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News and ideas worth your attention.
Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
438 written by Dr. Frank Lipman
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Jul 27, 2026 · NutritionMy Go-To Green List: Ten Veggies That Do the Heavy Lifting for Your Health
“Let food by thy medicine, and medicine by thy food.” However you phrase it, it’s an excellent reminder not to get so caught up in meal timing regimens or the ins and outs of particular diets that we forget the most important thing, the food itself. And no type of food does a better job of keeping us intact and thriving than vegetables. But I can’t think of a richer, or more health and longevity-supporting haul of veggies than those of the green persuasion.
Jul 20, 2026 · Healthy AgingAging Isn’t Just Wear and Tear - It’s Dysregulation — and it’s Time You Tame It
There’s the sympathetic nervous system that puts the body in high alert mode—raises body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, respiration, the works—and primes us for action. And then the parasympathetic system cools everything down, letting the body reset and repair. Together they make up our “autonomic nervous system” that either controls or at least strongly influences the physiology that operates below the level of conscious awareness. If we’re young and healthy, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems toggle back and forth almost effortlessly, responding to the day’s challenges and recharging at night. But as we get older, we tend to get stuck in high gear – the sympathetic system dominates – and we pay a price for that. The parts wear out; we generate more metabolic waste. We can’t sleep properly, compounding the damage. Net result: we age faster.
Jul 13, 2026 · NutritionThe Hidden Power of Resistant Starch—The Carb That Behaves Like Fiber
Though it may sounds strange, chilling foods like rice, potatoes, pasta, and even bread can transform some of their digestible starch into something called resistant starch—a form of carbohydrate that resists digestion and reaches the colon intact. There, it feeds beneficial gut bacteria, supports the microbiome, and may help improve blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, and appetite regulation. In other words, yesterday’s leftovers might actually be better for you than a freshly cooked plate. Resistant starch offers a surprising twist in nutrition science: with a little kitchen chemistry, some everyday starches can become powerful allies for metabolic and gut health.
Jul 6, 2026 · Healthy AgingBeyond Resveratrol: The Surprising Second Act of Sirtuins
You may, or may not, have heard of sirtuins, a family of enzymes that influence the way our genes do their job of making the proteins that run our bodies. But I’d be willing to bet that most of my readers are familiar with resveratrol, the compound found in red wine. That’s because, about twenty years ago, the resveratrol/sirtuin story was front-page news. Since then, the excitement over resveratrol has cooled off somewhat. But, what’s taken its place is a more sophisticated conception of human aging, one that’s mediated by the balance between growth – new proteins, new tissues -- and cellular maintenance and repair.
Jun 29, 2026 · Health & WellnessCalm In A Capsule: What Ashwagandha Can Do For Body And Mind
Ashwagandha, a mainstay of traditional Ayurvedic Indian medicine has been prescribed for a few thousand years to treat physical and mental fatigue. And over the past decade or two, Western researchers have been measuring its benefits across multiple health domains: stress-reduction; mood; sleep; brain; hormones; even physical strength. Pretty impressive for a shrub (technical name: Withania somnifera) grown all over Asia, the Middle East and Africa, whose Sanskrit name, Ashwagandha, translates roughly to “smell of the horse.”
Jun 22, 2026 · Healthy Aging10 Thoughts on How to Tap into the Anti-Aging Power of a Truly Good Night’s Sleep
I like to think of sleep as the essential “backstage” human function. The audience is paying attention to what’s going on on-stage – sword fights, great romantic gestures – but backstage is where the real drama takes place as sets, props, costumes are assembled for the next scene. Ditto sleep. While we’re lights out, the brain, our stage manager, juggles the hormonal and metabolic machinery responsible for cellular cleaning, repair, rebuilding. That’s what’s required for the show to go on the next morning and, we hope, for many decades to come. Call it aging well. When sleep goes off the rails – I’m not talking about the occasional bad night but an entrenched pattern of insufficient or fragmented sleep – it throws off the balance of all those moving parts –and rapid aging kicks into high gear.
Jun 15, 2026 · NutritionAn Acquired Taste with Benefits: The Curious Case of Nattokinase, The Gut and Heart Helper
So, what is natto anyway? It’s a traditional Japanese food, made up of soybeans fermented with the Bacillus subtilis bacteria. To most Westerners, it tends to look less than appealing – a dollop of reddish brown, mushy beans stuck together in a stringy cheesy goo that a biochemist would describe as a chain of glutamine amino acids. And it’s aroma and taste? Well, that can take a little getting used to, but it’s well worth the effort when it comes to boosting your heart and gut health.
