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Aging seems inevitable. Psychologists advise looking in the mirror, accepting reality, and not chasing eternal youth. However, David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard University, proves by his own example: aging is a curable disease, people can stay young as long as they want (if they really want to). In his book Lifespan: Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To, Sinclair concludes: the aging process can be stopped. A ten-year study on reprogramming the genome of mice at Harvard Medical School and more than 13 years of his own experience with intermittent fasting have shown that it is possible not only to slow down aging, but also to become significantly younger. 

David Sinclair is 53 years old, but he looks 40, and, most importantly, according to his own research, the scientist’s biological age is 10 years younger than his official age. And this is not empty bragging – the data is confirmed by the results of a test that is available to everyone today. If this continues, the scientist jokes, “soon I won’t be able to buy alcohol.” However, this is unlikely to upset him: Sinclair has mostly stayed away from alcohol (as well as meat) for the last ten years. 

Biological age, which the researcher has been studying throughout his professional career, refers to the state of the body at the cellular and tissue level. With the help of the Tally Health home test, everyone now can find out how much wear and tear one’s organs have been exposed to and how it relates to one’s years. Based on the test results, you can receive recommendations regarding vitamin intake, diet, and exercise. 

Matcha Tea, Jogging, and Resveratrol

David Sinclair was not always as youthful as he is now: he began to look and feel younger using his method after thirty, when he was overweight and felt unwell. He overate, drank alcohol, and moved little. Then the scientist decided to radically change his lifestyle – eat less, give up sweets, alcohol, red meat, and start running. Sinclair, who has been measuring his biological age using his own method for 10 years, claims that the fight against aging begins with nutrition. Therefore, he practices intermittent fasting. 

“I try to fit my daily nutrition into one short period, several hours a day,” says the geneticist. In practice, it looks like this: after waking up, Sinclair drinks a glass of warm water with lemon, takes nutritional supplements, including two capsules of resveratrol, and eats some yogurt. Then, if his schedule allows, he runs, then drinks matcha green tea, prepared for him by nutritionist and celebrity chef Serena Poon. Dr. Sinclair drinks two cups of matcha every day. Made from crushed tea leaves, the drink contains antioxidants that protect cells from damage. 

Nota bene: Matcha green tea is produced in Japan from small-leaf Chinese tea grown in the shade. Collected tea leaves are steamed and dried, but not rolled, and then ground into powder. Matcha is not only consumed with hot water in the form of tea but also used in the preparation of some Japanese dishes, the best-known of which is green-tea ice cream.

Around 1 p.m., Sinclair eats a light lunch, usually rice with vegetables, and closer to 6 or 7 p.m., he has dinner, e.g., fish with baked vegetables. He does not eat meat at all, and only rarely drinks wine on special occasions (he used to drink wine almost every day before he embarked on the rejuvenation path.) 

Limiting calorie intake to just a few hours a day boosts the body’s sensitivity to insulin, reducing the risk of diabetes, and gives cells time to remove waste from the body; both these factors contribute to longevity, the researcher believes. 

Sinclair is convinced that resveratrol, found in red wine, grape juice, and cocoa, has a powerful rejuvenating effect. He recommends it as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drug, an antioxidant that is good for the heart and brain. 

Nota bene: There is no consensus in the scientific community regarding resveratrol. Matt Kaeberlein, a Washington University biochemist and researcher specializing in aging and longevity, has publicly stated that while resveratrol may have some beneficial effects, it’s not a definitive “longevity drug”. He emphasizes that resveratrol’s effects are complex and may not always translate from model organisms like nematodes to humans.

There is no clear answer about the alleged usefulness of a 16-hour daily fast, either. Many nutritionists believe that it is more beneficial to eat small, frequent meals, reduce calories, cut portions, and consume more vegetables and fruits.

Sinclair’s regimen does him good, the results are obvious: tests have shown that his biological age is decreasing. Over the past year, the scientist became two months younger – at least according to his proprietary test. 

Key to Mental Health: Avoid Jerks

What scientists agree on is that long-term stress drains the body’s energy. Research has shown that stress not only increases the risk of heart attack but also has a negative impact on life expectancy. 

Sinclair has learned to manage stress. He says that stress management, including setting aside “quiet times” during the day, supports healthy aging. “I don’t stress so much about problems,” he says. “I do surround myself with people who are not jerks, increasingly.”

A 2019 study found that meditation and yoga classes rejuvenate the brain. 50-year-olds who actively practiced yoga had brain function indicators similar to those of 25-year-olds. 

Dr. Sinclair tries to do aerobic exercises at least three times a week. Another important long-standing habit of the doctor is to be in motion as often as possible. This can be swimming, cycling, brisk walking, or running. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, or 30 minutes per day. 

He also installed a standing desk in his office to reduce sitting at work. A widely cited 2012 study found that sitting for more than eight hours a day is as deadly as regular smoking. According to the Mayo Clinic, 60 to 75 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day offsets this risk. 

A study from Brigham Young University found that just a 30-minute daily jog can reduce the aging of cells by nine years. 

Scientists have found that running slows the shortening of telomeres, the part of DNA that shortens with age. As we mentioned in one of our articles, the length of telomeres can predict a person’s life expectancy. 

It’s Never Too Late to Get Younger, But It’s Better Not to Get Old

According to Sinclair, his work is not so much about helping people live longer, but rather about maximizing one’s healthy lifespan. 

