[Transcript] – The New Darlings Of The Anti-Aging Industry & The Russian’s Secret Age Reversal Weapon: Peptide Bioregulators With Phil Micans.

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Transcripts

From podcast: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/podcast/phil-micans/

[00:00:00] Introduction

[00:00:44] Podcast Sponsors

[00:04:47] Disclaimer 

[00:05:27] Phil Mican's and his work in the anti-aging industry

[00:08:12] What are peptide bioregulators and how were they discovered?

[00:14:09] Who is Professor Vladimir Khavinson and how did he discover Peptide bioregulators?

[00:19:46] What was found in the studies on Peptide bioregulators and anti-aging?

[00:30:58] Podcast Sponsors

[00:35:41] Is taking a Pineal peptide bioregulator superior to supplementing with melatonin?

[00:40:45] How many different peptide bioregulators are there, and how do they know what area of the body to go to?

[00:49:29] The three main areas of the body that Micans recommends everyone to optimize with peptide bioregulators

[00:52:52] Why is it that you don't need to inject these peptide bioregulators?

[00:54:26] What is the difference between organ extracts and peptide bioregulators?

[00:57:37] There seems to be a fear in the US that they may be tainted or rife with corruption. Do you have to be careful where you purchase them?

[01:01:14] What does Micans personal anti-aging protocol consist of?

[01:10:20] AgingMatters Magazine 

[01:12:56] What exactly are the Peptide Eyedrops

[01:16:13] Closing the Podcast

[01:17:37] VIP at Shine Sedona

[01:18:54] End of Podcast

Ben:  My name is Ben Greenfield. And, on this episode of the Ben Greenfield Life podcast.

Phil:  If we think a human being is a machine, a very complicated machine, but nonetheless a machine, like all machines, we are as strong as our weakest part. So, if one can know where your weak points are or if you don't know what your weak points are, do you know what your family's weak points are? Yeah, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, whatever it is, you can focus on that.

Ben:  Faith, family, fitness, health, performance, nutrition, longevity, ancestral living, biohacking, and a whole lot more. Welcome to the show.

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Hey, a quick thing before we dive into today's episode. The connection, the internet connection with Dr. Micans, he's all the way over in England, I'm in the U.S. on a snowy icy day, which probably didn't help. But, the connection was a little bit tough in the beginning. For about the first half hour so, there's a little bit of a statickiness to his voice. I apologize. The information is still fantastic. It really clears up after about a half hour, but I just want to let you know that the audio is not as pristine as I would like for it to be, but it's a great show anyways. And, I hope you get a lot out of it. I learned a ton. Here we go.

Well, folks, I've done a few episodes on peptides, peptide therapy and this whole emerging world of what I consider to be one of the frontiers of anti-aging and longevity and medicine and regenerative medicine. And, many of you I know have looked into or even used peptides, whether it's growth hormone precursors that you might take at night like ipamorelin or injectable peptides for inflammation with the “Star Wars” robots names like BPC-157 and TB500. 

And so, we've talked about those a little bit before and I'll certainly link in the shownotes to some of those previous discussions what I haven't talked about much before on the show and what is a subset of peptides that are absolutely intriguing as you're going to find out are peptide bioregulators, peptide bioregulators. And, these things can be taken orally as a supplement. They've kind of been an emerging secret of the anti-aging and longevity world for the past few years. They're just now starting to hit the mainstream. And essentially, they communicate with specific sections of your DNA and they've been shown to activate genes for cellular regeneration and help regulate gene expression and protein synthesis. And, they've actually been researched quite a bit over in Russia by this professor named Vladimir Khavinson. And, my guest on today's show just so happens to have extensively studied Khavinson's work and is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on anti-aging and peptide bioregulators and a whole lot more. His name is Phil Micans.

Phil, is it Micans or Micans? You just told me right before the show started and I'm blanking.

Phil:  Go either way, but if you want to do it the family way, it's Micans.

Ben:  Micans. Hopefully, you have a peptide bioregulator for memory. So, Phil Micans is a guy who has degrees in food and vitamin technology and pharmacy in biochemistry. He's been involved in the anti-aging world since the late '80s. He's been all over the place in books and magazines and radio and TV shows. He has a cool magazine, too. He's the editor-in-chief of this great magazine. I just found it and I've read a few issues called AgingMatters magazine, AgingMatters magazines. If you get a chance, check that one out as well. And, I'll link to everything that Phil and I talk about if you go to BenGreenfieldLife.com/Micans, M-I-C-A-N-S, BenGreenfieldLife.com/Micans. So, Phil, welcome to the show, man.

Phil:  Well, thank you, Ben. It's a great pleasure. I've been looking forward to chatting with you.

Ben:  Yeah, yeah, me too.

