Very good question regarding what is the specific thing in oil that increases the absorption. That question would be a great new discussion thread in this forum.
Here is a quite good image from Healthline over different oils and their content
I was just thinking that if you take rapamycin which is a way of optimizing longevity than you probably also want to optimize the oil consumption. But one thing to have in mind is that there is still debate about if omega 6 is bad or not. I personally try to keep it low because there are alternatives.
I also try to keep my Omega3/omega6 to about 1/3. Thanks for providing the graph. I might switch to canola oil for use with supplements. I also put resveratrol in oil.
I also read that athletes may have slightly higher HbA1c because glucose is released into the blood during high intensity exercises to provide fuel. You mentioned that you play tennis and lift weights, so that could be a contributing factor. If you wear a CGM, you may see a rise in blood sugar while exercising.
Interesting approach. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before.
On the one hand, we know that rapamycin is more bioavailable with oils/fats.
On the other hand, some tablet formulations have encapsulation technologies to help with bioavailability, and by breaking or crushing the tablets you may be negating that design aspect.
Pfizer has a nanocrystal technology integrated into its Rapamune (rapamycin/sirolimus) tablets.
The other generic manufacturers seem to have some sort to techniques also for increasing bioavailability (no studies I’m aware of have compared effectiveness of these different approaches).
And - there is evidence to suggest that breaking / crushing some types of these pills is problematic.
We have also seen doctors identify problems with the bioavailability of rapamycin powders as provided by compounding pharmacies (who make their own capsules from raw powders):
Anyway - I’m not sure if crushing the pills and dissolving in oil is helpful or not - seems to be data on both sides of the equation. Just wanted to make sure you’re aware.
I think the general consensus on metformin is that if you’re younger, not overweight or pre-diabetic, and you’re exercising on a regular basis - the risks and negatives probably outweigh the benefits. Thats my reading of the current literature and scientific (from longevity scientists) opinions. Others (such as Nir Barzelai) may have different opinions.
I think acarbose can be one tool in the toolbox for people to choose from. However, it seems to me that taking acarbose is the same as eating less carbs as acarbose works by preventing the digestion and absorption of carbs. So why not just eat less carbs?
I suppose there could be one difference from taking acarbose - the undigested carbs go to the colon to feed the bacteria, hence the bloating and gas as side effects. So one could say that taking acarbose is like eating less carbs and eating more fibers.
Are you sure you were taking a legitimate source of NMN? A lot of the brands being sold on Amazon have absolutely NO NMN in them whatsoever. There’s a video by Dr. Brad about the NMN brands that have absolutely no NMN in them.
What are the downsides to using metformin to treat prediabetes? I take 500 mg of metformin every other day. I used to take 2g/day for about 3-4 years, but unintentionally gave myself hypoglycemia. I found out when I went to the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack… Nope, just too much metformin.
Regarding canola oil I would say that try to skip that also. Usually it’s quite processed oil and has little bit trans fats in it.
I strive try to have high quality and organic oils/fats at home. These are the ones I have
For cooking (heating)
Coconut oil and if possible extra virgin
Real butter
For other than cooking for example to sallads
Extra virgin olive oil
Supplement oils
Fish oil (if possible mercury tested)
Algae oil
Flaxseed oil (not great omega 3 supplement)
So if you want to take oil with your rapamycin I would take it with cocunut oil, extra virgin olive oil, fish oil, algee oil or flaxseed oil instead of canola oil. Olive oil has also nice associations to mediterranean blue zones. Both olive oil and coconut oil have also been found to have anti-inflammatory effects which is also good aligned with what biological processes you want to trigger when you take rapamycin.
I know some use also avocado oil (for both cooking and none cooking) but I see this as a expensive and luxury oil that is not needed really. As I see it there are better things to invest in
There also exists palm oil but this oil I would say is good to avoid because it’s usually linked to detrimental impact on the environment. There exists other alternatives to palm oil so this is a easy choice to skip the usage of this oil I would say.
Rapamycin may affect people differently, but with me the HbA1c test is higher. From a consistent 5.3 value for the last 10 years it is now at 5.6 with rapamycin. My approach to solving this is to reduce sugars and carbohydrates, then test again in 3 to 6 months. I use a glucose meter periodically to see which diet changes are affecting blood glucose levels the most at 1 hour and 2 hours after meals. I also hear that rapamycin may inhibit insulin which of course would explain the rise I have in HbA1c.
The major issue with diabetes is micro vascular end organ damage to vessels, kidneys, retina, and neurons. But even in diabetics, the incidence of retinopathy and nephropathy is virtually nil under an A1C of 7. There would appear to be no risk of microvascular complications at A1C of 5.6 to 6.
Two thirds of prediabetics don’t develop diabetes.
As regards to metformin, there’s always some risk with any drug. I find a significant decrease in my stamina with it. You had hypoglycemia. Is there a proven longevity benefit?
In my 20’s I’d play tennis in the day and martial arts at night. My A1C was 5.9. I didn’t develop diabetes or any end organ damage whatsoever.
I personnaly order directly on Alibaba (not to confuse with Aliexpress). The downside is that you need to commit to a relatively big quantity. A least 0,5 kg.
I try to avoid calories that where not produced in North America for environmental reasons. Also avoir dairy (butter) for the same reason. That’s why I choose peanut oil over olive oil even if olive oil has a better fatty acid profile.