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, scientists in Sinclair’s lab conducted a series of experiments on yeast and mammals. The study lasted 13 years and demonstrated that the detonator of the aging process is changes in the DNA of human cells due to stress, bad habits, or diseases. 

However, there are other studies, and scientists do not yet have a consensus on the cause-and-effect relationship in this matter; it is not entirely clear whether these changes are the driving force of aging or its consequence.

In the current study, Sinclair’s team was able to separate epigenetic changes from genetic ones and confirm that disruption of epigenetic information does indeed contribute to aging in mice. 

The team’s main experiment involved making cuts in the DNA of laboratory mice: these cuts mimicked the breaks in chromosomes that mammalian cells experience every day due to factors such as breathing, exposure to sunlight, and contact with chemicals. 

When the rodents lost their youthful epigenetic function, they began to look and act like old animals. After a certain gene therapy, the mice became younger again. 

It’s like rebooting a faulty computer, Sinclair says. The therapy triggers a program that forces cells to restore their previous epigenetic information.

The discovery supports the hypothesis that mammalian cells maintain a kind of backup copy of epigenetic software, access to which can allow an old, epigenetically distorted cell to reboot into a young, healthy state. 

The amazing news is that the aging process is reversible: if you lead a healthy lifestyle, the structure of DNA can be restored again, and David Sinclair proves this with his own example. 

On a Lighter Note: Actor and comedian George Burns lived 100 years (1896–1996) and authored a book titled How to Live to Be 100, in which he famously wrote: You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old. 

As he was interviewed on his centenary, George Burns gave the following answers about his longevity: 

Interviewer: So at 100 years old, you still smoke cigars? 

Burns: Yes, that’s right, I smoke two cigars a day. 

Interviewer: And I understand you also still drink? 

Burns: I do, I have two Martinis every evening. 

Interviewer: Well, what does your doctor say about this? 

Burns: My doctor is dead. 

Disclaimer: This article contains no medical advice or lifestyle recommendations. It just reflects some of the different viewpoints on issues affecting longevity that exist within and/or outside the scientific community. The Publisher shall not be held responsible for any action taken by anyone who found inspiration in any of those viewpoints, or any consequences thereof. 

Habits That Keep You Young

1. Intermittent Fasting and Restricted Eating

Sinclair eats in a 6-8-hour window, and the rest of the time he refrains from food. It works because it activates autophagy and mitochondrial renewal. Harvard research has shown that intermittent fasting slows aging in mice and humans. 

2. Daily Physical Activity

Exercise activates sirtuins and improves mitochondrial function. The best choice is HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Even just walking 30 minutes a day reduces biological age (data from the Harvard Clinic). 

3. Reducing Stress

Sinclair avoids interaction with toxic persons, he practices rest and positive thinking. Chronic stress means accelerated aging, DNA destruction. Research from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) shows that stress shortens telomeres (the ends of chromosomes), and with them also the life expectancy. 

On a Lighter Note: According to a study published in the scientific journal PLOS Genetics, caffeine can shorten telomeres, while alcohol can lengthen them. If this is true, Dr. Sinclair might look even younger with a daily glass of wine. And he would possibly look even younger if he gave up matcha tea, which has more caffeine than the strongest coffees.

Disclaimer: This article contains no medical advice or lifestyle recommendations. It just reflects some of the different viewpoints on issues affecting longevity that exist within and/or outside the scientific community. The Publisher shall not be held responsible for any action taken by anyone who found inspiration in any of those viewpoints, or any consequences thereof.

4. David Sinclair’s Supplements and Medicines

NAD+ Boosters: NMN 

• What is NAD+: A molecule responsible for cellular energy and DNA repair. 

• As we age, NAD+ levels drop. The result: fatigue, illness, aging. 

• NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is a supplement that increases NAD+. The result: improved mental clarity, physical endurance, and tissue regeneration. 

• Harvard studies have shown that increasing NAD+ in mice slows organ aging. 

Resveratrol: Activation of “Youth Genes”

• Natural antioxidant that activates sirtuins (longevity genes). 

• Found naturally in grape skins and red wine. 

• Sinclair takes 1 gram per day with fat for better absorption. 

• Effect: anti-inflammatory action, mimics the effect of calorie restriction. 

Metformin: Anti-aging Effect of the Drug 

• A drug for type 2 diabetes. 

• Reduces sugar and insulin levels, activates AMPK (regulator of cellular energy balance and metabolism). 

• Patients taking metformin lived longer than healthy people (MGH study). 

• Sinclair takes metformin in the evening. 

Latest Research from Massachusetts: Biological Age Can Be Reversed 

• In 2023, Harvard University published a paper: epigenetic damage is the main cause of aging. 

• In an experiment on mice, scientists “rebooted” the epigenetic code, and the organs were restored. 

• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is studying a therapy that blocks age-related mutations. 

How to Get Started: a Step-by-Step Checklist

• ✅ Reduce your food intake to an 8-hour window. 
• ✅ Add at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day. 
• ✅ Avoid sugar, fast food, and processed foods. 
• ✅ Manage stress: practice walks, meditation, hobbies. 
• ✅ Consult a doctor before taking any supplements. 
• ✅ Start small – but start! 

Conclusion: Youth Is a Choice

• Sinclair’s approach is not about eternal life but about quality of life. 

• Everyone can take a step towards health, clarity of mind, and longevity. 

• Be inspired not only by words, but also by science: it has proven that aging can be slowed down. 

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