Metformin is widely known for treating type 2 diabetes, but its anti-ageing benefits have also been demonstrated by a thorough monkey study which demonstrated it can slow aging indicators and enhance brain function.
Targeting mitochondrial DNA damage, activating the AMPK pathway and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation are ways in which this therapy has shown to provide protection for cells and animals models in various studies. This effect has also been noted across various other research projects using cell and animal models.
1. It Lowers Blood Sugar
Metformin, an inexpensive yet effective medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes, has recently attracted worldwide interest due to its potential health benefits – specifically its potential to slow aging and help protect against age-related diseases.
Metformin not only reduces blood sugar, but it also works to lower insulin resistance and oxidative stress–two factors linked to age-related diseases. Due to these benefits, many have labeled metformin a “wonder drug”, although scientists still do not fully comprehend its inner workings.
Northwestern Medicine researchers have just provided direct proof that metformin works by blocking an essential step in our cells’ energy creation process, published December 18 in Science Advances. Their results may offer insight into its potential effectiveness against heart disease and cancer as a preventative medicine.
Researchers found that metformin works by targeting one area of mitochondria – cells’ energy-making machines – preventing too much production of toxic lactic acid that damages cells and could result in dangerous bloodstream buildup known as lactic acidosis. Furthermore, metformin helps stop damaged cells from stopping functioning altogether and starting to damage healthy tissues through processes known as senescence.
Research published so far demonstrates that metformin can lower mortality risks associated with age-related conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Major long-term studies, such as UKPDS and Diabetes Prevention Program have confirmed this effect – those taking metformin had lower mortality rates than those who didn’t take metformin.
Metformin is one of the world’s most commonly prescribed oral prescription drugs and generally safe when taken as instructed. However, if you have kidney or liver issues, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetic ketoacidosis, severe infections or chronic alcoholism it should be discussed with your healthcare provider prior to starting this medication regimen.
Though more research must be conducted into how metformin can enhance healthspan and prolong lifespan, its safety and efficacy make it a highly attractive anti-ageing treatment option. Furthermore, one unique aspect of metformin’s success as an anti-ageing treatment is that it is accessible to anyone over 50 regardless of underlying medical history or risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.
2. It Lowers Inflammation
As part of its disease process, aging involves inflammation. That’s why reducing inflammation is crucial in order to lower risks for heart disease, cancer, dementia and other inflammatory diseases – something Metformin can do by helping you live a longer, healthier life.
Metformin’s benefits go well beyond glycemic control; it is currently being studied as an anti-aging agent that could possibly halt or even reverse age-related diseases. Recent research has uncovered several molecular pathways through which metformin extends healthspan and lifespan both in animal models and human studies; such as modulating mitochondrial energy use, activating the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, stimulating autophagy production, mitigating inflammation responses such as stress responses as well as epigenetic modifications.
These mechanisms explain why metformin can extend lifespan while slowing or even reversing the progression of multiple chronic diseases associated with aging, including heart disease, neurodegeneration and chronic kidney disease.
Metformin has been shown to be highly effective at inhibiting cellular senescence and inducing apoptosis in various cell lines, including adipocytes, human periodontal ligament cells, mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and human fibroblasts. More specifically, it reduces obesity-associated adipocyte senescence by upregulating Sirtuin 1 expression and modulating cell cycle pathways; additionally it promotes apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma and leukemia cells while suppressing oxidative stress in hepatocytes as well as inhibiting NLR Family CARD Domain Containing 4 (NLRC4) phosphorylation; both are known inhibitors of cellular senescence.
Metformin is an accessible, cost-effective glucose-lowering medication with an impressive track record in clinical settings worldwide. Reducing and treating multiple age-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s makes resveratrol one of the most promising therapeutic agents to slow human aging. Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME) trial has just started and will allow scientists to establish whether metformin actually slows the onset of age-related diseases. If successful, then its discovery could revolutionise medicine forever – but before taking this medication speak with your physician first as possible side effects include extreme tiredness; vomiting; stomach pain/upset; lactic acidosis or an increase in body temperature.