Jun 8, 2026 · Healthy AgingThe Melatonin–Mitochondria Connection: What New Research Says About Aging Better
Research indicates that melatonin and mitochondria are intertwined. For starters, most of the body’s melatonin supply is actually produced inside the mitochondria, think of it as the oil that keeps the car engine running smoothly. And with age, not only does that engine (mitochondria) put out less power, and generate more exhaust (metabolic waste), but the oil levels (melatonin) drop as well. That creates a vicious cycle that, with the passing of the decades, make us look and feel older, not to mention becoming more prone to chronic disease. But when we really understand what’s going on, we have the tools and the opportunity to start to push back.
Jun 1, 2026 · Healthy AgingMeet the ‘Spans’: The Smarter Way to Push Back on Aging
Longevity used to be a numbers game: he/she who lives longest, wins. But that idea is quietly fading. Today, the focus has shifted from sheer years to something more meaningful: how well those years are actually lived. First came “healthspan,” measuring life without disease. Useful, but incomplete. So, now’s the time to meet the spans, actually, the twelve individual “spans” – covering everything from energy to brain power to mobility to considerably more – which together, give us a clearer picture of our ‘peakspans’. By breaking it down to twelve, you’ll get sense of the breadth of our human physiology (and psychology), and how it can best be harnessed to add up to one long robust life.
May 25, 2026 · Healthy AgingYou Carry APOE4. Now What? A Practical Guide to Protecting Your Brain
APOE4 may raise your risk for Alzheimer’s, but it’s not a life sentence, but it is a signal to act. It is a marker for Alzheimer’s risk. It is not a crystal ball. Just because your test tells you that you’ve got one of the “4” variants doesn’t mean you’re fated to get AD. What it does tell you is that you’re running a greater-than-average risk and that means you need to be that much more diligent about healthy habits and lifestyle, which is a good idea for everybody, no matter what genes they were dealt. Here’s what you need to know.
May 18, 2026 · NutritionPolyphenols: The Edible Compounds to Help Your Body Age Smarter —Not Faster
Here’s a look at the promise and power of polyphenols, and why they’re worth your attention, that is, if living a longer, healthier life is on your radar.
May 11, 2026 · Gut HealthGive Your Gut a Break: The Science of Fasting and the Microbiome
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that shape everything from digestion to metabolism and even mood. And here’s the surprising part: it’s not just what you eat that matters. It’s when you eat. Emerging research suggests that well-timed breaks between meals, like intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, can help boost microbial diversity, strengthen your gut barrier, and cool inflammation. But before you skip dinner and call it a day, the science is more nuanced than the hype. So what can fasting do for your microbiome? Potentially, a world of good.
May 4, 2026 · Healthy AgingSenolytics: The New Science of Aging Better, Not Just Longer
Aging is no longer regarded as this fundamentally mysterious thing that will always be beyond our control. We’re beginning to come up with therapies that can slow these processes down. Nowhere is the buzz these days more intense than around ‘senolytics’. The term refers to a handful of supplements which contain, in concentrated form, compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. They offer the potential to turn the dial down on chronic inflammation, one of the prime movers, if not the main one, behind the aging process.
Apr 27, 2026 · NutritionThe Ultimate Low-Tech, High Taste Biohack: 10 Spices to Get More Of
When most of us fire up the stove, and hit the spice drawer, we’re thinking primarily of adding flavor. But from a scientific perspective, there’s proof that numerous spices contain a number of bioactive compounds that positively influence inflammation, oxidative stress, blood sugar, cardiovascular health, immune function and even brain function. And yes, they make healthy food taste even better, so spices may also help you curb the urge to reach for ultra-processed and sugar-heavy ‘convenience’ foods. How to take better advantage of these original low-tech ‘biohacks’? You just need to assemble your own small spice arsenal and get into the habit of reaching for them early and often.
Apr 20, 2026 · Health & Wellness21 Simple Ways to Minimize Microplastics for Better Health Now — and Later
Plastic used to mean progress. Cheap. Convenient. Everywhere. Now scientists are finding fragments of it in our air, our food, our water — and even inside the human body. Microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in blood, lungs, placenta, and brain tissue. Early research links them to inflammation, hormone disruption, and possible cardiovascular and neurological risks. While the science is still evolving, one thing is clear: exposure is widespread. The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your life to make a difference. A few smart shifts in your kitchen, laundry room, and daily habits can meaningfully reduce your plastic load — and support your long-term health.
Apr 13, 2026 · Healthy AgingBeyond Lifespan and Healthspan: Meet ‘Peakspan’ – the Real Measure of Aging Well
For years, both modern medicine and the longevity world have focused on helping us live longer. And we’ve succeeded, gaining years, even decades of extra life. But here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough: living longer doesn’t always mean living well for longer. Many people spend later life in a kind of middle ground. Not quite sick, but not functioning at their best either. That’s where the idea of peakspan comes in. Peakspan offers a window into your life where your body and brain are operating at 90% or more of their maximum ability. It shifts the goal from simply staying alive to staying strong, sharp, and capable. Because ultimately, it’s not just about adding years, but protecting the ones where you feel most like yourself.