And, I mean, your company had even sent me a big box of all your different bioregulators and these eye drops that my wife were using that apparently can save or improve vision. And, you've got all sorts of interesting things that you're up to, but these peptide bioregulators, I think they're absolutely fascinating. And, there's a lot of regenerative medicine docs in the U.S. who I respect use them extensively in their practice, but I've never really had a good chat about what they are and how they work, so I figured you and me could dive in. So, I'd love to hear a little bit more about your anti-aging protocol yourself too being an expert in this whole realm. And so, we'll get to that also, but let's start with a peptide bioregulator, what exactly is a peptide bioregulator and how do they come to be?

Phil:  Okay. The come to be is quite a long story, although I will shorten it as much as possible. What they are, they are short-chain peptides, specifically, that is made up of two, three, or four amino acids. Peptides are made of amino acids. And, of course, depending on the length of the chain and the placement of where the amino acid is in the chain dictates what kind of pesticide you have. And, of course, the longer they get, they turn into proteins and then they can even turn into some of the hormones. So, for example, human growth hormone is made up of 191 amino acids. But, these peptide bioregulators are very short–

Ben:  And, a quick question, by the way, you said the peptide bioregulators are three to four different amino acids. If we're talking about a peptide, let's say a popular one like BPC-157, a lot of people use that for injuries, how many amino acids approximately would that be?

Phil:  I've forgotten the exact number of BBC-157, but I hesitate a guess at around 15.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  I think that's the kind of number it would be.

Ben:  So, maybe three to five times higher number of amino acid chains than a peptide bioregulator?

Phil:  Yeah.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  Yeah. There is another keyword in that expression though, and that is the word “bioregulator.” And, it would be true to say that even if you have a peptide in front of you that's made up of two, three or four amino acids, take for example carnosine, which is two amino acids, a dipeptide, correct terminology, it's not known to be a bioregulator. That is an additional term that the Russian studies and originally, of course, Soviet Studies have dictated to mean something very specific. 

And, in this case, there are two specific things. One is, they act as gene switches. They are essentially the messages within food. To me, it explains the epigenetics of food in a heartbeat and shows within the food themselves as it were. And secondly, we can get into this, and this is perhaps the most intriguing thing of them, they bioregulate. So, what does that mean? Well, if we take a sample of the thyroid, if one is to take the thyroid peptide bioregulator, one would find that if you were hypothyroid, in other words, you have a weak thyroid, you're not producing enough thyroid hormones, it would activate the genes to actually make your thyroid gland produce more, which is great obviously, very natural. But, on the counter, if you were hyperthyroid, which is more unusual but there's still plenty of people out there who are hyperthyroid, in other words, you're producing too many thyroid hormones, the same peptide through its bioregulation will silence the gene and bring you down within this, shall we call it, optimal band.

Ben:  It seems to me the way that you're describing these, they almost sound a little bit like an adaptogen like a reishi mushroom extract as an adaptogen would sometimes act in an excitatory manner if you were down but then also have a little bit of a calming effect if you're too hyped up.

Phil:  Yeah, absolutely. Good analogy to adaptogens. And, of course, in the same way that many adaptogens are of course natural in nature, let's just point out that these peptide bioregulators are in the foods. So, again, very, very natural.

We've written a book on one of the–if people want to get sort of sciencey deep dive book, then we have a book called “Peptides in the Epigenetic Control of Aging,” which really goes into detail. But, at the same time, we have a light book for the public which was called “The Peptide Bioregulator Revolution.” Slight mouthful to say, but there it is.

Ben:  Yeah, I read that one last week. It's fantastic.

Phil:  That's great. Though, we tried in that book, in that booklet, I should say really, to put very succinctly what is really over 40 years of Russian research. I think that staggers people. Let's be honest, many of the peptides–and, I think peptides is the field to be in right now, it's very exciting, it's obviously got a big future. But, the thing about many of them that are in use, they could be termed experimental. There's still a lot unknown. The amazing thing about the 21, so far discovered, peptide bioregulators is we can look back at over 40 years of Russian research. And, if you want me to, Ben, that might be the moment where I can describe how they came into being.

Ben:  Yeah, I'd love to hear about this Professor Khavinson guy because I even mentioned him in my book “Boundless” in which I talk about peptides even though I don't discuss peptide bioregulators as much. In the anti-aging chapter in that book, I introduced him in his work a little bit, but a lot of people aren't familiar with him or how he's linked to these bioregulators. Yeah, I'd love to hear a little bit more because it's just so odd that it's been over in Russia for decades and it's just now the new thing at least over in the west.

Phil:  Yeah, absolutely right. Well, Professor Khavinson is a very, harsh we say, serious man in Russia. He's the head of the Institute of Gerontology in St. Petersburg, which is a very, very well respected institute as many people working with it in all kinds of medical fields. And, quite frankly, I think his work is deserving of a Nobel Prize. I know the politics at the moment won't dictate that. But, if we go back to the 1980s when, of course, we talk about the Soviet Union, he actually received a call direct from the Kremlin saying that they wanted him and his team to find something that would help protect their troops.

