Can you share your Longevity / HealthSpan Regime?

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#1

Hey Gang! I am new to this forum, but really appreciate the discussion and knowledge that it has generated and thankful to the creator and manager of this site. I am an Ob/Gyn that has treated women with bio identical hormones for almost 25 years. I have noted that many discussions on the site will have people sharing their personal longevity practices. Since this crew seems highly intelligent and well informed, I would love see what you all take and or do to improve your longevity and or heath span and what dialogue is created from your choices. Thank you and I will list what I currently am doing :slight_smile:

Rx’s

Rapamycin 6mg/week
Testosterone 50mg SQ q 3.5 days
Occasional Sermorelin or other peptides

Supplements:

Sulforaphane
Berberine (off on workout days)
Fish oil/ D3/K2

Diet: Exercise / Sleep - Oura Ring

Keto type (70%)
IF - 16/8
Prolong 2-3 x per year

Exercise / Sleep - Oura Ring

3 x week Orange Theory / rare Hot Yoga
Sleep 6.5 - 8 hours per night.

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Optimal longevity protocol
21 Year Old Female on Rapamycin for 7 months
Trusty rapa / metformin / acarbose / LDN provider + feedback on my stack
What is your own regime!
Rapamycin Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
#2

Hi David,

Welcome to the site, I think you’ll find we have a friendly, sharing and knowledgeable group.

Here is an updated version of mine, and extended with other activities I do for longevity, as you have done:

Here is mine:

Rx Medicines:

  • 1X Weekly or longer, 10mg to 12mg Sirolimus (2.5 years into schedule)
  • 1X Daily ( morning) 100mg SGLT2 inhibitor (empagliflozin lately) - Pulsed, 3 weeks on, 1 week off
  • 1X, 2X or 3X PRN - Daily With higher starch meal, 50mg or 100mg Acarbose (when not taking STLT-2 inhibitor)
    2 or 3X Daily Teeth Brushing / Flossing with Rapamycin Toothpaste (added Sept/2022)

Supplements:

  • 1X Daily Magnesium L-Threonate (Morning) - 144mg

  • 1X Daily Lithium Orotate 5mg

  • 1 X Daily - 1,000 IU D3 and 45mcg K2

  • 1 X Daily - Lutein and Zeaxanthin (25mg/5mg)

  • 1X Daily - Ashwagandha, 1,000mg

  • 1X Daily - EPA/DHA Fish Oils - 2g to 4g

  • 15 grams Inulin Fiber, 2X week (with smoothie)

  • 15 grams Moringa Powder, 2X week (with smoothie) - NRF2 promoter

  • 15mg Spermidine Daily

Diet:

Predominantly veg. with regular fish (salmon, sardines mostly)
Time restricted feeding (TRF), meals between noon and 7pm
Occasionally a 3 day fast. E. G. Quarterly but not consistently yet.

Exercise:

Zone 2 Cardio (biking, elliptical), weights / circuit (40min, 2X per week), various weekend activities - rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking etc.

Hormetic stress:

Sauna, ideally 2 to 4 times a week, but very inconsistent.

Future Considerations / Researching, or planning:

Rx: 17-alpha estradiol, everolimus (alternating with sirolimus), Meclizine, sildenafil or tadalafil,

Supplements:
Astaxanthan, GLYLO compounds, plasmalogens (in food),
Trehalose

There has been a past discussion similar to your question - you may also want to review,

Also - @shc created this page of common anti-aging strategies:

and I try to keep this in mind and try to add new things slowly and do blood tests regularly and especially before and after.

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How does Rapamycin make you feel?
Biohacker spending $2m a year to reverse his age beaten by man paying just $30k
#3

RapAdmin,

Can you explain the reasons for the three supplements below? Just curious the benefits?

