Newsletter #116: How Glucosamine Might Your Lower Risk of Death 💪🏽
Hello Friends!
Welcome to the latest edition of the humanOS newsletter! Below, as usual, is a roundup of the various studies and other media that we came across. 🤓
This week, we learned that obesity is a strong independent risk factor for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19 (actually we kind of already knew this, but learned more about just how significant it might be). We also learned that exercise, ideally in doses somewhat higher than typically recommended, might be a useful tool to combat some of the deleterious psychological effects of the coronavirus outbreak. Finally, we found that regular glucosamine use was linked to a 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality in a large UK cohort. That might sound odd, but there are plausible underlying biological mechanisms that could explain this relationship. If you want to know why that might be the case, I would strongly suggest checking out this fascinating interview with Michael Ristow.
Scroll down to learn more, and stay safe everyone. 👇
This Week’s Research Highlights
💊 Regular supplementation with glucosamine is linked to a lower risk of mortality.
Researchers analyzed data from 495077 subjects enrolled in the UK Biobank study over a median follow-up of 8.9 years. At baseline, 19.1% of subjects reported regular use of glucosamine supplements. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, it was determined that regular glucosamine use was associated with a lower risk for total mortality (15%), cardiovascular mortality (18%), cancer mortality (6%), respiratory mortality (27%), and digestive mortality (26%). This lines up with a previous study in Washington, which found a ~20% reduction in all-cause mortality in older adults taking glucosamine. It is thought that glucosamine may be inversely associated with mortality through lowering systemic inflammation, as well as by interfering with glycolysis.
🦠 Obesity is independently associated with greater severity and greater risk of death from COVID-19.
Researchers examined demographic factors, comorbidities, and medical outcomes from 482 consecutive COVID-19 patients hospitalized in March and April. They found that any BMI higher than 30 was associated with significantly higher risk of severe symptoms and mortality, regardless of age, gender, and other associated diseases. Specifically, patients with a BMI between 30-34.9 had a 2.60-fold higher risk of respiratory failure and 6.23-fold greater risk of being admitted to the ICU. Patients with a BMI above 35 were at particularly grave risk, with 3.66-fold higher risk of respiratory failure, 7.91-fold higher risk of admission to ICU, and roughly 12-fold greater odds of dying.
🏃♀️ Exercise may help combat the adverse effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health in a dose-dependent manner.
Researchers studied 66 Chinese college students who stayed at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. The students completed three online surveys, at two-week intervals, as the pandemic increased in severity and ultimately peaked in China. In the surveys, the subjects reported on frequency, duration, and intensity of physical activity, and completed the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) to determine negative emotions. The researchers found that physical activity was linked to lower DASS scores, lower negative emotions, and reduced symptoms of depression.
Maximal benefit appeared to be achieved in these participants when their weekly physical activity was around 2500 METs. This would correspond to 108 minutes of light activity, 80 minutes of moderate activity, or 45 minutes of vigorous physical activity every day.
Podcasts We Loved This Week
- Martin Caraher: Food poverty and food aid provision. Via Sigma Nutrition Radio.
- Angela Rasmussen: Fewer coronavirus antibodies may not mean less immunity. Via Science Friday.
- Ned David: How cellular senescence influences aging, and what we can do about it. Via The Drive with Peter Attia.
Products We Are Enjoying
Glucosamine
Most folks out there take glucosamine to prevent or alleviate joint pain. The research is fairly inconclusive on whether this actually works, however, the supplement may have other compelling benefits. Glucosamine has been shown to lower markers of systemic inflammation, like C-reactive protein, as well as interfere with the breakdown of glucose, mimicking some of the effects of calorie restriction.
This may be why it appears to be linked to prolonged lifespan, as we described in the research highlights above. It’s a pretty cheap and ubiquitous supplement, so why not give it a shot?