They had a number of concerns. The first concern was that the submariners who were in nuclear submarines were basically aging fast. Perhaps no big surprise if you're sitting on the seabed for six months near a nuclear reactor. And also, they had people in missile silos, et cetera. And also, there were certain battlefield weapons that had been developed by the Americans in one, which was a laser which if shown onto the battlefield would blind anyone that saw it. So, as a count, thankfully it's never been used, but think there's so many of those nasty weapons on all sides, but they try and find a counter to it. So, he was told, “Go away and find something that could help all these people.” And, their research took them down blind valleys. But, eventually, they stumbled on, I suppose, that there are these short-chain peptides found in different foods, [00:16:23] _____.

And so, over time, obviously they did in-vitro studies and then they did animal studies, and eventually, they did human studies. And, it was found to be very effective in all kinds of conditions so much so that eventually it was decided that their elite troops, their cosmonauts, and even their Olympic teams would start to use them. So, it started life as a military secret. That's the bottom line. And, they found all kinds of things were happening. I mean, for example, one of the problems they faced was cosmonauts going into space for long periods of time and coming back and being physically exhausted, taking a long time to re-adapt to the Earth's climate. And, they found that if they put them on the peptides that these recovery periods were greatly shortened because one of the things they do is they induce proteins synthesis. And so, it led. And, of course, today and I think possibly for the last at least 15 years, they are actually sold on the Russian market. And, when I say Russia, it's on the Russian-speaking countries. So, we are talking about places like Kazakhstan and the Ukraine. They're sold as food supplements, at least the capsules are. Are they available as injections? Yes, they're also available as injections.

Ben:  Now, when you say they're sold as food supplements, when you use that term, is that different than the term supplements in terms of their regulatory status or something? I mean, they're considered to be food like you could buy at the grocery store, for example?

Phil:  Well, I suppose in American perspective, we could consider them under the dietary health and supplement acts.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  So, you can go into health food store or whatever and buy them in capsules.

Ben:  Got it.

Phil:  Without prescriptions. Yeah, without prescriptions. So, that's interesting. And then, some of the work they do, which I'll be happy to go down any perspective you want me to go down, it's everything from sort of supporting health because, of course, the ultimate aim in anti-aging medicine is not to get sick, right? It's one thing to have something that's going to treat ill patients, but it's quite another to make sure we never get these problems in the first place. But, they do also treat serious disorders with certain types of them. And, I'll get into that if you want me to. So, that's where we are today. 

But, of course, one of the things that's slowed down the spread of this information is, of course, most of the information was in Russian, which is very different to our Latin baseline. And so, as a result of that, although I would say that possibly the majority of the Russian studies are now in English, not all of them are. And so, in our own way, IAS, the company I work with, we've tried in our own way through our magazine through our books or our website site to get this information out because there are literally dozens and dozens and dozens of human studies including some of the biggest clinical trials you've ever heard of in your life.

Ben:  Really?

Phil:  Really. Would you me to talk about that?

Ben:  Yeah, I'd love to hear a little bit more about these studies because if you look on PubMed at some of Khavinson's work, he talks about these peptide bioregulators. And, if you read the abstract, it says that he's paid some attention to the ability of them to increase lifespan and inhibit carcinogenesis. When a term like increased lifespan is thrown around, I mean, that can mean a lot of things. So, I'm curious about these studies and what was actually found particularly when it comes to peptide bioregulars and longevity or anti-aging like what we're talking about, humans versus rodents, and are we talking weeks, months, years, what do they find?

Phil:  Yeah, sure. Well, let's stick with humans because that's probably the most interesting thing to talk about anyways. Of course, they went through the animal trials to get there, they didn't just throw them at human straight away. But, with the human ones, there are two trials in particular that were conducted in the '80s and one just about crept into the '90s. And, the biggest one was conducted with workers or in Gazprom. And, Gazprom of course is Russia's oil and gas industry. And, they actually wait for it, took 11,000 employees, okay, and they put 3,000 of them on a control, though the 3 000 guys, they got some vitamin capsules. And then, the other 8,000, they received some peptides, which I'll go into. And, what they followed them up, they did a one-year follow-up. And then, in a smaller number, they did a six-year follow-up. And, in a slightly smaller number, again, it was over a thousand people. They did a 12-year follow-up, okay. So, if you know anything about clinical trials, those numbers are pretty incredible and those lengths of time are pretty incredible as well. 

Ben:  Yeah.

