What it is:
A small 8-week diet and lifestyle intervention trial looked to increase the amount of methylation within the participant's DNA. The focus on methylation is important due to its vast role all over the body for gene expression, detoxification, energy production, and many other areas. Several lifestyle choices and environmental factors influence our DNA.
Positive influencers involve areas such as sleep, phytonutrients, and probiotics.
Negative influencers involve areas such as smoking, carcinogens, and toxins.
Changes to our DNA can occur through mechanisms that switch our genes on and off. One of the influential switches on the aging process is DNA methylation. Kara Fitzgerald’s study focuses on DNA methyl groups that are altered by nutritional factors. By adding or removing methyl groups, certain nutrients affect our detoxification capacity, inflammatory response, antioxidant effects, etc. Research is just beginning to translate how our environment, nutrition, exercise, and sleep patterns alter our genetic material in the present moment.
Kara Fitzgerald's Diet and Lifestyle Intervention looks to reverse aging on a cellular level and delay age-related diseases such as brain deterioration, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
The Study: https://www.aging-us.com/article/202913/text
Purported claims:
Kara Fitzgerald’s longevity study claims to reverse aging by 3 years within an 8-week time span.
Her study utilized diet, exercise, sleep, and relaxation guidance to alter the DNA methylation age of a group of individuals. A young child's methyl groupings look entirely different from older adults, which allows us to follow the aging patterns and changes over time. This also allowed Fitzgerald and her fellow researchers to measure the reversal of these markers, giving rise to the theory of reverse aging. The changes were analyzed using the Illumina Methylation Epic Array, and DNAmAge was calculated using the online Horvath DNAmAge clock (2013). Completing the clinical trial for just two weeks may alter a person's DNA methylation patterns for the better.
The Diet and Lifestyle Intervention for the Clinical Trial is below:
Dietary Prescription
Guidance per week:
3 servings of liver
(1 serving = 3 oz). Preferably organic
5-10 eggs
Ideally, free-range, organic, omega-3 enriched.
Guidance per day:
2 cups of dark leafy greens
Measured raw, chopped, and packed
Including Kale, Swiss chard, collards, spinach, dandelion, mustard greens
Does not include salad greens such as romaine, iceberg, Spring mix
2 cups cruciferous vegetables
Measured raw, chopped, and packed
Includes Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy, Arugula, Kale, Mustard greens, Watercress, Rutabaga, Kohlrabi, Radish, Swiss chard, Turnip
3 additional cups of colorful vegetables of your choosing
Excluding white potatoes, sweetcorn.
1-2 medium beet
4 tbsp (1/4 cup) pumpkin seeds (or pumpkin seed butter)
4 tbsp (1/4 cup) sunflower seeds (or sunflower seed butter)
1+ serving methylation adaptogens, choose from:
1/2 cup berries (wild preferred)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 medium cloves garlic
2 cups green tea (brewed 10 minutes)
3 cups oolong tea (brewed 10 minutes)
6 oz animal protein
Grass-fed, pastured, organic and hormone/antibiotic-free
2 servings of low glycemic fruit
General guidance:
Supplement Prescription
PhytoGanix®, a combination of organic vegetables, fruits, seeds, herbs, plant enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics at a dose of 2 servings daily, divided
UltraFlora® Intensive Care, containing Lactobacillus plantarum 299v at a dose of 2 capsules daily, divided
Exercise Prescription
Minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day for at least 5 days per week, at an intensity of 60-80% of maximum perceived exertion
Sleep Prescription
Average a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.
Stress Management Prescription
Twenty minute, twice daily Breathing exercises to elicit the Relaxation Response (Developed by Dr. Herbert Benson).
What the science says:
Dietary Prescription
The emphasis on polyphenol, color-heavy foods like green tea and turmeric is to support the methylation pathways. But no matter which pathway we focus on, consuming various colorful fruits and vegetables will be beneficial.
There is no detriment to performing an 8-week plant-forward, methyl and polyphenol focused diet.
Methyl Donor foods:
Cruciferous - Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy, Arugula, Kale, Mustard greens, Watercress, Rutabaga, Kohlrabi, Radish, Swiss chard, Turnip
Eggs, Flax seeds, Liver, Soybeans and Wheat germ
Folate:
Dark Leafy greens - Kale, Beet, Swiss chard, Collards, Spinach, Dandelion, Mustard.
Beans and Legumes
Liver
Betaine:
Beets, Wheat Germ, Spinach
The “Multivitamin of Foods” = Liver
Vitamin’s A, B12, Riboflavin, Folate
Choline, Copper, Iron
Polyphenol focused foods (methyl traffic directors):
Supplement Prescription
PhytoGanix® Phytonutrients: A concentrated formula of compounds found in colorful fruits, vegetables, turmeric, green tea, and seeds.
UltraFlora® Probiotics: Beneficial bacteria in supplement form. Also found in yogurt, fermented vegetables, miso, tempeh, kombucha, and kefir.
Exercise Prescription
Physical activity is proven to prevent a vast array of diseases and chronic conditions. It is a significant factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Sleep Prescription
Sufficient sleep duration and timing are already well-known pillars of health. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is essential to the quality and quantity of life.
Stress Management Prescription
Breathing exercises are beneficial for decreasing stress or fatigue and increasing the overall oxygenation of cells. Research has proven the benefits of practicing focused breath work daily. Expanding your chest and back muscles by performing shoulder rolls, shoulder blade squeezes, and other exercises can help with breath relaxation and capacity.
Our take:
Although larger-scale, longer-duration clinical trials need to be performed to confirm Fitzgerald’s findings, this is a promising investigation. Participating in an 8-week plant-forward, methyl and polyphenol-focused diet may benefit everyone as a reset to the system. Even without focusing on the methylation aspect of this eating pattern, it is filled with nutrient-dense foods and scientifically backed health advice. Everyone may benefit from this type of reset.
It should come as no surprise that what we eat really does alter our genes. We often diminish food to the role of fuel, but as Fitzgerald’s study shows, it is so much more. Harnessing food as medicine without just isolating it into its individual components can benefit us beyond current comprehension.
Keep in mind these findings may show changes in the indicators of aging, but this does not mean it alters aging outcomes. Just because we can identify areas of methylation modification does not mean we have found the key to longevity.
Will this benefit you?
Yes. Incorporating a healthful sleep, exercise, and nutrition regime built upon scientific research will benefit you.
Still curious to try it? If you do, here’s what to keep an eye on:
The study focused on older (50-72 yrs) men who were primarily white. The chosen age group was due to the knowledge that DNA methylation begins to deteriorate at this stage. However, further studies need to include different races and females to have a practical application for the population.
The study is lacking in grains, legumes, and beans. However, following this protocol as a short-term reset of 2 to 8 weeks is a viable eating pattern.
References and additional reading:
The Study: https://www.aging-us.com/article/202913/text
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