3. It Increases Memory
Insulin resistance is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, but recent epidemiological studies suggest that metformin can prevent cognitive decline in diabetic patients. Additionally, preclinical studies have shown that metformin improves the symptoms of Alzheimer’s in animal models. Currently, a nationwide clinical trial is underway to determine whether the popular drug can slow the onset of age-related chronic diseases in humans.
A new study has shown that metformin increases learning and memory in the samp8 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers used a behavioral test battery to measure the effect of metformin on mice’s ability to engage in behavioral tasks. The mice were given a dose of either 200 or 2,000 mg of metformin daily for eight weeks. They then performed the T-maze footshock avoidance task, object recognition task, and Barnes maze test to evaluate their cognitive function.
The results of the experiment showed that the samp8 mice treated with metformin had improved performance on the T-maze footshock avoidance and object recognition tests. The mice also spent less time in the annulus 40 area of the water maze during a delayed spatial retention test. The research team speculates that the improvement in cognitive behavior was due to changes in brain energy metabolism. They found that metformin decreased glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in the hippocampus, while increasing mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity.
In addition to its effects on glucose uptake and mitochondrial activity, metformin inhibits AMPK-dependent signaling pathways, resulting in increased cellular energy production. It also inhibits ATP-dependent protein degradation and upregulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in neurons. This is why the drug is considered a potential anti-aging treatment.
Another important finding from the new study was that metformin reduced APPc99 and pTau levels, a common pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It also enhanced synaptic plasticity by upregulating BDNF, which is known to prevent AD-like cognitive deficits. The research team hopes that metformin will be able to treat AD by targeting these pathways. Despite these promising findings, the researchers note that integrating metformin’s short half-life and relatively low bioavailability will be critical to maximizing its therapeutic potential.
4. It Makes You Feel Younger
Metformin has been shown to slow the aging process across multiple organs of the body. It does so by slowing tissue breakdown and degradation, increasing metabolism and metabolite production, and altering cell’s epigenome to promote gene expression and DNA stability – this all thanks to its AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, autophagy stimulation and antioxidant activity; furthermore it reduces inflammation which contributes to cell aging – giving people taking metformin the ability to look younger while feeling healthier with lower risk for age related diseases associated with cell aging.
Studies have identified multiple molecular mechanisms by which metformin extends longevity in non-diabetic animals, including its effects on mitochondrial energy modulation, activation of the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway and stimulation of autophagy. Furthermore, metformin can mitigate inflammation as well as impact epigenetic modifications which promote genomic stability.
Researchers conducting a 2021 study discovered that metformin’s anti-ageing effects extended far beyond bloodstream effects; researchers observed them across multiple tissues of the body such as liver, heart and lungs. Metformin significantly decelerated biological aging markers such as multitissue DNA methylation age, transcriptomic age plasma protein age and metabolite age; it reduced their age by an average of six biological years in these organs.
As part of its treatment, this intervention increased insulin sensitivity and lowered oxidative stress in skeletal muscles while increasing cell turnover and decreasing lipid accumulation. Furthermore, it lowered inflammatory markers while speeding the repair of mitochondrial DNA damage; increased cognitive function while lowering periodontal bone loss were among other outcomes of note.
As someone taking metformin, it’s vitally important that if you experience severe diarrhea or vomiting or consume excessive fluid for any reason, or drink too much in any form. Furthermore, it may be worthwhile to get regular blood tests in order to track vitamin B12 levels as metformin can reduce its absorption into the body.
Metformin is an increasingly popular treatment option for diabetes, but improper usage could lead to serious side effects. Be sure to follow your physician’s directions when using it and always take it with food as failure to do so may increase the risk of lactic acidosis – an extremely dangerous condition in which glucose cannot be broken down and used as fuel by your body.