Phil:  What they found, bottom line, Ben, what they found is that the guys who took the peptides had 1/3 of the morbidity of the control group and also in the longer trials because, of course, they started with people who were in their 35, 45, 55 years old. And so, some of these guys, when they followed up 12 years later, they were well into their retirement. And, just to point out, these Gazprom people were in Siberia, okay. So, they were in a pretty tough environment that anyone who knows about life expectancy numbers will know that people in those kind of regions of Russia don't live as long as we do. They don't have the average of Western Europe or North America. 

So, with that the fact that the people on the peptides had 1/3 of the morbidity, in other words, they only had 1/3 of the problems like disease disorder problems, and then 1/3 of the death rate is absolutely staggering numbers. That was repeated in a smaller trial of around 400 to 500 people in Central Russia, in a tractor factory, and they got very similar results. So, it has been done twice, it's been done in large numbers of people. And, I'm also can tell you that it's been done by a doctor in America called Bill Lawrence. If you want to get into Bill's studies, I'd be happy to do that.

Ben:  Yeah, I've emailed back and forth a few times with Bill. I never actually got him on the podcast, but he does have some pretty interesting studies. What's he been up to?

Phil:  Well, I'm very pleased to say that we ran a summit here in England on English in September, end of September, which we–

Ben:  Oh, yeah, that's right. Another guest who's been on the podcast, Dr. Matt Cook, he was over there, he said it was fantastic. 

Phil:  Yeah. No, it's very kind. It was great to meet Matt as well. I've been in touch with Matt ever since. And, we hope to do another one next year. So, if people want to have a look into that, the Profound Health Summit, end of September.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  But, Bill came along from Atlanta. And, what Bill had done, he was, of course, intrigued by these Russian studies and he's been over there to St. Petersburg, et cetera, and as indeed I have. And, he found out that, he said, “Well, I want to take some patients in”–he lives in the Atlanta area in Georgia. And, he said, “I want to take a bunch of American patients and kind of repeat this study and see what we do.” But, he kind of modernized it, because there are things obviously possible now that weren't possible in 1990. And, I'll tell you what that is. 

So, he started with 39 patients and he said, “I'm going to monitor these guys over three years.” He now has over 120 patients. And, it might be worth noting that all his patients are doctors. They're all medical doctors, okay? So, all I can tell you and what he, of course, reported at our Summit–and, by the way, those videos are available to watch, so you can watch Bill talking and see his slides, et cetera. He was very, very focused on what are probably the two most prominent anti-aging longevity markers of the moment, and those are telomere length and DNA methylation or the so-called Horvath clock.

I'll start with DNA methylation. Anyone who knows about that and the great work of Steven Horvath will probably appreciate that it's probably the most accurate single bio age clock that we have. It's incredibly accurate. In fact, I've heard a rumor that some police forces are using it when they–let's say a murder's been perpetrated and they've found some blood on the scene. Well, what can you tell from that blood? Well, you can tell the blood group and maybe the gender and what have you. But, if you haven't got the DNA of the perpetrator on file, you don't know who that person is, right?

Ben:  Right.

Phil:  So, what they apparently are doing with the Horvath clock is they're excited because by using the Horvath clock, they can get that person's chronological age to within plus or minus four or five years. So, they know if they're dealing with a 40-year-old, a 50-year-old or whatever.

Ben:  Yeah, it's pretty accurate.

Phil:  It is pretty accurate. Compared to anything else out there, that's really accurate. But, Steven Horvath admitted, certainly a year or two ago, whether he's changed his mind since I'm not sure, that really there was nothing out there that could reverse your DNA methylation age. So, Bill Lawrence was focused very much on that. And, what's absolutely fascinating is that all of his patients in this three-year trial have lengthened their telomeres significantly and also have all improved their DNA methylation clocks. They've all reversed their DNA methylation age as well. And, I think although these different patients have been on a different cocktail of peptides because of their situation, obviously, everything in life, if you're going to fix it whether it's your car or whether it's yourself, you start with your weakest points, kind of makes sense. So, he, of course, adjusted programs to the individual. But, I think, and when I say I think, this is also because of discussions with Bill and other people and, of course, Professor Khavinson himself, pineal peptide could be the singular most important peptide of all.

Ben:  The pineal peptide. They have great names, the Pinealon one?

Phil:  Yeah. Unfortunately, when it comes to the names, that's when it gets like learning a new language because they change the names slightly dependent upon whether the peptide was naturally derived or synthetically produced, whether it's injected or taken orally, and so on. The most well-known name of the pineal peptide is Epitalon. Another name is epithalamin.

Ben:  Yeah, Epitalon, that's the one that they did the primary amount of actual anti-aging research on, right?

Phil:  That's right. That's right. And, when we start to think about what is the pineal, and this is a subject I love mainly because I used to work with a fantastic Italian doctor who's quite well-known who's got Dr. Walter Pierpaoli. And, Walter was responsible for writing all the early books about melatonin like “The Melatonin Miracle.” Well, he's well retired now, but he's not only a doctor who was looking after the patients, he did much of the research on mice as well. 

