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The Youth Pill: Scientists at the Brink of an Anti-Aging Revolution
Even before the first person set off to find the Fountain of Youth, we've been searching for a way to live longer. But promises of life extension have long reeked of snake oil, and despite our wishful thinking-not to mention the number of vitamins we pop, cups of ginkgo tea we drink, or miles we jog-few of us believe we'll live to see 100, much less set a longevity record. Scientists, too, have long been skeptical, often dismissing gerontology, the study of aging, as little more than a front for charlatans. And it's hard to blame them. Aging's daunting complexity has often led to more questions than answers, and opportunists have always been quick to cash in on any development, no matter how dubious. But now we're closing in on true breakthroughs in anti-aging science. Compounds that dramatically extend the health spans and longevity of animals, including mammals, have recently been demonstrated in the lab, and gerontologists now generally agree that drugs that slow human aging and greatly boost health in later life are no longer a distant dream. David Stipp, a veteran science journalist, tells the story of these momentous developments and the scientists behind them. He reveals how seemingly unconnected findings on gene mutations that can double animals' life spans, the life-extending effect of near-starvation diets, the link between dwarfism and longevity, the secrets of weirdly long-lived animals, and the special genes behind human centenarians' radical resistance to the ravages of time are coming together to spark an anti-aging revolution. Writing for nonscientists, Stipp provides a definitive, engaging account of some of the most exciting, and sometimes controversial, advances that promise to change the way we live forever.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2010
6 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 2, 2019
I did not finish the book, even though I had only about 50 pages to go. I found it somewhat irritating to read- Stipp seemed to be constantly going off topic providing extensive researchers’ bios every time he discussed a research attempt, and then some more bio and anecdotes so that I was frequently losing sight of the issues at hand.
He did discuss interesting research, and I wish he did it in a more linear fashion. Here are the main ideas: We all age, but animals age at different rates, some die after very short lives, some after very long. Aging is not written in stone, though. Fish, for example, show no signs of deterioration with age, a phenomenon that is called ‘negligible senescence’. A fish (350 pound pike) was pulled out of a German lake that was supposedly 267 years old, and a 405 year old clam was pulled out near Iceland. Some fished out whales have been estimated to be over 100 years old, and one over 200.
So, why must we age? What’s the evolutionary advantage of aging and death? Death is easy - we already know from Darwin- species that don’t change don’t have a survival edge. Aging- that’s a different story. Here is what the going theory is now: A late-acting gene that causes damage would be heavily favoured by evolution if it also boosts the odds of successful reproduction early in age even if the gene’s early benefit is tiny and the late damage comparatively large. In other words, the vibrancy of youth leads to the decline and fall later in life.
So, the prediction is that those who live past 100 shouldn’t have been very vigorous as young adults as they most probably lacked those genes. Bingo in case of my grandmother who was a rather sickly individual when young – TB in early adulthood- yet she lived to be 101. Very interesting.
Also, according to this principle, organisms that have a lot of babies at an early age should age quickly and those who delay reproduction and have fewer offspring would live longer and age at a slower rate. That’s true about my grandmother too.
There is also the disposable soma theory- our bodies are disposable gene carriers. Once the genes cannot be transmitted anymore we are disposable. If an organism puts a lot of energy into proper protein production (man), that organism lives longer, and has babies later. If it’s hasty and sloppy, it has babies earlier and dies earlier (mouse).
There have been many other promising studies on free radicals, dwarfism, slow metabolism, high and low cholesterol and resveratrol- a compound in red wine that has been found to significantly prolong the lives of mice on high fat diet mimicking our own rich industrial society diet, but nothing of big consequence really. What has really saddened me is that research shows that exercise does not slow down aging. Well, it makes one feel better at least!
The whole research into aging, as presented in the book seems to me a little bit like groping in the dark. Gerontology apparently does not enjoy the same prestige or the same funding as other areas like let's say cancer research, and consequently it seems to be making a bit more haphazard progress as well.
He did discuss interesting research, and I wish he did it in a more linear fashion. Here are the main ideas: We all age, but animals age at different rates, some die after very short lives, some after very long. Aging is not written in stone, though. Fish, for example, show no signs of deterioration with age, a phenomenon that is called ‘negligible senescence’. A fish (350 pound pike) was pulled out of a German lake that was supposedly 267 years old, and a 405 year old clam was pulled out near Iceland. Some fished out whales have been estimated to be over 100 years old, and one over 200.
So, why must we age? What’s the evolutionary advantage of aging and death? Death is easy - we already know from Darwin- species that don’t change don’t have a survival edge. Aging- that’s a different story. Here is what the going theory is now: A late-acting gene that causes damage would be heavily favoured by evolution if it also boosts the odds of successful reproduction early in age even if the gene’s early benefit is tiny and the late damage comparatively large. In other words, the vibrancy of youth leads to the decline and fall later in life.
So, the prediction is that those who live past 100 shouldn’t have been very vigorous as young adults as they most probably lacked those genes. Bingo in case of my grandmother who was a rather sickly individual when young – TB in early adulthood- yet she lived to be 101. Very interesting.
Also, according to this principle, organisms that have a lot of babies at an early age should age quickly and those who delay reproduction and have fewer offspring would live longer and age at a slower rate. That’s true about my grandmother too.
There is also the disposable soma theory- our bodies are disposable gene carriers. Once the genes cannot be transmitted anymore we are disposable. If an organism puts a lot of energy into proper protein production (man), that organism lives longer, and has babies later. If it’s hasty and sloppy, it has babies earlier and dies earlier (mouse).
