We have the ability to reverse ageing

Reginald Deschepper (68) is a medical anthropologist and an expert in lifestyle and ageing. He is a professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, where he conducted research into lifestyle medicine and the science of rejuvenation. At the age of sixty-five, he was required to retire, but he has no intention of stopping work anytime soon. He compiled his knowledge and wrote two books: ‘Your Lifestyle as Medicine’ and ‘Younger Every Year: The Science of Rejuvenation or How to Outsmart Time’.

In your book ‘Younger Every Year’, you mention that the science of ageing and rejuvenation has accelerated in the past 25 years. Why is that?

“A significant milestone is that we understand the main causes of ageing and see that it is not so difficult to slow down, stop, and even reverse the process. One of these main causes is the ageing of our DNA. As we get older, a layer forms on the DNA that makes the information in the DNA unreadable. The body needs this information to produce proteins, which in turn have functions in our body. If the shape of the proteins changes, it can lead to problems like Alzheimer's or other age-related diseases. Compare that layer to scratches on a CD. The result is that the music doesn't play properly anymore. But if you can remove those scratches, the music on the CD is still there and can be played again. It works the same way with our DNA: if we remove that layer, the information is still present, and the correct form of proteins can be produced again. This is one of the ways to reverse ageing.”

This sounds spectacular. What other causes of ageing can you distinguish?

“Another example is senescent cells. These are cells that have aged and should actually die off and be replaced by new cells. But as we age, this process deteriorates, and these cells linger. They become zombie cells that damage healthy cells in their vicinity. Researchers are now developing drugs to clear out the zombie cells. This has a huge impact on combating ageing.” “Another cause is the change in our microbiome, or the bacteria that live in and on our bodies. We see a clear difference between young and older people: the diversity of bacteria decreases over the years. Our microbiome does a lot for our body, something we were not so aware of in the past. We now know that there is a clear connection between our microbiome and our brain. It also affects the health of the intestinal wall, which allows beneficial nutrients into the bloodstream, and this becomes more difficult as we age. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is therefore extremely important for absorbing the right nutrients. This can be done by eating healthily and variedly. But scientists are also experimenting with microbiome transplants, where bacteria from young people are transferred to older people to combat ageing.”

Are these the main causes of ageing?

“In science, we distinguish about fifteen such causes. Each scientist conducts their own research into how we can slow down, stop, or even reverse such a cause. By intervening in one cause, you can already make a significant impact. But we also know that tackling two causes has more impact than the sum of the parts: one and one makes three. This is why we are truly on the brink of an era where a lot can change.”

Is there a study, innovation, or insight that stands out to you?

“Professor David Sinclair recently published a study that the journal Nature announced with the headline Turning back time. He succeeded in restoring eye cells in mice. A typical problem: as you age, your vision deteriorates. He found a way to turn back the biological clock of those eye cells and demonstrated that previously blind mice could see again. This provides the first evidence for the theory that we can not only slow down the lifecycle of our cells but also reverse it. And if it works with eye cells, it could also work with heart or nerve cells. A lot of research still needs to be done, for example, with mice, worms, and yeast cells. But if we succeed in this with humans, it would be a huge breakthrough: the potential to turn back our biological clock.”

How was Sinclair able to turn back the biological clock of those eye cells?

“Sinclair builds on the research of Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka. He previously discovered that there are four genes present in every cell of everyone. These are also known as the Yamanaka factors. These cells are now inactive but can be reactivated. If we do that, the biological clock starts to turn back. Very fascinating and incredible! Initially, there was a practical problem: cells became so young that they turned into embryonic cells and could become anything from there. A skin cell could potentially become a brain cell, or worse: a cancer cell. Sinclair has now solved that problem. Instead of manipulating four genes, he manipulates three and knows how to turn back the clock so that the cells do become younger but not so young that they become embryonic cells.”

This almost sounds like science fiction. Do you think we will experience these kinds of techniques, or is this really future music?

“A realistic expectation is that these kinds of techniques will become possible for most people during their lifetime. I envision that you can occasionally go to the doctor to get a vaccine that activates some of these mechanisms and thus turns back your biological age. It sounds like science fiction, but it isn't. We are already testing it, and we are succeeding with test animals. The first studies now suggest that it could also work in humans.”

Are there things you can do today to age ‘younger’?

“To age less quickly, it is important to eat healthily, stay active, handle stress well, have social contacts, get enough sleep, and find meaning in life. In short: a healthy lifestyle is the foundation. You can start at any age, and it has an effect at any age. For example, research has been done on the elderly in a nursing home and found that they could still create a beneficial effect in people aged eighty-five. But it is true: the earlier you start, the more impact you can make. My advice is to find a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain for a lifetime. Choose, for example, healthy foods that you also enjoy and a form of exercise that you find fun.”

Many people will read this and think – I already live quite healthily, how do I find out where I stand now? What would you say to them?

“A measure is your biological age, which shows how far you are in the ageing process and can deviate quite a few years from your chronological age. Tip: read the blog about the difference between healthspan and lifespan here. We know, for example, that how your skin looks strongly correlates with your biological age. This gives you a good indication. There are also scales where you can determine your metabolic age, ways to measure the strength in your hand, or blood analyses that map biomarkers, such as inflammation levels. This can help you gain more insight into where you stand now.”

“I strive for an optimal concentration of nutrients in the body to slow down my biological clock as much as possible.”

And if I already live healthily, are there still things I can do extra – things that you as an expert also apply in your life?

“Certainly. The idea ‘what doesn't kill you makes you stronger’ can also be applied to the ageing process. An example: if you sit in a sauna all day, you won't come out alive. But if you go for just fifteen minutes, various processes are activated that make us stronger. The same applies to stress from cold, which you can manipulate with an ice bath, for example. I regularly step into the sauna myself.”

“I also eat healthily: mainly plant-based, as little sugar as possible, and balanced. Think of enough mushrooms, beans, and cabbages to maintain sufficient diversity in my microbiome. I supplement that diet with a few supplements. Vitamin D3/K2, because these two work synergistically, and almost everyone has a vitamin D deficiency. I also take omega 3 and supplement my diet with magnesium because this mineral is involved in many processes in the body. My guideline is actually: strive for an optimal concentration of nutrients in the body to slow down your biological clock as much as possible.”

Written by: Ariana Schmikli