And, the pineal was a very fascinating and unusual gland. And, we all know, of course, it produces melatonin. That's well-known. And, of course, it's at the center of the brain. It's about pea-sized. But, of course, what does melatonin do? Well, just nutshell and this is Walter's words not mine, he said, “I love stories. I find it's a great way to remember things.” And, he said to me once he said, “The pineal gland is the conductor of the orchestra. And, the orchestra is the endocrine system.” Okay. So, he said, “What do you have if you have an orchestra and you have no conductor? Well, you have noise.” But, if you have an orchestra with a conductor, you have music. And, when you think about it, the purpose, of course, of melatonin is to tell the body when it's day, when it's night because if you know it's only produced in darkness. And so, as a result, the different endocrine glands know when they should be pulsating their different hormones. And, of course, if you're screwed up because you're flying on jets all the time or you're a shift worker, perhaps, you know how bad it can get when your body doesn't know when it's day and when it's night. So, that's a fundamental part.

So, one of the interesting things about taking the pineal peptide bioregulator is one sees improvement in endogenous melatonin production. But, I think there's more to it than that. Because what we're also seeing, I'm not aware of any studies that if you take melatonin as a supplement, that it will extend telomeres. If anyone out there does, I'd love to see them. Please send them in. But, I'm not aware of any. So, the fact that the pineal bioregulator also significantly extend telomeres shows that there are other actions taking place

Ben:  Alright, let's talk ketosis. When your body churns out ketones, it is a state of metabolic efficiency, mental clarity, improved athletic performance, better metabolic health. The reason for that is that ketones are 28% more efficient at generating energy than sugar alone. That means you can do more with less. And, ketones are usually made when your body's pushed to limits, when it's deprived of carbs, when it's fasted, when it's had a whole, whole bunch of fat, coconut oil and butter and all the things. But, you can also, using the magic of science, shift yourself very rapidly into a state of ketosis that you'd normally have to fast for days to get into by supplementing with liquid ketones. You can usually drink ketones to do this. 

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Do you think that would be superior, because I interviewed a guy named Dr. John Lieurance about this, to regular higher dose melatonin consumption or supplementation?

Phil:  Well, don't get me wrong, I love melatonin. I've taken it for many, many years myself. And, I've often said to people that if you were put on a desert island, then you could only take three things with you to do with your health. I would suggest, and I'm not the only one, that melatonin would be one of them.

Okay, you could argue we've got something else now. There is something else. I'm sorry if I'm going down a different rabbit hole here for you and if I am. But, I mean–

Ben:  No, this is all super interesting. Keep going.

Phil:  Oh, thank you. There is the work of Professor Reiter, that's R -E-I-T-E-R, from the states and he and his team discovered that tumors, cancer tumors only grow in the daytime. That's pretty profound [00:36:39] _____ cancer research off. And, of course, one of the things that popped up early is there is, of course, a hormone that is in us during darkness at its peak between 1 o'clock and 3 o'clock in the morning, and that's melatonin but it's not there in the daytime. We do know that melatonin is one of the most powerful, if perhaps not the most powerful, antioxidant that we manufacture ourselves endogenously. 

So, with that in mind, that why it has this effect because what am I going to say, people like Dr. Frank Shallenberger, and you can go and find Frank on YouTube, great guy, he has a clinic in Nevada, he and others, but predominantly, Frank, has perhaps been most vocal, started giving their patients what can only be described as megadoses of melatonin. What Reiter had found in the daytime, which of course is not the time that any of us would normally take melatonin. If you're going to take a melatonin supplement, you take it before you go to bed. They found that cell tumors, saying they're reversed [00:38:00] _____, they stop growing, a number of patients taking somewhere between 180 to 250 milligrams of melatonin in daytime.

And, here's the crazy thing. They do–

Ben:  You broke up there for seconds. You were talking about daytime melatonin supplementation, but I think it's super interesting because I did have a little discussion with Dr. Lieurance about this and I'll link to it in the shownotes, by the way, everybody. The shownotes are at BenGreenfieldLife.com/M-I-C-A-N-S. And, he pointed out the fact that even if you're using daytime melatonin and he actually has both a suppository and an oral version that as long as photons of light are hitting the retina, you don't get the fatigue or the sleepiness that you'd expect from daytime melatonin supplementation.

Phil:  Yeah, yeah, that happens. That could be. In fact, one of the ways I advise patients is if they've overdosed on their melatonin and they're feeling very drowsy in the morning. I said, get out and get sunlight. Just get out and get the sunlight. That drowsiness will soon dissipate.

