylation data, to discuss some of the recent criticisms surrounding biological clocks.
Grip strength declines with age – this is an unwelcome change I’ve noticed even in myself, despite a good, consistent resistance training habit through adulthood. Jars that were completely uneventful for me, I need more effort to open, or resorting to using a jar-opening tool. This is in part, what makes me interested in grip strength.