  • 1 X Daily - Lutein and Zeaxanthin (25mg/5mg)
  • 1X Daily - Ashwagandha, 1,000mg
#4

Lutein and Zeaxanthin for eyes:

Regarding Ashwagandha… its one component in Protandim, that in the NIA ITP program extended lifespan in mice by 7%… I also add green tea and turmeric to my supplement mix on a less regular basis (one of the issues of buying everything separately), haven’t yet got around to adding Bacopa extract or milk thistle…

Protandim consists mainly of a blend of 5 herbal ingredients (amounts per caplet listed in parentheses):[36]

  • Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract (70-80% Silymarin) (225 mg)
  • Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) extract (45% bacosides) (150 mg)
  • Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) powder (150 mg)
  • Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract (98% polyphenols, 45% EGCG) (75 mg)
  • Turmeric (Curcuma longa) extract (95% curcumin) (75 mg)

Protandim, a mixture of botanical extracts that activate Nrf2, extended median lifespan in males only

I had this saved - not sure where I got the info:

Protandim is a compound designed to activate Nrf2, which is a protein called a “transcription factor” that regulates the expression of protective genes in cells.

So Miller and Hamilton partnered with Pathways Bioscience to write a follow-up proposal to test a second-generation Nrf2 activator

activation of Nrf2 might increase the resistance of cells against the stresses associated with aging. Specifically, activation of Nrf2 might increase lifespan and healthspan by helping cells fight the negative health effects of oxidation and inflammation, two stresses that are part of cellular aging.

Bioactive phytochemicals in Rosmarinus officinalis , Withania somnifera , and Sophora japonica have a long history of human use to promote health. In this study we examined the cellular effects of a combination of extracts from these plant sources based on specified levels of their carnosol/carnosic acid, withaferin A, and luteolin levels, respectively. Individually, these bioactive compounds have previously been shown to activate the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) transcription factor, which binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE) and regulates the expression of a wide variety of cytoprotective genes. We found that combinations of these three plant extracts act synergistically to activate the Nrf2 pathway, and we identified an optimized combination of the three agents which we named PB125 for use as a dietary supplement.

The NIA ITP Paper on Protandim:

Also of interest in the NRF-2 area:

From the below Cognitive Vitality Report:

PB125

Evidence Summary

In vitro studies suggest PB125 has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering, and homocysteine-lowering effects, but no peer-reviewed evidence from in vivo models exist yet.

Neuroprotective Benefit: Although some evidence exists for rosemary, ashwagandha, and luteolin, PB125 has not been tested in any in vivo models for neuroprotection.

Aging and related health concerns: In vitro studies suggest PB125 activates Nrf2 antioxidant pathways, increases LDL clearance, decreases homocysteine levels, and reduces proinflammatory cytokines. It is being tested in the NIA-ITP for lifespan extension.

Safety: Rosemary, ashwagandha, and luteolin are generally considered as safe when ingested in usual doses. No in vivo studies have examined the safety profile of the PB125 combination.

A supplement patent for one NRF-2 promoter (from the guys who originally developed Protandim)

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#5

Awesome and comprehensive list! Noticed no Metformin / Berberine and no hormone support like Testosterone / DHEA/ Melatonin? I am very interested in the studies on Sauna’s and decreased all cause mortality - looking for right company to purchase through.

If you can suggest any previous discussion on when to change your Rapamycin dose - Signs/ symptoms dose is too high, just right or too low? Also any discussion yet on comparing mTOR regulation in younger populations vs. older?

Thank you so much again!

#6

Can you share your ages as well?

#7

Thank you RapAdmin for the comprehensive reply. Brands of lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Ashwagandha you recommend?

#8

Trunature for vision

479×951 46 KB

And, from Costco (but I’m unsure of quality)

https://www.costco.com/youtheory-ashwagandha-1%2C000-mg.%2C-150-capsules.product.100494260.html

836×807 128 KB

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17 Alpha Estradiol: Use and Dosing Experiences
#9

@Rapasailor - I am 58. I have not tried any of the age comparison metrics since I don’t think there is a strong consensus age markers that most agree with. I have used many of the current and historical approaches for anti-aging / longevity for about 25 years.

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#10

As far as supplements go you should do your own research to find what is best for you. We each have individual body chemistry and needs. I will list my ant-aging routine in the order I feel is the most important.

