Optispan podcast reached 6,000 subscribers! To celebrate this milestone and express their gratitude, they’ve put together an Ask Matt Anything (AMA) episode, featuring questions submitted on previous podcast episodes. The team enjoys tackling these insightful questions, which help deepen their own understanding of the topics discussed.

The result is an AMA covering a wide range of longevity-related topics, from the effects of metformin and calorie restriction to self-experimentation techniques and the unique traits of long-lived species, and more.

Key Points:

To celebrate reaching 6,000 subscribers, they’ve created an AMA episode addressing listener questions on various longevity topics, from metformin and calorie restriction to self-experimentation and long-lived species.

• Bryan Johnson’s Approach to ageing: The hosts discussed Brian Johnson’s claims of slowing his biological ageing through lifestyle and dietary changes. The debate centres on whether improving health markers is the same as reversing biological age​.
• Metformin and Longevity: The potential longevity benefits of metformin, particularly for non-diabetics, are uncertain. The discussion highlighted that while metformin may help in managing diabetes, its effects on lifespan for healthy individuals are inconclusive​.
• Reversing Biological Age: The conversation touched on parabiosis (blood plasma exchange) and its ability to improve health in older animals. While intriguing, claims of reversing ageing through plasma exchange are deemed premature​.
• Role of Protein in ageing: The episode debated whether high-protein diets, often considered harmful due to mTOR activation, could still benefit older adults by preventing frailty and loss of muscle mass​.
• Taurine and ageing: Taurine supplementation has been shown to improve lifespan in animal models, though more research is needed to confirm its benefits for human ageing​.
• Caloric Restriction vs. Practical Weight Loss: The hosts discussed how caloric restriction, known for extending lifespan in lab animals, doesn’t always translate directly to consistent weight loss or longevity benefits in humans​.