There are a few other things that Dr. Thierry Hertoghe does a great series on hormones. He's one of the world experts in hormones. No doubt about that. And, he has a whole way of improving–I mean, caffeine, for example, suppresses melatonin production, so don't drink too much caffeine and things like that. But, what I wanted to point out was that Reiter's work and Frank Shallenberger [00:39:36] _____ melatonin could be a very significant [00:39:40] _____. So, that's exciting, obviously. But, it's also showing the power of the pineal essentially. That's really what I wanted to point out. [00:39:52] _____ studies again. 

I seem to spend a lot of my time looking at their stuff. That doesn't affect melatonin production because one of the classic problems is if we go to bed at night and we don't put ourselves in a black room, i.e., we've got two thin curtains and the street light or our partner is reading a book or whatever is, of course, any light entering, it will destroy our own melatonin production. So, that's an issue. But, with the exception of one light according to the Russian studies, and that's lunar light. And, when you think about it, that's not unusual, is it? Because when our forebears were roaming around looking for food, and then night came and they slept under the trees but they've been surrounded by moon and starlight, wouldn't they? So, that kind of light doesn't affect our melatonin production. So, there we are.

Ben:  This is super interesting.

Now, we've got the pinealon that you talked about and the epithalamin, which was the big anti-aging one. It sounds like those two alone would be fantastic. But then, there's all sorts of others, there's Thymulin for the thymus, there's Cortexin for the cerebral cortex, there's Retinalamin. And, correct me if I'm wrong, how many different peptide bioregulators are there that you're aware of?

Phil:  Well, commercially, there are 21 and then there are also now beginning to be combinations of them as well. So, that's beginning to happen. So, rather than just taking one peptide but they might have ones with mixed with two or three. So, they are growing in number almost daily.

Ben:  Okay. So, when you take these bioregulators, it's my understanding that they actually go to and act upon the cells that are related to the different organs that each of the peptide bioregulators is indicated for.

Phil:  Yeah.

Ben:  How is it that the bioregulators know where to go so to speak? Does that make sense?

Phil:  No, it does make sense. And again, if anyone wants to go through your website there, Ben, and come in and get the videos, you can see Professor Khavinson showing some of his remarkable slides. In fact, the audience was wearing 3D glasses at one point, which made it more interesting. But basically, these peptides, they're nano. That's the first thing to know about them. They're small, in other words. And, they interact directly with DNA. They go directly to the DNA. But, they're not changing DNA, let's make sure that's not the case, it's changing DNA methylation. They essentially act as gene switches. And, because of the bioregulation part of it as described earlier, they're either activating OAS genes, okay. And, of course, it's those genes that are specific to the organ in question, okay?

I hope you don't mind, Ben. I've got to tell you one of my favorite stories, okay? I've got to tell you the moment of my awakening, my epiphany if you will.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  So, back in 1980 when I did my first degree in London, I did what was called, Ben, food and vitamin technology, vitamin technology, sorry, British colloquialisms bring in there. They put up on the board a pie chart. And, he said, this is what you typically find in food and then we had certain percentages. So, there was a certain percentage of vitamins and then minerals and then oils, which I prefer to call them oils and fats, and fiber and stuff. And, fiber was the biggest part of the pie chart. It was something like 55%, something like that. And, in 1980, nobody was really strong on fiber. Okay, I know things are different now, but I had a little thought in my mind that day and I said to myself, “Gosh, that's a lot of fiber.” I believe that nature wastes nothing. Why is there so much fiber in food? What's the importance of fiber? That was one thought I had. The second thought I had was, or maybe there's some other stuff in food that they don't know about that does other things.

So, fast forward to about 2008 or so when I first heard Professor Khavinson lecture, and I was in Istanbul, actually, and I heard him lecture and he described these [00:44:28] _____ an epigenetic control that their gene switches found within food. And, for me, it was the light bulb moment because I suddenly took me back to that day in London when I said to myself there are other things in food and [00:44:44] _____ in a heartbeat to me. And, I was so dumbfounded by it that it came up to the coffee break after his lecture. I actually just sat in the auditorium trying to digest what I just heard [00:44:56] ____ to today where I tried to find out as much as I can about these things. So, they're very fundamental, they're very fundamental. They can write down to the core as it were.

Ben:  Now, with each of the different bioregulators targeting specific organs, in the past when I've tried peptide bioregulators, because they're not something that I've used regularly, but at one point, Dr. Cook had me try some at another point that you had sent me a few. But, the instructions that I received when I got peptide bioregulators was take them all. And so, you're swallowing 30 different capsules that target each of these specific organs and it seems a lot of stuff to take. Is that considered to be a gold standard anti-aging or longevity or full-body support program is to just get all the bioregulators and take all 21 of them? Because it's four to six capsules, 21 different bioregulars, it seems like a lot of stuff to take.

Phil:  No. I don't think the average person needs to go to that extreme. I think life is the same whatever we look at, it comes down to cost and convenience. Whatever it is in life, we're challenged by cost and convenience. And, one of the challenges with anti-aging, and maybe it will always be the case, who knows, is where do you start and where do you stop? Because how far do you want to go? 

