Hi Reader,

Shared my thoughts on the three toughest truths we must face in longevity today:

1. We can't extend maximum lifespan (yet!)
2. Anti-aging falls into a regulatory loophole
3. Most evidence in the field is garbage

I was also on the Livelong Media podcast for those of you who like listening—it's a fast-paced episode covering different things to focus on for longevity with each decade, and what I think about the more exotic aspects of the field, like stem cells.

This week also brought some controversy with Serena Williams repping GLP-1 agonist use and Oura bringing the law to take down its biggest US competitors.

Finally, I'll be spending this weekend participating in this healthcare hackathon with my Care Core team - looking for an excuse to do a deep dive toward our launch!

Now for this issue, I'm trying something new! We're doing a deep dive on an important (and actionable) longevity topic, then a quick run through some of the latest longevity news.

Your Body Is Literally Caramelizing From The Inside Out (And Yes, Aging You)

Remember that satisfying sizzle when you caramelize onions? That golden-brown crust on a perfectly seared steak? Well, surprise—a similar chemical reaction is happening inside your body right now, and it’s one of the biggest drivers of aging that nobody’s talking about.

It’s called glycation, and if you care about longevity, read on.

The Sweet Saboteur Living in Your Bloodstream

Every time you eat, sugar molecules float through your bloodstream looking for proteins to latch onto. When they connect, they create toxic compounds with the perfectly ominous acronym: AGEs (Advanced Glycation End products). These aren’t just passive troublemakers—they’re actively aging every system in your body.

Your proteins are like fresh rubber bands—flexible, functional, doing their jobs. But when sugar attaches to them through glycation, they become like old, brittle rubber bands left in the sun. They cross-link, stiffen, and eventually snap.

The worst part? This process is happening 24/7, accelerating as you age. And yes, that morning donut isn’t helping.

Why Your Skin, Brain, and Heart Are Under Attack

AGEs don’t discriminate—they damage everything they touch:

Your Skin Becomes a Wrinkled Mess When AGEs attack collagen and elastin (your skin’s support structure), you get wrinkles, sagging, and that leather-handbag texture nobody wants. One study found that pentosidine (a type of AGE) was 200% higher in 78-year-olds compared to 25-year-olds. Your face is literally glycating as we speak.

Your Brain Gets Gummed Up Alzheimer’s patients have significantly more AGEs in their brain tissue. These sugar-damaged proteins help form the plaques and tangles that steal memories. AGEs even help transport amyloid proteins across the blood-brain barrier—essentially opening the door for dementia.

Your Arteries Turn to Stone AGEs make blood vessels stiff and inflexible. They’re directly linked to heart disease, stroke, and the elevated blood pressure that creeps up decade by decade. People with high AGE levels have increased risk of cardiovascular death and more severe coronary artery disease.

Your Muscles Waste Away That mysterious weakness that comes with aging? AGEs are partly to blame. They interfere with muscle function and contribute to sarcopenia—the gradual loss of muscle mass that makes elderly people frail.

The Inflammation Bomb

Here’s where it gets really interesting: AGEs don’t just damage proteins directly. They bind to receptors called RAGE (yes, really), triggering massive inflammation throughout your body. This creates a vicious cycle—inflammation creates more AGEs, which create more inflammation.

Scientists call this “inflammaging,” and it’s basically your body attacking itself in slow motion.

Your Anti-Glycation Battle Plan

The Worst Offenders:

• Grilled and fried meats (especially bacon—sorry!)
• Aged cheeses
• Butter and full-fat dairy
• Anything cooked at high heat
• Processed foods (they’re pre-glycated for your inconvenience)

The Game-Changers:

• Cook with moisture (steaming, poaching, slow-cooking)
• Add acid to everything—lemon juice and vinegar cut AGE formation by 50%
• Use ceramic cookware instead of metal
• Load up on fresh fruits and vegetables (they’re naturally low in AGEs)

Final Note: Only 10-30% of AGEs in your blood come from food, and your body only absorbs the small ones. The real damage comes from AGEs created inside your body from chronically high blood sugar.

But (and it’s a big but) if you have diabetes or kidney problems, dietary AGEs become much more problematic. Your body can’t clear them properly, so they accumulate faster.

The bottom line? That perfectly charred ribeye isn’t great, but it’s probably not as bad as the high blood sugar from the mashed potatoes next to it.

Quick Hits in Longevity

Now here's some important news that happened this week in longevity.

The Science

• Food Can Beat Your Genes. Even if you carry the “Alzheimer’s gene” (APOE4), a new Mendelian randomization study shows that eating Mediterranean-style dramatically cuts your risk. Think olive oil, fish, vegetables, nuts. DNA isn’t destiny. Your daily plate is more powerful than your genetic code.
• Why Women Get Hit Harder. Scientists found women with Alzheimer’s are critically low in omega-3 fatty acids, while men aren’t. Translation: if you’re a woman past midlife, omega-3s aren’t just for your heart — they might be one of your best brain-protection tools.
• Aging Protein Identified. UCSF researchers discovered a protein (FTL1) that builds up in the aging brain. Remove it, and old mice literally get young brains back. Add more, and young brains age fast. It’s early, but one day your “cognitive checkup” might include targeting this protein.

The Business

• Skin Longevity Gets $20M Boost. Debut Biotech raised funding to scale AI-discovered anti-aging skin compounds. Translation: expect the next generation of beauty products to actually target aging pathways, not just moisturize.
• Proteomics Goes Mainstream. Human Longevity, Inc. is adding ultra-sensitive proteomic panels to its longevity programs. More biomarkers → earlier detection → more personalized prevention.en curious about fasting but intimidated, this is the easiest on-ramp yet.
• AI Is Designing Age-Reversal Proteins. Retro Biosciences + OpenAI just used GPT-4 to redesign cell-rejuvenating proteins. The AI versions worked 50x better at repairing DNA and turning back cellular age. That’s not science fiction — it’s happening in labs right now.
• Southeast Asia Goes All-In on Longevity. ASEAN ministers adopted a 5-year healthy aging plan, including an “Active Aging Index.” Governments are starting to take longevity as seriously as climate change.
• $156M for Singapore Clinics. Speaking of Southeast Asia, serial entrepreneur Allen Law is launching the first location of Morrow, one of the latest in longevity clinic/gym/community/wellness clubs (we'll dive into this in a future issue!).

👉 Takeaway: Eat Mediterranean. Prioritize omega-3s (especially if you’re female). And keep an eye on biotech — the line between “inevitable decline” and “reversal” is starting to blur.

And this was a relatively slow week, given the pre-labor day slowdown. I predict we're going to see an absolute flurry of activity over the next two months—keep an eye out!

Hillary Lin, MD

Co-Founder & CEO

​Care Core​

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