Mitochondrial function
Cellular energy production, and new membership features.
Hi there -
Our cells can't function without energy. Mitochondria are at the heart of cellular energy production, and the SIRT3 gene plays an important role in regulating mitochondrial energy production.
Genetic variants in SIRT3 are linked to longevity, and in animals, increasing SIRT3 can extend lifespan. This makes SIRT3 an interesting gene to study.
In addition to the article on SIRT3 (below), I've created a Mitochondria category and topic summary report for members, which brings together all of my articles related to mitochondrial health.
Another new feature (just for members) is an email course on heart health. The course will bring you a focused summary of a heart health topic each day for five days. You can sign up on the Member Dashboard.
Let me know if you like the email course idea. I've found that when I'm learning about a topic, getting a short lesson each day makes it easier to retain the information. My whole goal with Genetic Lifehacks is to help members learn more about health and genetics, so I'm trying to find new ways to make learning easier.
Wishing you all the best,
~ Debbie
SIRT3, Aging, and Mitochondrial Function
Key takeaways:
~SIRT3 is part of the family of sirtuin genes that are able to regulate cellular functions.
~Important in mitochondrial energy production, SIRT3 expression also helps to upregulate antioxidant genes. Additionally, SIRT3 helps in fighting off certain infectious diseases.
~ Genetic variants in SIRT3 are linked to a longer lifespan, protection from tuberculosis, and metabolic health.[ref]
~ You can upregulate SIRT3 through cold exposure, natural supplements, or fasting.
Mitochondria, Energy (ATP), and Sirtuins:
Your mitochondria (the ‘powerhouse of the cell’) are vital to health and longevity. In the mitochondria, molecules from the food that you eat are converted into energy and then stored as ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
When other parts of your cells need energy, a bond breaks in the ATP molecule, releasing energy and creating ADP (adenosine diphosphate) + a phosphate molecule.
Cells have anywhere from dozens to thousands of mitochondria in them, depending on the type of cell. (Egg cells can have hundreds of thousands of mitochondria per cell!)
Cells that need a lot of energy, like heart muscle cells and liver cells, have more mitochondria while tiny red blood cells are the only cell type that doesn’t contain any red blood cells.
New membership option:
If you love Genetic Lifehacks, the lifetime membership option will give you seamless access without worrying about renewing each year.
To switch to a lifetime membership, click the Account link on the member dashboard. On the account page, click the subscription tab and then the "Change Plan" link. Or, just join again while logged in. Either way will switch you over to the lifetime option. Your price will automatically be prorated to include whatever is left of your current subscription period.
What I've been reading:
The normal response to the Covid vaccines includes the production of specific antibodies. In people with dysautonomia (POTS, small fiber neuropathy, mast cell activation syndrome) or ME/CFS that started after the Covid vaccine, researchers have found very distinct blood markers. For example, these patients have antibodies to the angiotensin II receptor as well as elevated IL-6 levels. It's an interesting study that is worth sharing with anyone you know with new onset dysautonomia post-vaccination.
2) Getting HPV at the doctor's office?
I used to joke that the fastest way to get sick is to go to the doctor, but after reading up on healthcare-associated infections during the pandemic, I stopped joking about it.
It turns out that not only are respiratory viruses hanging out in the waiting room, but HPV may be on medical equipment at the gynecologist's office. The research here isn't new, but I found it surprising - honestly, something that I had never thought about, but with some serious implications.
Researchers have tested medical equipment used for gynecological exams and found that a percentage of equipment (18-28%) is contaminated with HPV, despite routine cleaning. There are multiple types of HPV, with only a few types that cause cancer (cervical, vagina, anal, oropharyngeal cancers). So keep in mind if you read the studies below that 18% of the devices had HPV contamination, but it was a smaller percentage with the types that cause cancer. Still... I'm hoping that new and improved cleaning methods are being implemented.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go...
3) Gut microbes from Alzheimer's patients cause cognitive problems when transferred into mice
Researchers did fecal transplants from Alzheimer's patients to young, microbiota-depleted mice. The Alzheimer's fecal transplant caused memory and behavior impairments in the mice. Why? The researchers think it caused a decrease in adult neurogenesis.
(It turns out that our brain cells continue to form throughout life, and impaired neurogenesis is part of Alzheimer's. Longevity Lifehacks article on adult neurogenesis )
4) 23andMe ancestry profiles breach (Tech Crunch article)
I mentioned in the last newsletter that 23andMe is requiring password resets due to some users' ancestry profiles having been 'hacked' by someone reusing previously hacked usernames and passwords from other sites. (This is why you need to use a different password for every site).
The data leak seems to be centered around users' names and ancestry profiles and is fairly extensive. The hackers are reportedly selling a list of 23andMe users with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and another list of Chinese users.
A quick note: Genetic Lifehacks users' genetic data is not stored on my web server. The member features are populated based on connecting to your data stored on your own computer's hard drive. I designed the membership this way because there is always a risk when storing data online.
5) Consumer Reports - Heavy Metals in Dark Chocolate
CR tested a bunch of different brands of dark chocolate for heavy metals, including the good brands of organic chocolate that I like... Cadmium was found in a number of brands (like Equal Exchange, Sharffen Berger, Beyond Good, and Dove), while lead was found in dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, Endangered Species, Hershey's, Lindt, and more.