Brian Kennedy, the head of the world's leading Institute for the Study of Aging, shared his opinion with Russian journalists on the latest discoveries and tools that help people prolong their lives. The famous biogerontologist will make a presentation in St. Petersburg at an international conference, and before that he gave an interview to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Kennedy is the head of the Buck Institute for Aging Research in California, and through years of hard research has identified two main driving forces behind aging. These are extra calories and chronic stress.
According to the specialist, before the age of 44 (this age is considered "youth" according to the WHO classification) it is better not to have excess weight. But after 44 years, a couple of extra pounds may even be useful. Immunity inevitably decreases as the body ages, so excess weight can act as a "safety cushion", additional protection.
Kennedy also assures that today there are no proven and effective drugs that can be called "drugs for old age." There are no results of clinical trials, therefore, even the most expensive and promising drugs, the professor does not recommend prescribing to yourself.
Most of these drugs are still in need of improvement, the optimal doses of such drugs and their regimen have not been determined. Kennedy also noted that it is not at all necessary to stick to a low-calorie diet with enough vitamins. The 5/2 diet is now very popular in Europe. Its essence is that it is enough to limit yourself in calories two days a week, and on the other days - to eat whatever you want. Of course, you should not abuse smoked meats, fast food and other unhealthy foods. But overall, the 5/2 diet is quite effective.
Egor Grom