(As Transcribe From Mini-Med Minutes Podcast)

 

Welcome back everybody to another episode of Mini-Med Minutes.

 

I hope everyone is somewhat recovered after the post election and things are getting back to a bit of normalcy.

 

We are going to have a very old president.

 

Which is exactly what we’re going to be talking about today, aging!

Weird transition I know.

 

But whether you consider yourself old or not, I think it’s a worthwhile conversation and I’ll tell you why because it’s not something I realized until I hit my late 20s or early 30s.

 

In my mind, I believed the conversation of aging was… not important. Why would it be? I’m still young.

 

Let me deal with that when I get older.

 

And it wasn’t until a close friend of mine was like… man, you’re dumb. 

 

“Anti-Aging” doesn’t mean, reverse aging. It means to slow it down as much as possible.

 

Look and feel young… for as long as possible.

 

There’s no such thing as reverse aging.

 

And therefore, you should start as soon as possible! 

 

Eat the right things, supplement if necessary, Keep up with cardiovascular health, etc.

 

And after getting a doctorate degree, it was such an “Oh Duh” moment.

 

So if you’re here. You’re in your 20s, you’re in your 60s, still a worthwhile conversation.

 

And today we’re going to be talking about the Top 5 most interesting supplements with potential anti-aging properties.

 

These are in no particular order of effectiveness but I did save my favorites for last.

 

So let’s get into it.

 

Number 1: Resveratrol

 

If you follow our channel, we’ve mentioned this before when we talked about Blue Zones and the oldest and healthiest people on earth so it’s no surprise that it makes its way on this list.

 

And the reason people live so long in these areas is because a lot of people in these areas drink locally sourced wine.

 

Resveratrol is a natural compound that you can find in the skin of red grapes, blueberries, peanuts, and even some dark chocolate.

 

And it exists as a way for plants to protect themselves from tough conditions, like cold weather or attacks by bugs.

 

The reason we use them is for their antioxidant properties because oxidative damage or oxidative stress is damage to your cells and increases the rate at which you apparently age.

 

And that goes beyond just your appearance, it affects your cardiovascular health and is linked to some cancers as well.

 

BUT.

 

Some scientists also think resveratrol can do more than just protect your cells. 

 

It might be able to activate special proteins in your body that help with aging, called sirtuins. 

 

And it’s proposed that sirtuins can fix damage to cells and even help your cells live longer and this is why resveratrol has become such a big deal in the world of anti-aging research.

 

And there’s also some research suggesting that it helps with brain function as well and is able to help reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s which have a much lower incidence rates in Blue Zone regions–those places where they naturally consume higher than average quantities of resveratrol.

 

Of course, most of the research we have so far is from lab studies or tests on animals. For example, resveratrol has been shown to help mice live longer and stay healthier. But for humans, it’s more complicated, and scientists are still figuring out how well it works for us.

 

A lot of people supplement resveratrol which is an awesome choice if you want to get a consistent dose every day without having to drink an alcoholic beverage.

 

Moving on to:

 

Number 2: Quercetin

 

Quercetin, also a natural compound and It’s most common in apples, onions, berries, and even green tea.

 

It too, has antioxidant effects. Not directly an antioxidant, it activates a protein called NRF2 which increases the production of antioxidants.

 

It’s also suggested that it helps with energy production, activating an enzyme called AMPK. Essentially it tells your mitochondria to.. Get back to work, make more energy and function as though you were years younger.

 

Quercetin also stabilizes mast cells which are the cells in your body that make histamines. So if you suffer from seasonal allergies, it can help with that too. Especially if you take like Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin and it’s not working as well, this would be a great addition.

 

The most… interesting fact I’ve come across is quercetin using an approach called hormesis and what happens is that quercetin stresses your cells just enough to activate repair and maintenance systems. It’s almost like cellular exercise. Getting your body ready for when there is an actual threat to it.

 

Definitely a multi-tool kit compound.

 

Now we’re moving into the top 3, the real interesting ones and you’re not going to regret hearing about these.

 

Number 3: Astaxanthin

 

Astaxanthin is number 3.

 

Found in microalgae, salmon, krill, and even flamingos—yes, flamingos get their pink color from eating astaxanthin because flamingos know a thing or two about biochemistry.

 

One of astaxanthin’s most interesting effects is its ability to support your skin from the inside out.

 

As we age, our skin loses elasticity, doesn’t stretch as well, becomes thinner, and starts showing the wear of years spent in the sun or exposed to environmental pollutants. 

Astaxanthin can help by improving how your skin cells handle UV radiation. 

 

Unlike most compounds that only work in one area, astaxanthin embeds itself into the layers of your cell membranes. 

 

This allows it to protect your skin cells from oxidative damage caused by sunlight and even promote the repair of damage that’s already happened. 

 

In other words, it’s like sunscreen you can eat, but with even more juicy bonuses.

 

Because astaxanthin also helps your eyes. 

 

Our eyes are constantly exposed to light, and over time, this exposure can cause strain and damage. 

 

Astaxanthin has a unique ability to cross into the tissues of the eyes, where it reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in delicate structures like the retina. 

 

Some studies suggest that it can even help improve visual sharpness and reduce the fatigue that comes from staring at screens all day—a modern aging concern if there ever was one with our ever growing dependency on electronics.

 

And there’s also studies suggesting that it helps balance good and bad cholesterol without impacting your liver which makes it a much gentler option for long-term cardiovascular support.

