5 Benefits of the AMPK Activator Enzyme

By Mansal Denton, guest author

“Live long enough to live forever” says George Church, author of Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature. While it might seem farfetched, Church isn’t far off and he isn’t the only one.

Ray Kurzweil authored a book with the same tagline and George Church, a Harvard and MIT professor who helped code the first genome sequence [1][2].

Church is working on how to make it possible to live forever, but until that happens we can focus our anti-aging efforts on tools we know more about like the AMPK activator. This enzyme is responsible for many reactions that may combat signs of aging and possibly increase cognition.

What is an AMPK Activator?

AMPK is an enzyme (adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase), which is found in all living creatures including the yeast that ferments beer [3].

This protein is involved in dozens of reactions, but primarily helps regulate energy levels within our cells.

Because the AMPK enzyme helps regulate the energy expenditure and health of our cells, it aids in general well being as a whole. Similar to foundational nootropics (like CoQ10 or PQQ), which support mitochondrial function, an AMPK activator can have a similar role.

This is the main reason AMPK activators are used for improving longevity and reducing the signs of aging.

AMPK Activator Benefits

The benefits of AMPK activation are manifold, but novel uses for enhancing cognition and possibly increasing lifespan are most interesting.

AMPK activation promotes a process known as “autophagy”, which helps to rid cells of metabolic waste (it’s like our cells “taking out the trash”) [4]. Another long-term benefit is the creation of new mitochondria [5].

If you’ll remember from high school biology, this is the “powerhouse” of the cell where much of our energy is derived. There is evidence that the AMPK activator has a crucial role as an antioxidant [6], which can reduce oxidative stress.

With these two benefits alone, AMPK is useful, but there are studies focused on longevity and anti-aging by itself. In theory, activating AMPK has many pathways that increase longevity (including of the ones mentioned above) [7]. One animal study showed AMPK activation alone could increase lifespan by 15% [8].

It can be a useful tool… if it doesn’t kill you first.

AMPK Activator Side Effects

Because AMPK is a vital enzyme interacting with many aspects of the brain, it can have a host of benefits, but there are also AMPK activator side effects.

Choosing An AMPK Activator

There are several nootropics and drug AMPK activators, but they aren’t always necessary. There are plenty of natural mechanisms that can increase AMPK including:

• Exercise – many of the exercise benefits activate AMPK
• Calorie restriction – whether fasting or lower calories, this stimulates AMPK
• Cold exposure – take a cold plunge! Exposure to the cold is an AMPK activator

Whether you choose to incorporate more of these lifestyle habits into your life or opt for nootropic supplementation, AMPK influences aging and optimal cognitive performance. It is only one of the many factors involved with aging, but optimizing can have positive long-term effects.

References

1. Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman. Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever. 2004.
2. //arep.med.harvard.edu/gmc/
3. //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMP-activated_protein_kinase
4. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973318/
5. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287273/
6. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973318/
7. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287273/
8. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4101001/
9. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973318/
10. Ibid.
11. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287273/
12. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/articles/25627672/
13. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855276/
14. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4864506/
15. Ibid.
16. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17869227
17. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16964326
18. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23563695
19. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855276/
20. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1664837/
21. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22885103
22. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855276/
23. //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973318/