Diet: Not everyone has the ability to exercise. So, for me diet is number one. Avoid harmful things and do time-restricted eating. I am not a purist as to diet. Mainly I follow loosely what would be the South Beach Diet. I have done keto in the past to get past a stubborn weight plateau.

Exercise: I go to the gym 5 - 7 times a week. I only do heavy resistance training on muscle groups once a week. I do 30 minutes of bike cardio each time I go to the gym. Except for the heavy resistance training frequency I have been doing this regularly for 15 plus years. I was always active before I retired when it was possible. I also do either dry sauna or steam room 4 -6 times a week.

Sleep: 6.5 to 8 hrs of good sleep so that the body and mind have a chance to repair themselves.

Longevity supplements. I am not here to argue the merits of any supplement, just what I feel is important to me.

Rapamycin: I have been taking it for 6+ months. Currently, I am " experimenting with 12mg/week with the grapefruit protocol along with piperine and olive oil. ( No adverse effects from this dose to report so far)

Metformin: 500mg morning and evening. One of the most proven life extenders. I have been taking it for years.

Atorvastatin: 40mg, once in the evening. Keeps my lipid panel in the normal range.

Melatonin: The first “life extension” supplement I tried. I have been taking it in various doses for forty years. Currently, I take 1 to 3mg sublingually 1 hour before bedtime.

Lithium: In the form of lithium orotate 390mg for 15mg elemental lithium. This has been my favorite subject supplement, especially from a mental health aspect. I have been taking this for many years.

Then all of the usual suspects: D3, C, etc, and whatever we are experimenting here with. I currently am taking Jardience 10mg, 1 hour before meals. (doing nothing for me so far. I may have to up the dose.) I am adding D-ribose and Trehalose at least for a while.
What we are trying of course is to lower our epigenetic age on various calculators.

I am 81 and doing just fine.

You mention DHEA. I have tried it on and off over the years with no noticeable subject result of increased energy etc. This is somewhat paradoxical as it steadily declines with age, yet most studies indicate that supplementation doesn’t do much. I did find one paper that claimed that the dosages people were taking are way too low. Unfortunately, I can’t find this paper again.

Today I took a big dose of l-tyrosine… It makes me go blah, blah, blah.

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#11

Rap Admin. Thoughts on this combined product of Lutein and Zeaxanthin?

See Amazon.com

#12

I think Now Foods generally has a very good reputation - so thumbs up.

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#13

Many people do take Metformin - and I did for about 8 months but then I stopped. I describe my rationale in this post here on Rapamycin + Metformin.

My testosterone levels are good so I don’t feel any need for it. I have not spent much time researching DHEA and melatonin - my go-to reference is really the National Institute on Aging’s ITP group and their 3 simultaneous studies they do in their longevity compound tests. I rely much more on them, than other research.

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#14

Ah - dosing is an ongoing discussion here with little research to go by. Most of us here use a combination of side effects (if they are really bad, slow down and perhaps drop back to a lower dose), and regular blood testing to check all the key measures (we also do CBC and CRP to do Levine Phenotypic Age / bio age calculations). Here is a good thread on dosing.

Most people take the safe approach of dosing around 6 to 8mg per week. In the mouse clinical studies the higher doses resulted in increased longevity - so there is an argument for high doses, but the mice in the studies live in sterile environments so lower immune system function is less an issue for them than people who live in the real world. The trade off of higher doses is higher risk of mTORC2 inhibition and immune system suppression - and serious infections…

Off the top of my head I don’t recall papers on young vs. old mTOR regulation… that has not, to my knowledge, really been investigated directly. That is sort of implied in the studies by way of the starting point of the different rapamycin intervention studies - some start when the mice are 9 months of age, some when the mice are 20months or older, then the NIA ITP has also varied by dose. We have a list of all the mouse studies, and details on them - so I recommend you review that thread - which is here: List of all the Mouse Studies for rapamycin.

And generally - I recommend you review our Rapamycin Frequently Asked Questions and Answers list, as a good in-depth review of all the topics people are most interested in.

