EP 19 | Unlock the Secrets of Aging

What if your true age isn’t the number on your birthday cake?

This episode unpacks the difference between biological age (how your body is actually aging) and chronological age (how many years you’ve lived)—and why the gap between them might be bigger than you think.

With real-life examples like twin studies and a guest who dropped their biological age by 20 years, you’ll learn what really drives aging. We cover DNA methylation, the hallmarks of aging, and the daily choices that matter way more than your genes.

Turns out, reversing your biological clock isn’t just for billionaires. It’s possible, practical, and starts with small, smart changes.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
what biological age is compared to chronological age
, because I don't think thatpeople really understand that
there's a difference between thetime we've been on the planet
versus how our cells are aging.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Right, I mean the fastest way to understand.
That is like the twin studiesof one who smokes and one who
doesn't.
Right, I think we can easily.
We can see the aging, but whatwe can't see is what's happening
on the inside.
So we have our chronologicalage, you know minus 56.
But then we have different waysto measure our biological age.
So we have what is it?

(00:33):
12 different hallmarks of aging.
So really theoretically, Isuppose you could have over 12
different ways to measure that.
So there's just a multitude ofthings that we're measuring or
not me I am not in that but thatthey're measuring when we're
looking at biological age.
So different tests aremeasuring different things, and

(00:54):
so every test can give you adifferent biological age in
theory.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Okay, so basically, what I hear you saying is that
our genetics do not determinehow quickly we age.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Correct.
Yes, so let's talk about one ofthe age marking, one of the age
tests DNA methylation right, sowe're looking at we the
scientists because I am not thisis way above my pay grade, so
I'm only going to explain it theway I, as a little engineer,
can understand it.
But you know, we've got our DNAmethylation or these, like

(01:27):
basically these guards thatalmost stand sentry over your
DNA and they're sort of sayingokay, you know, this genetic
trait is going to stay turnedoff and this, you know good
genetic trait is going to stayturned on.
So, like, imagine a baby who'sgot the ApoE4 gene.
Well, they're not going todevelop Alzheimer's as a baby
because their DNA methylation isworking to keep that DNA

(01:52):
functioning in a very healthyway.
So we can manipulate that DNAmethylation as we age.
And so what happens as you getolder?
That DNA methylation based onhow you live your life, so how
you play the piano almost right,like the, I suppose, like your
genetics is the piano you'vebeen given.
But how you decide to play thatpiano, how fast you play that

(02:15):
song, how hard you play thatsong or how softly, like that's
going to determine how that DNAmethylation ages.
I mean, that's just onebiomarker, of course.
There's, you know, a bunch ofdifferent ways to measure your
biological age.
I mean there's physical ways,right.
There's your grip strength.
There's just so many differentways that we age and there's no

(02:36):
one.
Like I said, there's no onehallmark of aging, although they
all are linked together, right?
So I mean, if your DNAmethylation starts getting wonky
, well then other things aregoing to get wonky and your
organ ages.
You know, different organs aregoing to age.
I mean, it's all.
It all ties together.
But yet we can, because we're,you know, humans.
We have to kind of look at itsystematically and in different

(02:57):
ways.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah so okay.
So to translate that basicallywhen I was in medical school we
were taught like oh, you'll knowmore than me yeah, but you
actually practice it youactually practice it and you've
made a difference by over 20years.
So you just mentioned you were56 years old and your tested
biological age has been what?
36?

Speaker 2 (03:17):
36.
36 years old right.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
So I want to get into that further, but I want to
just break it down for everyonelistening that we have this
ageism.
I call it ageism because peoplewant to put people in certain
categories depending on ourchronological age.
What really happens is ourbiological age is more of a
determinant to our health span,and that we do have control over

(03:41):
it.
As you mentioned, in the twinstudies, one twin will age.
An identical twin will age at avery different rate than
another identical twin.
So, even though they've been onthe earth the same amount of
time, they're aging at a verydifferent pace.
And I think this is the coolestthing in the world, because
that's what gives us agency overour life, like we don't have to

(04:02):
just give up and surrender totime.
We have control through littlechoices that we make, and it
doesn't have to be thebillionaires that have this.
It's tangible for everyone.