Longevity Meme Newsletter, January 12 2003

LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTER
January 12 2003

The Longevity Meme Newsletter is an infrequent e-mail containing news, opinions and happenings for people interested in life extension: making use of diet, lifestyle choices, technology and proven medical advances to live healthy, longer lives.

______________________________

COMMENTARY

CALORIE RESTRICTION

Calorie restriction as a means of life extension seems to be seeping its way into the mainstream of late. Fewer calories lead to a longer, healthy life; at least in all the experiments done to date. You're healthier because you're thinner, and -- according to at least one theory -- because your body is doing less work in processing food. It seems intuitive that an engine will last longer if you don't run the throttle wide open.

This widening awareness of calorie restriction is a good thing for all concerned, I think. There is a lot more research to be done, for one, and popular exposure usually leads to more research. We can hypothesize all we like, but we don't definitively know *why* calorie restriction works yet.

For more (much more) on calorie restriction, take a look at:

http://www.calorierestriction.org/

The CR Society members are a great crowd, very friendly and helpful. I've been practicing calorie restriction myself for a year or two. Trust me; it makes a big difference to your present health and enjoyment of life.

STEM CELL RESEARCH AND THERAPUTIC CLONING

Another ongoing topic du jour is the fight over stem cell research and theraputic cloning (cloning for medicine, not for reproduction). I do try to keep my political views absent from the Longevity Meme, but that's occasionally harder than it should be. I'll restrict myself to observing that it would be wonderful if governments stopped trying to hold back stem cell and theraputic cloning research. This research holds out the possibility of cures for many horrible, degenerative diseases. There is the possibility of real, working regenerative medicine within a decade: growing tailor-made replacement tissue to replace worn-out body parts. It would be a terrible thing if millions of people continued to suffer and die because this research was banned and criminalized. Eventually, each and every one of us will be one of those millions: that's an easy thing to forget.

Don’t Let the Government Ban Theraputic Cloning
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/mar2002_report_cloning_01.html

COMING SOON

What is forthcoming for the Longevity Meme? There are a number of projects we would like to get underway in 2003:

1) Finish the Longevity Meme site redesign

The last of the Longevity Meme redesign will focus on making it easier for newcomers and casual visitors to learn about life extension. This is, after all, one of the primary purposes of our site. I realize that there is still some way to go in this regard. Your feedback on any aspect of the Longevity Meme website is always appreciated.

2) An anti-bioethics sister web site to the Longevity Meme

I feel the need to create a place for political and social commentary on bioethicists like Leon Kass and Francis Fukuyama. People have to stand up and bluntly and loudly say that U.S. government policy on medical research is heading in the wrong direction. The bleak future -- in which millions continue to suffer and die because regenerative medicine and radical life extension are illegal -- becomes ever more plausible while we stay silent.

2) A life extension advocacy letter writing campaign

Many organizations and people brave the Fukuyamas, regulators and luddites of this world to fund, research and develop better medicine. They work themselves to the bone to bring us all the choice of a longer, healthier life. Isn't it time that we let them know how much we appreciate their ongoing efforts?

3) A wider collection of life extension articles

Article reprints continue to be the most popular section of the Longevity Meme. We will continue our process of culling the best of the best for the site. If you have suggestions or pointers, you should feel free to share them with us.

FIN

On that note, I sign off until next time. If you find our newsletter helpful or interesting, please don’t hesitate to tell your friends.

DISCUSSION

Have comments for us, or want to discuss the newsletter?

Reason

Founder, Longevity Meme

______________________________

Fight Aging!