There have been many other promising studies on free radicals, dwarfism, slow metabolism, high and low cholesterol and resveratrol- a compound in red wine that has been found to significantly prolong the lives of mice on high fat diet mimicking our own rich industrial society diet, but nothing of big consequence really. What has really saddened me is that research shows that exercise does not slow down aging. Well, it makes one feel better at least!
The whole research into aging, as presented in the book seems to me a little bit like groping in the dark. Gerontology apparently does not enjoy the same prestige or the same funding as other areas like let's say cancer research, and consequently it seems to be making a bit more haphazard progress as well.
March 21, 2019
The specter of old age, or at least a bad old age, haunts most people in their quiet moments. David Stipp takes on a complicated subject, taking a look at the study of ways to prolong both life and health, an important distinction. From the myth of Tithonus to George Burns and some of the classic Greek philosophers, Stipp injects a lot of stories of interest in among some hard scientific data and an overview of many studies.
He keeps it interesting, when it would be so easy for this to become a dry read. There's some really thought-provoking stuff in here. I thought it was well worth the read. But be warned, he's realistic, there's no magic pill waiting in the wings. Promising studies, yes, but no "This is what we need to do" magic wand or spell.
He keeps it interesting, when it would be so easy for this to become a dry read. There's some really thought-provoking stuff in here. I thought it was well worth the read. But be warned, he's realistic, there's no magic pill waiting in the wings. Promising studies, yes, but no "This is what we need to do" magic wand or spell.
July 8, 2012
It was interesting to hear about aging based on other animals and chemicals that help us live longer. It was also interesting to hear the personal stories of all the scientists who have been working on isolating the chemicals and proteins that help us live longer.
February 2, 2016
Don't let the huckster come-on title put you off this book; I speculate that it was slapped on by the publisher's marketing department. The book itself is actually a well-written tour of the biology and the business of aging.
Read
July 8, 2011The Youth Pill: Scientists at the Brink of an Anti-Aging Revolution by David Stipp. Nonfiction/science. 263 pahges. Read for book club
January 27, 2012
Interesting in the beginning; but then it turns dense and boring. I could hardly get to the 60% without falling asleep.
October 10, 2018
The author does a good job describing the studies as well as gives an interesting perspective on gerontology and how we have progressed in the field. That being said I think he spends too much time talking about the lives of the scientists that are behind each study. I would’ve liked to maybe see a larger variety of research and less biographies.
February 15, 2016
Interesting book, which I read with an open mind (just by reading the title I was thinking "overpopulation"), but I don't agree with the author's premise; we humans shouldn't be laboriously looking for a "cure" for old age or "The Fountain of Youth". Death is not only inexorable, but is also essential for the stability of our species and Earth. One of the main purposes of death is to prevent a species from overpopulating. Unfortunately, as I am righting this review, there are 7,401,994,033 humans in the world. There are too many of us; eventually nonrenewable recourses will run out (and, consequently, economies will crash), eventually there will be a dearth of food, and eventually there will be a world wide war for the competition of scarce, vital resources. Our improved sanitation and healthcare has increased the average life expectancy—people of old age are rising exponentially. There are drugs that have shown promising results that can actually prolong life similarly to the mechanism of calorie restriction (It is no wonder why the Okinawans are the healthiest people on Earth). Also, scientist have actually found life-prolonging genes in supercentenarians. It is only a matter of time before we can start modifying our genes to live as long as those trees that are 5000 years old.
In the future, because we all know Big Pharma will gladly capitalize this, what will be the ramifications on humanity, the earth, when we have millions of supercentenarians (or supersupercentenarians)? Will we have a Tithonus-like situation in which we humans live extraordinarily long lives but still suffer through senescence and morbidity? The answer is not to increase our maximum lifespans, but to increase our QUALITY of life at old age. Besides, who wants to live that long? And not only that, prolonging your life beyond your natural capacity is extremely selfish. You will contribute to a higher carbon footprint, consume more resources, and leave a crappy world for our future children.
If you want to live long, live like an Okinawan.
In the future, because we all know Big Pharma will gladly capitalize this, what will be the ramifications on humanity, the earth, when we have millions of supercentenarians (or supersupercentenarians)? Will we have a Tithonus-like situation in which we humans live extraordinarily long lives but still suffer through senescence and morbidity? The answer is not to increase our maximum lifespans, but to increase our QUALITY of life at old age. Besides, who wants to live that long? And not only that, prolonging your life beyond your natural capacity is extremely selfish. You will contribute to a higher carbon footprint, consume more resources, and leave a crappy world for our future children.
If you want to live long, live like an Okinawan.
November 3, 2010
An excellent and detailed account of the latest research on longevity. Stipp does a great job of interpreting complex science for the lay person without over-simplifying. Especially fascinating is his coverage of drugs being developed that mimic the beneficial effects of CR (calorie restriction). There are no "quick fixes" presented in this book - instead, solid science and analysis of both past and present trends in gerontology research.
Want to read
November 25, 2010looks like an interesting account of the history and modern search for the Fountain of Youth
September 12, 2011
Simply the best pop-science book about aging!
February 7, 2017
It turns out that the subject is actually quite boring.
January 6, 2011
Great book on science and health. I highly recommend it.
Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch
Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch
April 11, 2013
Excellent, highly readable discussion of the science of aging.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews