Table of Contents
- In 2011, biostatistician Steve Horvath discovered a way to assess aging using sputum samples.
- According to him, “biological age” calculators are still in the experimental stage and should not be taken too seriously.
- However, simple, healthy activities like walking and eating vegetables can help slow the aging process.
Steve Horvath was the first to discover that sputum DNA could be used to estimate a person’s rate of physical aging.
“It was very interesting at the time that you spit in a cup, and you measure the age,” the biostatistician previously told Insider.
Simply put, his initial clock, created at UCLA in 2011, could accurately predict how fast a person’s body was approaching death, independent of the person’s actual age.
Private companies began charging consumers hundreds of dollars to mail their spitballs in exchange for biological age calculation, and it was at least ten years before the term “biological age” began to appear in public discourse.
Since Horvath’s “GrimAge” biological clock is considered the largest in the business, “the hope is that it will be clinically useful, so that people will get this test as part of an annual physical,” Horvath said. “I emphasize ‘aspiration’ because we’re not there yet.”
According to him, biological clocks are more of a novelty for now and should not be taken too seriously.
However, Horvath has seen in his own life that the clock can be a useful reminder to reframe negative patterns. Horvath, in his fifties, amused himself by testing his homemade GrimEdge clock. His critical biological age turned out to be about five years older than his actual age, much to his surprise. Horvath saw the results as a sign that he should treat his body more carefully.
“Everything we know about a healthy lifestyle seems to affect these biomarkers,” he said.
4 changes Horvath made that reduced his biological age, from diet to medication
Horvath is optimistic that the sacrifices will make a difference, even if the four adjustments are not easy to implement. As it turned out, they did:
1. He cut down on bread and pasta, and started eating more frozen vegetables
“As a result, many of my meals now consist primarily of microwaved vegetables,” he told Insider. “It takes a lot of inner strength to eat Brussels sprouts for breakfast.”
Nutrient-rich vegetables such as leafy greens, crunchy sprouts, beets and asparagus can naturally reduce inflammation and protect against various age-related disorders such as diabetes and cancer.
2. Horvath increased his dosage of a cheap cholesterol drug that many doctors say can help out with healthy aging
Horvath was already on a statin at a modest dose, but he was now prescribed a higher medication.
In those who are at risk of cardiac problems, statins have been demonstrated in several studies to have a respectable impact on healthy aging. They have the ability to lower blood levels of harmful cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
According to Northwestern University cardiologist Dr. Neil Stone, “statins should not be put in the water for everybody,” Insider said. “We’re very clear that statins work to do two things: They lower LDL [bad cholesterol] and they also lower inflammation, and that’s a very powerful combination — in people at risk.”
3. He started taking at least 5 different supplements, including vitamin D
“The scientific evidence for some of these supplements is very weak,” Horvath said. “I do not support any of these uses.”
Like many other longevity scientists and investors, he takes vitamin D for its ability to increase the body’s absorption of calcium.
Horvath also takes zinc, which is known among medical professionals to be beneficial in preventing the common cold as well as shortening their duration and severity.
In addition, he takes daily cruciferous vegetable supplements, garlic and fish oil.
4. And he takes a brisk, uphill walk for about 20 minutes every night after dinner
Brisk walking can be a great way to extend life, and trekking uphill can be more beneficial than just skimming the flat.
Whether walking their dogs or hiking with loved ones, residents of Sardinia, Italy and Loma Linda, California—two of the world’s longest Blue Zones—frequently hit the hills.
In just 9 months, he shaved 4 years off his biological age — whatever that means
After completing this short (and quite unscientific) experiment for about nine months, Horvath tested his GrimEdge once again. His biological age was dropped by four years, which made him happy and closer to his actual age.
“However, it is important to highlight that this information is purely anecdotal,” he said. “One’s sample size does not have sufficient validation.”
Nevertheless, many of the simple guidelines he follows in his quest to slow down biological aging are basic, affordable solutions that we already know can actually slow the aging process. (Adding more vegetables to your diet, walking more, or taking cholesterol-lowering medications, if necessary, are all treatments supported by research that support healthy aging.)
The good news is that biological age testing is not necessary to maximize these healthy practices. Just move more and eat more vegetables.