What is Autophagy?

Autophagy is  a cellular recycling process through  “trash bags” inside the cell. It is a powerful process which unfortunately decreases with aging. It’s how the cell recycles the cell materials. 

But it’s not just recycling, it’s also involved with disease.  Autophagy is involved with:

• Liver disease – both non alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease 
• Diabetes mellitus – involved in the prevention of Diabetes
• Kidney disease –   involved in prevention of kidney injury from chemical agents
• Heart disease –  maintains heart function and improvement after heart disease 
• Parkinson’s – lack of autophagy is involved in this disease
• Cancers such as breast and colon cancer
• Long Covid – autophagy helps eat up spike protein 

What affects autophagy?

Increase it::

• NAD+ precursors which is involved in cell energy
• Reservatrol – 
• Urolithin A – which is derived from eliagic acid which is in pomegranates
• Dietary restriction such as intermittent fasting 
• Exercise improves heart health, improves mitochondria (cellular energy) as well as autophagy
• Short term heat or cold stress 

Worsens it:

Sleep problems such as sleep deprivation 

Thanks to Malene Hansen, PhD for giving her talk at Buck Institute of Aging which inspired this blog.  There are connections between autophagy and health. It is good to be aware of autophagy but any actions regarding autophagy should be discussed with your health care provider before you undertake it. I hope you were enlightened by this blog on what is autophagy. 

To Health!