Apr 6, 2026 · Healthy AgingThe Power of Mitochondria: Energy, Aging, and the Science of Staying Vital
Mitochondria live inside nearly every cell in your body, and they perform one of the most important jobs there is. They convert the nutrients in the food you eat and the oxygen you breathe into usable energy. If your mitochondria aren’t well supported, energy production may start to slide. In fact, researchers now believe that mitochondrial health plays a significant role in how we age. Current thinking is that how well you care for these microscopic energy factories may, to a significant extent, determine whether you stay vibrant and energized with the passing of the years or start feeling like an elder long before your time.
Mar 30, 2026 · Healthy AgingMore Than Muscle: Creatine Fuels Brain Power and Healthy Aging
We all know about creatine, the stuff that body builders and gym rats buy in tubs to help pump up their physiques. But it isn’t only muscles that need energy. Your brain has to do a lot of thinking, that and overseeing virtually every process in your body, all of which requires a generous fuel supply. Researchers are beginning to uncover gains in cognitive sharpness, memory, even protection against dreaded neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. And that makes creatine a potentially very powerful longevity enhancer. Given that creatine levels decline with age, I now recommend it to my middle-aged and older patients, in measured and monitored doses.
Mar 23, 2026 · Healthy Aging7 “Healthy” Habits That Can Age You Far Too Fast
When I started my practice decades ago, a big part of it was educating patients on the health basics. Fast forward a few decades and the tide has turned, thanks in large measure to the wealth of information available on the internet. Patients now arrive with a much better baseline understanding of health and how to influence it. Which is great except that too much information can mislead almost as often as enlighten, and myths are often taken as gospel. When these ideas get over-simplified or just plain misunderstood, you can wind up accelerating the very processes that drive biological aging.
Mar 16, 2026 · Healthy Aging14 Ways to Maintain a Youthful Brain – by Curbing Chronic Inflammation
While there are many factors believed to contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and various forms of dementia, one biological common thread that keeps showing up across countless studies is chronic inflammation, often also referred to as “inflammaging.” One of the organs that’s particularly sensitive to easily damaged by years of unchecked chronic inflammation? It’s your brain. But the good news is that chronic inflammation is heavily influenced by the choices we make every day, and when done right, you can shift your brain health in a positive direction for decades to come – so the time to start is now.
Mar 9, 2026 · Health & WellnessThe Big Power of Small Doses: Optimizing Health with My Microdosing Top 5
“Less is more.” That’s hardly the usual refrain of conventional Western medicine, which likes to prescribe powerful pharma drugs at relatively large doses to knock out symptoms. Unwelcome side effects are tolerated (by the doctor anyway) if they seem manageable. Well, in the past few years, however, a whole new, and smaller, world has opened up, one prescribing (mostly) prescription drugs at either “microdose” or much smaller than full-strength levels, not to treat full-blown disease, but to gently nudge key biological systems in a healthful direction.
Mar 2, 2026 · NutritionHow Intermittent Fasting Promotes Your Hormonal Health -- and Why I’m A Fan!
When hormones stop playing nicely with one another, blood sugar swings, sleep becomes lighter or harder to come by, cravings feel louder, weight can shift in ways that feel unfair, and stress tends to linger. Over time, these disruptions can add up, affecting mood, metabolism, immune health, resilience, and even how quickly we age. The good news is that hormones are remarkably responsive to everyday choices – and fasting is a fantastic way to help smooth out the hormonal ride.
Feb 23, 2026 · Healthy Aging10 Ways Exercise Rewires, Slows — and Even Reverses Aging
Most of us were raised to believe you get older, your genes blow the whistle, your body ‘breaks.’ Fortunately for us, modern biology has been quietly rewriting that story and the new version is a lot more hopeful. Over the last few decades, researchers have mapped out a set of common biochemical changes which, over time, tend to push us in the direction of disease and frailty. These subtle shifts, known collectively as the ‘hallmarks of aging.’ The good news is that most, quite possibly all, of these hallmarks respond positively to healthy lifestyle habits. If a long, healthy life is what you’re shooting for, one of the hands-down most powerful habits you can cultivate is movement.
Feb 16, 2026 · Healthy AgingMeet AMPK: The Energy Switch You’ve Likely Not Heard of But Use Every Day
Most people outside the medical or research world probably aren’t familiar with AMP-activated protein kinase, or AMPK. But it influences how you experience every day of your life, like how steady your energy levels feel, how easily your body shifts between storing and using fuel, and how effectively your cells recover from stress and damage. Think of it this way: AMPK sets the table for long-term metabolic health and healthy aging.