Chromium is the mineral you didn't know you need more of:
- lower blood sugar and Hba1c
- lower cholesterol
- better insulin sensitivity
- better body composition
Deficient chromium can promote insulin resistance and dyslipidemia
Here's how to get your chromium (THREAD⬇️⬇️)
In 1959, a novel protein was discovered in Brewer’s yeast that was termed ‘glucose tolerance factor’ (GTF)
GTF's main component was identified to be trivalent chromium
GTF enhances insulin action, thus lowering blood sugar. Chromium is needed for insulin to bind to the cell
1. In diabetic patients, chromium-enriched yeast can decrease fasting blood glucose and insulin (PMID: 16632892).
2. In the 70s, chromium deficiency was seen to impair glucose tolerance, elevate triglycerides, prevent the use of glucose as energy, and cause neuropathy in patients with normal insulin levels on long-term total parental nutrition (PMID: 192066).
3. In a 2021 study, 400 mcg of chromium picolinate a day for 3 months improved glycemic control, reduced triglycerides, HOMA-IR, inflammation, and insulin levels (PMID: 33045675).
4. Taking 600 mcg of chromium picolinate a day for 4 months has shown a beneficial effect on the glycemic control of Type 2 diabetics (PMID: 26302914).
5. Chromium supplementation does not appear to improve insulin sensitivity in healthy non-obese people because they're already insulin sensitive. But it will certainly help individuals with poor glycemic control (PMID: 10819315)
Glutathione is called the body's master antioxidant:
- protects against oxidative stress
- has anti-inflammatory effects
- supports liver detoxification
Deficient glutathione underlies the oxidative stress in aging
Here's how to make enough glutathione⬇️⬇️
PMID: 34439468
Glutathione is made of primarily glutamine, cysteine, and glycine, which are amino acids
Glutathione synthesis is rate-limited by glycine (PMID: 29559876)
Taking N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and glycine has been shown to increase glutathione levels (PMID: 17602868; PMID: 21795440)
A 2023 randomized clinical trial found that supplementing glycine + NAC (GlyNAC) for 16 weeks in older adults improved glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, physical function, and 7 hallmarks of aging (PMID: 35975308)
Low magnesium status drives all the hallmarks of aging:
- telomere shortening
- chronic inflammation
- stem cell exhaustion
- altered intracellular communication
- cellular senescence
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- dysregulated nutrient sensing
- disabled autophagy
- loss of proteostasis
- epigenetic changes
- gut dysbiosis
Thread⬇️⬇️
Graph: PMID: 38398820
Magnesium is the master mineral that's needed for countless essential processes in the body
- energy (ATP) production
- DNA repair
- neurotransmitters
- glucose regulation
- electrolyte balance
- heart function
- endothelial function
- blood pressure
And much more⬇️⬇️
Magnesium deficiency leads to intracellular sodium and calcium accumulation
This promotes arterial vasospasms, blood vessel constriction, hypertension, and hypercoagulability
Coronary vasospasms are thought to be one of the causes of sudden cardiac death
Dr. Valter Longo is a biogerontologist who created the fasting-mimicking diet (FMD).
In studies, the fasting-mimicking diet has been shown to:
- Lower PhenoAge biological age score by 2.5 years in 3 months
- Regenerate parts of the immune system
- Reduce insulin resistance
- Lower liver fat
- Reduce IGF-1 signaling
- Improve cardiometabolic health
In a 2024 Nature Communications study, researchers analyzed data from randomized controlled trials of the fasting-mimicking diet.
After just 3 monthly cycles, participants saw a 2.5 year reduction in their PhenoAge score (PMID: 38378685). This result was independent of weight loss.
PhenoAge is a validated biological age score based on 9 blood biomarkers and chronological age.
Researchers then calculated biological age using PhenoAge. It has been shown to strongly predict mortality (PMID: 29676998).
The participants of the FMD also saw improvements in risk factors for cardiovascular disease:
- systolic blood pressure
- waist circumference
- body fat
- IGF-1, which at high levels is associated with cancer risk