Do Your Bones Hold a Secret to Longevity?

This story may seem like science fiction to you.  It's not.  Your bones may be keeping a secret deep inside your bone marrow where your blood is made.  Researchers at Columbia University in New York have discovered something that may possibly extend our health and lifespan by decades.  While it's no secret our bodies start producing fewer and fewer red blood cells and immune cells as we age, there may be a reversible solution based on a drug which has been approved for use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis cases.  Before you go rushing out to get this drug, anakinra, keep in mind that human trials haven't even begun yet.  So far, the experiments have only been conducted with mice.

What have these researchers learned about what's going on inside old bones?  That's the million dollar question.  I'm especially curious about this because my own body seems to respond in a similar way when I eat the wrong foods that cause inflammation.  Thanks, cousin, for following up on your suspicions that there may be a different reason why my blood pressure readings can spike.  

The new study at Columbia University reveals that in aging mice the blood-producing stem cells inside the bone marrow become overwhelmed with inflammation.  The stem cells deteriorate leading to stem cell dysfunction.  No bueno.  When this happens aging occurs.  

The takeaway here is that once human trials begin and if they offer the same results already found in the mice studies, we may have a way to stop the inflammation in the bone marrow where red blood cells are made allowing healthy blood production to be maintained as we age.  

There is another question about this research gnawing inside my head.  It's the same question I asked a few years ago of one of the doctors in my tennis circle of friends who specializes in treating rheumatoid arthritis.  "What causes inflammation?"  My follow up question today is, "What causes this inflammation these researchers found in old mice bones?"  

In my opinion, my old bones may behave better when I minimize the foods that cause inflammation in my body.  I'm happy researchers are unlocking the secrets that may help us lead better lives in our advanced years.  Have a great day.