Now, I'm aware that in Dr. Lawrence's trials that some of his patients are consuming somewhere in a region of 120 boxes of different peptide bioregulators every year. Now, each box has 20 capsules. They'll come into the dosing when you want. But, either the people who don't mind the cost and inconvenience of that or they've got systemic problems. However, I would suggest–and, of course, it does somewhat depend on how ill you are. If you have a patient that's truly ill, obviously that is going to be a much more extreme program. If you have someone who's generally fit and healthy but wants to put an edge on it or keep it that way, then the numbers go down dramatically. And, one of the really good bits of news about these peptide bioregulators is because they act essentially as gene switches, you do not need to take them every day, okay?

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  So, my particular program, and I would suggest that a lot–it depends how old you are as well. I mean, I'm in my 60s, so I'm going to be taking more than some guys in their 30s, right? But, essentially, what you've got to think about as a typical program would be two capsules a day, okay, 10 days a month. So, you're not taking them every single day, alright? Now, if you are generally in decent shape and you just keep an edge on it, that same regimen, that's two capsules a day for 10 days can be done every three months. So now, we're getting really into quite small numbers, okay? And, I have heard of people going down to six months, alright? 

So, you don't need to take these. I think the only people who would take them every day is when they've got some relatively serious condition that they want to address. And, we can get into some of the deep clinicals if you want. So then, the challenge becomes, okay, understood, we only need 20 capsules a month or every two months or even every three months, which ones do I take? Well, like everything in life, if we think a human being is a machine, a very complicated machine but nonetheless a machine, like all machines, we are as strong as our weakest part. So, if one can know where your weak points are, okay–and, obviously I'm sure you've done many podcasts on understanding one's health, so I won't go there. But, if what your weak points are or if you don't know what your own weak points are, do what your family's weak points are? Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, whatever it is, you can kind of focus on that. And so, you can guide yourself on the necessary peptide. So, in other words, you don't need all 21 of them, okay? 

But, I would suggest these are the three I take regularly because of the original Soviet studies, very large studies that showed one reducing morbidity and mortality to 1/3. Principally, there were three peptides. And, those three peptides were the pineal which we've discussed, the blood vessel which kind of makes sense because if you're improving blood flow in the body, what doesn't it help, and the thymus. And, of course, the thymus–

Ben:  And, what's the blood vessel one called?

Phil:  You're going to catch me out there. Ventfort, got it.

Ben:  Okay, okay, got it.

Phil:  And, you've also got the thymus as well. And, of course, I'm sure you're probably aware of the work of Dr. Greg Fahy in rejuvenating the thymus, which was with growth hormone in that case, but of course, the thymus holds a kind of special place because it is the first gland to atrophy in age and it typically happens as we reach puberty. So, some people say that is the signal, the theory, why do we age? Why do things deteriorate? Well, if you reach puberty, you've become of reproductive age. Nature doesn't want you anymore. That's the theory. And, the first gland to start drinking is the thymus. And, of course, if you have a healthy thymus, you've got good immunity. And, by the way, the thymus produces 13 thymic hormones, all of which are peptides.

Ben:  Wow, interesting. Okay. So, those three, the one for the blood vessels, the one for the pineal gland, and the one for the thymus would be if you were going to do 10 days out of the month, the ones that you think would be the best to take.

Phil:  Yeah, that's what I do.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  And, I find it easy because what I do, because we've all got our regimens in the morning and I get up and I've got my peptide bioregulator and I know I'm taking one that day, so I've got two capsules. And then, once I've got rid of that box, that 20 capsules, I'm on to the next one. So, I know some months have got more than 30 days in them, but I can almost wake up every month and say, “What's my peptide bioregulator today?”

Ben:  Okay. Yeah. And, you aren't taking all three at the same time then, you're taking one on one day, and after 10 days, you switch to the next one.

Phil:  You got it.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  The only other thing I do on top of that, Ben, and I say this can change from person to person. I'm not saying to everybody out there this is absolutely the thing for you. And, every three months, I try and do a bit of a detox, okay? We'll go into that if you want me to do other things. But, as part of that detox on that third month, I will add three more peptide bioregulators. And, I add the liver, the kidney, and because of my own personal weakness, I add the pancreas.

Ben:  Okay. Okay, got it. And, by the way, for you listening and I am taking notes and I'll put all this in the shownotes so you guys can kind of see what Phil's protocol looks like.

Now, a lot of people who have taken peptides before, they have to inject them draw them into an insulin syringe and sometimes reconstitute, why is it that you don't need to inject these bioregulators? Is it the size is so small, they're just very well orally absorbed?