 

Do note… that if you do decide to try it out, make sure to get it with a meal that contains some kind of healthy fats. Astaxanthin is fat-soluble so it absorbs into fatty tissues of your body where it can offer long-lasting support to your heart, skin, and eyes.

 

Number 4: Galactomyces

 

That leads us to number 4: Galactomyces.

 

What’s super interesting about galactomyces at first glance, is its origin story.

 

Scientists first discovered galactomyces when they noticed that workers in sake breweries had incredibly soft and young looking hands, even though the rest of their skin showed their age. 

 

The secret? Their hands were constantly exposed to galactomyces during the brewing process.

 

So, what exactly is galactomyces? It’s a fungus actually.

 

And the products are a type of fermented version packed with a combo of nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And these components together, work to nourish and repair your skin.

 

It makes your skin more balanced. As we get older, our skin can become uneven—it might feel dry in some areas and oily in others. 

 

Galactomyces will help regulate moisture and oil levels, creating a healthier balance because when your skin is well-balanced, it just naturally looks smoother and softer.

 

It also helps with skin cell turnover. If you didn’t know, your skin is constantly shedding and new ones replace it. And as you get older that turnover gets slower and slower and slower, so when we speed it up, you’ll naturally appear to improve texture and tone as well as smooth out years of damage from like, sun exposure, acne scars, dark spots, and just like… rough areas and make your skin more even and polished.

 

So, in short, galactomyces is a super gentle way to balance your skin and to help reduce years of damage.

 

A really fun one given where it comes from. Who would have thought we’d get a product out of a sake brewery.

 

It just blows my mind sometimes like if I was a researcher and I just happened to notice like wow, that dude’s hands look really soft, maybe there’s something more to it.

 

But anyway, our last pick for Anti-Aging supplements is…

 

Number 5: Nicotinamide

 

And I saved it for last because it’s not just super popular, there’s a lot of controversy about it as well and could be an entire other episode.

 

But none the less it’s been gaining a lot of attention lately and it’s been promoted or complimented by a ton of celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Gweneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and I think Joe Rogan as well.

 

… because of its apparent ability to make you look younger.

 

Nicotinamide is actually just a form of Vitamin B3 and what’s fascinating about it is how it works inside of your body.

 

Your body is reliant on something called NAD+ which stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.

 

And NAD+ is like a battery for your cells, in particular, the mitochondria—it powers all the important stuff from blinking your eyes to repairing your skin, to your max bench press.

 

Every day, whether you realize it or not, your DNA gets damaged by things like sunlight, pollution, and just getting old. And this damage as you could imagine, just builds up, it can lead to like… wrinkles, fatigue, or even sometimes diseases.

 

Nicotinamide activates special repair systems in your cells, including enzymes called PARPs (poly ADP-ribose polymerases). 

 

And what these do is they fix broken DNA strands, almost like patching up a leaky roof before it causes more trouble.

 

To simply, it just makes your skin barrier stronger. 

 

Strong skin means, it looks more hydrated, it looks smoother, there’s less wrinkles, there’s less redness. It’s not as prone to immune responses which is great for people with sensitive skin or acne.

 

And much like everything else we talked about it, it also helps create antioxidants with ultimately means less damage to your cells and therefore slowing the apparent aging process.

 

I mentioned at the beginning there is some controversy and I kind of skimmed over it. I might make an entire episode about it in the future but I’m going to name one potential draw back of nicotinamide only because it’s related to something we talked about a few minutes ago.

 

While nicotinamide is generally safe, too much of it can cause issues.

 

At very high doses, it might interfere with other enzymes in your body, like sirtuins, which we talked about before with resveratrol because sirtuins also require NAD+ to work or, rather… stop working.

 

A lot of processes in your body rely on what we call negative feedback inhibition. 

 

For instance, your brain produces an enzyme that tells your body “Hey! we need more thyroid hormone.” When we get enough thyroid hormone, those levels circle back and tell your brain, “Listen brain, we got enough no need to keep asking.”

 

Or better yet, your thermostat. You set it to 70 degrees, and once your house is 70 degrees, your thermostat will tell your furnace to stop.

 

So if we have too much NAD+, it’s possible that we shut off those signals and we don’t get those sirtuins that help repair our cells when we’re really stressed.

 

Wrapping Up

 

Alright, let’s wrap things up!

 

While all of these supplements have exciting science behind them, they’re not magic. 

 

Aging is obviously complex, and no single pill, powder, or serum that can stop it entirely. 

 

Think of these supplements as tools—useful ones, but tools nonetheless—that might help us slow things down or just feel a little better along the way.

 

What’s really important is the big picture. 

 

Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and managing stress, they’re all the foundation of feeling and looking your best. 

 

Supplements can be the cherry on top, but the cake is made up of those everyday habits.

 

And don’t forget—just because something is popular or hyped by celebrities doesn’t mean it’s right for you. 

 

Always do your research, look for evidence, and talk to a healthcare professional you trust before starting any new supplement.

 

Aging is inevitable, but how we approach it is up to us. Subjectively it’s about living better and not only looking better.

 

Though a lot of the appeal is the looks and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about that either.

 

But anyway, that’s it for today’s episode.

 

I appreciate you tuning in, if you enjoyed it, do follow the channel, and I’ll see you on the next one.

 

Until then, stay curious and take care of yourself!

 

 

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