Nutrition Supplements and Biological Aging

Accelerated biological aging is associated with declining tissue and organ function, deterioration of physical and metabolic activity, disability, morbidity, and mortality.

Aging had been considered non-modifiable, effectively “set in stone.” However, emerging discoveries suggest that it is possible to reduce the occurrence of age-related conditions and promote longevity and a greater healthspan.

The hallmarks of aging that must be considered include:

• Abnormal nutrient-sensing pathways
• Beta-amyloid accumulation
• Cellular aging
• Cellular communication breakdown
• Cognitive impairment
• Epigenetic and genomic alterations
• Immune decline and dysfunction
• Loss of protein homeostasis
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• Neuroinflammation
• Neuron loss
• Telomere shortening and attrition
• Stem cell exhaustion

Systematic representation of causal hallmarks underlying biological aging. Biological aging results from multifaceted cellular alterations and breakdowns, which are commonly referred to as “aging hallmarks.” These aging hallmarks include genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, . loss, mitochondrial dysfunction, dysregulated nutrient-sensing pathways, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and abnormal intercellular communication.

Nutrition supplements and natural ingredients appear to reverse or delay the physiological functional delay observed with aging. Nutrient-sensing pathways influence aging biology because of their association with cellular metabolism.

Calorie restriction without malnutrition may slow aging and increase lifespan and healthspan. Natural products and dietary supplements can target the mitochondria, metabolic mediators, and pathways and help slow cellular and biological aging.

For example, vitamin D and its metabolites inhibit oxidative stress, support immune function, inhibit DNA damage, induce DNA repair, regulate mitochondrial and glucose metabolism, suppress cellular senescence/aging, and increase telomere activity. Low levels of serum 25-OH vitamin D are linked to accelerated aging, cognitive impairment, dementia, and increased chronic illness and mortality risk.

Zinc supports healthy aging and healthspan due to its antioxidant benefits, anti-inflammatory activity, immune modulation, apoptosis, DNA damage response, protein synthesis, etc. Maintaining optimal zinc status is crucial to helping slow the aging process. However, whether supplementation beyond maintaining optimal zinc status will be beneficial is unknown.

The long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic actions and support endothelial vasodilation. They also support neuron growth, synaptic membrane function, lipid raft organization, myelin maintenance, neuroprotection, memory, photoreceptor function, and cardiovascular protection. Research indicates that higher levels of circulating omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a reduced risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes. Omega-3 fatty acids are also associated with decreased age-related defects and improved cognitive performance, cardioprotection, and glucose and lipid metabolism.

Nutrients and natural ingredients can work synergistically, and strategic combinations may maximize their effects against accelerated biological aging. For example, the combination of vitamin B12, bacopa, lycopene, and astaxanthin helped to alleviate cognitive changes associated with brain aging.

The most promising supplements and ingredients for supporting cell metabolism and increased healthspan include:

• Astaxanthin
• Baicalin found in plants in the Scutellaria genus
• Berberine found in several plants and herbs
• Caffeine in moderation from coffee and seeds and leaves of various plants
• Calcium balance
• Curcumin from turmeric
• Daidzein
• Dihydromyricetin
• Epigallocatechin-3- gallate from green tea
• Ginsenosides from ginseng
• Hydroxytyrosol
• Icariin found in plants of the Epimedium genus
• Isorhamnetin
• Luteolin found in foods such as broccoli, carrots, rosemary, and dandelion
• Nobiletin from citrus peels
• Omega-3s EPA and DHA
• Pterostilbene
• Puerarin
• Purpurin
• Quercetin found in lettuce, asparagus, onions, and green peppers
• Resveratrol found in grapes, red wine, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peanuts
• Salidroside
• Theaflavin
• Trans-δ-viniferin
• Vitamin D
• Zeaxanthin
• Zinc

Optimal Takeaways

Many nutrients and natural compounds found in foods, herbs, and spices can support healthy cellular metabolism and effectively inhibit accelerated biological aging.

Beneficial compounds include:

• Astaxanthin
• Baicalin
• Berberine
• Caffeine
• Calcium balance
• Curcumin
• Daidzein
• Dihydromyricetin
• Epigallocatechin-3- gallate
• Ginsenoside Rg1
• Hydroxytyrosol
• Icariin
• Isorhamnetin
• Luteolin
• Nobiletin
• Omega-3s EPA and DHA
• Pterostilbene
• Puerarin
• Purpurin
• Quercetin
• Resveratrol
• Salidroside
• Theaflavin
• Trans-δ-viniferin
• Vitamin D
• Zeaxanthin
• Zinc

Reference

Chen, Ye et al. “Dietary Supplements and Natural Products: An Update on Their Clinical Effectiveness and Molecular Mechanisms of Action During Accelerated Biological Aging.” Frontiers in genetics vol. 13 880421. 28 Apr. 2022, doi:10.3389/fgene.2022.880421 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).

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