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#15

@desertshores Wow! Impressive and comprehensive. Thank you for taking the time to share. I agree with you on the DHEA. Most of the anti-aging longevity conferences I have gone to through the years promote DHEA. I have found more benefits in women than men, but I think if you are using quality of life as your metrics, then not as powerful as other options. Have you tried Testosterone, peptides like Sermorelin / CJC-Ipamorelin or nootropics? I am not familiar with the supplement form of Lithium, but will have to research more since @RapAdmin also uses a form of it.

Thanks again!

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#16

@RapAdmin Yes, I have read the dosing threads and in short it seems that starting low and moving up is what most are doing. If no side effects (infections or mouth sores) then increase the dose. I did not see much on the “Sweet spot” where people feel like they are at the right dose since it may mean different for what the expectations are. Knowing some of the ideal metrics would be good with the most common I have read in the threads and experienced personally are the vague, but relatable of not feeling old. I noted significant relief of joint, muscle and body aches that I associated with aging. I like CRP, but it is an acute phase reactant which makes it hard to be a short term predictor, but if elevated CRP for years and comes down and stays down with a treatment, then more reliable.

strong text So in short - No side effects and No improvement then consider increasing the dose. If No side effect and desirable improvements stay at the current dose. If side effects then hold or lower the dose - all common sense approaches. Our youthful crew may have a hard time since they are hoping to get in early on longevity, but many times do not have the 'old age" symptoms to give feedback.

The youthful vs. older age mTOR regulation fascinates me and I have not been able to find anything that address that directly. As we age, the mTOR pathway seems to get stuck in perpetual ON position and exerabated by many of the age related exposures many make worse with poor diet, exercise and poor sleep. Taking Rapamycin allows the body to cool down and take a break from overheating - like many of the cars in my past did with overheating. In our youth, we don’t seem to have this problem and that may be part of the clue in how to help regulate mTOR since in our youth we do it naturally. Obviously, there many other things at play than just mTOR regulation as you pointed out in the studies comparing Rapamycin and CR on longevity.

I will start my research on your suggestions and thanks again for providing a platform of dialogue and information sharing :slight_smile:

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#17

@RapAdmin All of those reasons are very practical. Hormones can be tricky and our data is poor on objective findings, but can be strong on subjective. If symptoms that a hormone could help with are not an issue then we just have risks. If symptoms are life changing improved on hormones then risk becomes reasonable to consider. It sounds like your approach is working for you and highest on my list on treating patients in balance of safety.

#18

Hi David,
Welcome. I’m Ross Pelton, The Natural Pharmacist. I’ve been taking 6 mg of rapamycin weekly; am just starting to boost my dose to 10 mg weekly and will track my progress. I also inject 100 mg testosterone IM once weekly; take 500 mg of metformin bid, 100 mg of allopurinol qam, 5 mg of selegiline bid, + lots of supplements (mostly from Life Extension). AND exercise 5x/week weights & aerobics + healthy organic food diet & intermittent fasting 8 PM-noon on most days. My website, bio & blog are at naturalpharmacist.net

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#19

This is the way I have begun to consider the benefits and side effects of rapa. Ageing is slow and insidious. Do you feel any older today than yesterday? Than last week? Last month? I think Rapamycin is the same but in reverse, very slow and subtle improvements that you can’t detect but which accumulate over time. I don’t think you should have unrealistic expectations and I don’t think you should ‘rush’ things by escalating dose above 1mg/kg.

In my 5 month journey the two benefits I’ve seen are the near elimination of a previously large/growing mole and 5kg of weight loss from an already healthy BMI.

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#20

@DrRoss Hey Ross! Thanks so much for your regime. Its nice to see where so many people have similar approaches. Have you tried any GH stimulators - Sermorelin or CJC/Ipa? I know the back and forth on IGF-1 levels create an interesting dialogue for the balance of quality of life vs. longevity. Any nootropic experience in your personal journey? Since you are on testosterone, I would guess that you feel the mTOR stimulation is still worth the benefits over possibly slowing the progress of Rapamycin? Thanks again for sharing :slight_smile: