Longevity tips from a 72-year-old Nobel Prize-winning scientist who cycles daily

• Venki Ramakrishnan is a Nobel laureate and author of Why We Die.
• He believes there is too much hype around longevity, but some breakthroughs have already occurred.
• Ramakrishnan, 72, leads an active lifestyle and cooks from scratch.

Venki Ramakrishnan, a Nobel laureate and former president of the world’s oldest scientific academy, the Royal Society, watched as science of aging and the hype around it exploded.

In the last 10 years alone, more than 300,000 scientific papers on aging have been published, and more than 700 startups have invested tens of billions of dollars in aging researchmicrobiologist from Cambridge, UK, writes in his book Why We Die.

There were some real ones scientific breakthroughs“by deepening our understanding of the fundamental causes of aging,” Ramakrishnan told Business Insider. But despite what the companies joining the initiative would have you believe, “we’re not there yet” when it comes to translating this research into real-world treatments, he said.

The global longevity and anti-aging therapy market was valued at $25.1 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $44.2 billion by 2030, according to the Allied Market Research group.

Unlike medications prescribed by a doctor, biohacking procedures such as ozone therapy and supposed increase in life expectancy supplements such as NAD+ are not thoroughly tested and approved by the FDA before entering the market.

“I wouldn’t spend huge amounts of money on supplements until it has been established that they provide real benefits. I would wait for proof, but people always feel like they can’t wait because the clock is ticking. That’s what I think. I think a lot of these businesses are benefiting from it,” he said.

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“I don’t have a negative view of longevity research or science. There’s a lot of very good scientific research out there, but I’m negative about some of the over-hype,” he said. According to him, he wrote his book to bring a touch of realism to the space.

Ramakrishnan, 72, shared three simple, science-backed lifestyle choices he prioritizes as he ages.

Eating nutritious foods in moderate portions

The way we eat can have a huge impact on our health. Following a diet high in ultra-processed foodsfor example, is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

After Mediterranean style dietfilled with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains, meanwhile, is linked to increased life expectancy.

Ramakrishnan tries to eat a good combination of protein, fruits, vegetables and fiber, he said. He is a lifelong vegetarian and always cooks from scratch using simple ingredients.

He also believes portion control is important and follows the author. Michael PollanThe famous rule of nutrition: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Riding a bike every day

According to Ramakrishnan, exercise has many benefits for healthy aging. It helps many components of the body, including muscle cells and mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, regenerate.

In addition to biking at least six miles a day since he doesn’t have a car, Ramakrishnan goes to the gym several days a week where he does both. strength training and aerobic exercise.

“You need to do both cardiovascular exercise and weight-bearing exercise. One is for maintaining cardiovascular health, the other is for maintaining muscle mass and strength,” he said.

In a 2022 study published in the journal British Journal of Sports Medicinebased on data from 100,000 average-aged American adults 71people who lifted weights and performed 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week had a 41% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to their sedentary peers.

Sleep eight hours a night

Ramakrishnan likes to sleep eight hours every night. During the sleep cycle, the body repairs much of the wear and tear we accumulate in daily life, he said: “It’s a way of rebooting and regenerating things.”

Research shows that getting enough quality sleep can add years to your life. In a preliminary study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2023 Annual Scientific Session, researchers identified five measures of sleep quality: sleeping seven to eight hours a night; difficulty falling asleep no more than twice a week; problems sleeping no more than twice a week; do not use sleeping pills; and feel well-rested upon waking at least five days a week.

Of the 172,321 people in the study, men who reported having all five measures of sleep quality were expected to live 4.7 years longer than those who had none or only one. Women with all five lived 2.4 years longer.

“Sleep is much more important than people think,” Ramakrishnan said.