Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Youth Pill

A book by David Stipp called "The Youth Pill" is a delightful look at aging research. David Stipp is a science journalist and takes one a fun romp into the pseudoscience and then the real science of aging. I was skeptical at first, but it is well worth reading. He starts with the history of aging research by looking at minced monkey testicle injections. Then brings one along into the first true scientific studies on calorie restriction done by Dr. MacClay. Once he has you with these funny and interesting stories, he carries you along into the genetics and search for compounds to help arrest aging. The most interesting things I found is that the research is leading to better treatments for disease such as diabetes, obesity etc. Some common medical compounds used today actually have anti aging effects, such as caffeine of all things and metformin the drug for treating diabetes. This is a must read.

Peace Skeptical DoDo

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