Phil:  Yes, they are. And, the studies have been done because, of course, that's the classic problem is it will have, again, a little story here for you, say a bodybuilder, for example, they're going to consume a lot of protein. Now, if they want to do that through food, then they're going to eat a lot of steak, a lot of salmon or whatever. But, the question is, how does the bodybuilder put on that muscle mass when in theory all that protein is destroyed in the stomach, right? Because the chain is too long. And, I think the answer is that protein gets broken down into peptide bioregulators because we know that some of these peptide bioregulators induce protein synthesis. That's what they do. 

So, it is fundamentally because they are very small, they're very small in terms of the chain, two, three or four amino acids, and they're actually, the molecules are very small because they're nano-sized. And, the Russians have all the studies that show that they are absorbed. So, the reason that the peptide bioregulators are most fascinating is, can they be injected? Yes, they can be injected. Are they more potent if they're injected? Yes, they're more potent if they're injected. However, they are bioactive orally. So, that's the good news of them.

Ben:  Okay, interesting.

Now, there's also this whole field of organ extracts. There's companies, probably one of the most popular is Ancestral Supplements, there's other companies like Heart and Soil, or Paleovalley, and they sell spleen and pancreas and thyroid and heart and brain and then bone marrow, and you're supposed to take these supplements based on the hypothesis of like supports like that each of these different organs. And, the peptides contained within those organ supplements are going to travel to the desired area, very similar to we were just talking about with bioregulators and support that area. Now, why would someone not just use an organ extract supplement instead of a peptide bioregulator?

Phil:  Okay. Well, it takes us back to the question–I view health as a pyramid. And, you've got a base of that pyramid, and that base is big, obviously because base of pyramid, and that's where we should be doing all the things we all know; eat good food, exercise regularly, and lead a good lifestyle, et cetera, et cetera. And then, as you go up the pyramid, you can start to add in until you get to the tip of the pyramid where you might be talking about stem cells and goodness knows what. I mean, we could take that one step back, Ben, and say, well, why don't you just eat good food? And, of course, that's fundamental and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Just very briefly, there was a guy called Weston Price who back in the '20s, '30s and '40s went around the world looking for native tribes, tribes that have long since disappeared now, and studied their lifestyles. And, he found, for example, that tribes that ate the necks of animals had very, very little thyroid issues. So, that leads us to presume that by consuming the thyroid itself that they were helping themselves to improve their own thyroid conditions. And, that leads us back to organ extracts because that's what they are. 

And, of course, in the '20s and '30s, organ extracts were the rigor, they were the thing that the innovative physician then would have been giving you. And, they'd make improvements, there's no doubt about that. And, I would hazard a guess that when you take the food or when you take the extract, you are getting some of these peptide bioregulators. But, of course, if you take the concentrated peptide bioregulator, you're getting a very concentrated form and a very pure form. So, it's a bit like saying, oh let me try and put it in–I always use car analogies. There's nothing wrong with a Ford, right? It's going to get you around town, it's going to do the job. But, the Ferrari is going to be that bit better, isn't it?

Ben:  Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. You're getting a little bit more efficiency and probably more bioavailability with a smaller bioregulators.

Now, you implied that, of course, these are big and Russian have been for some time, and when you go over to the U.S. and you order peptides. Let's say online, there is a lot of fear that they might be tainted, that they might not have in them what they say they have in them, and I think that just almost like the underground steroid industry or something like that, their rife with corruption. And so, in many cases, people will go to a physician and the physician will prescribe in the peptide and there are some websites that reportedly sell decent peptides like CanLabs or Peptide Sciences, for example. When it comes to bioregulators, is it kind of the same thing? Do you have to be careful where you actually purchase these things? Because if I were to do a Google search for peptide bioregulators, I could find probably a dozen different sites that sell these things.

Phil:  Well, I can't argue with that and actually, you're right, I'm not going to speak for bioregulators, but the peptide field is a bit wild west at the moment. And, when you see a site that is selling vials of powder and clearly states that they're not for human use and for research and development only, what backups have you got? What security have you got? Because I can assure you there'll be no liability insurance on that site. Yeah, because no insurer will give you that when you make such statements. 

So, obviously, you're going to have links on your site, Ben, where people can get the real thing. So, I'll leave that to that. But, yes, there are different outlets selling it. I mean, there's specific packaging. Here in England, we have a brand that's called Nature's Marbles, and it's all produced ISO, CGMP standards. And, of course, they are made in Russia to those standards. And, I've been over there and seen it for myself. So, because you can argue that the peptide bioregulators at least in Eastern Europe are already in a mass market situation. I can't speak for every single company because we'd have to take each one as it comes along, but what I think is exciting is it looks likely in the coming year or two that more countries, and including the states where these correct products will be actually on the market officially. So, that's about the nearest we can get to knowing that the companies that are producing them are doing it to all the correct standards.

One thing I should point out that I think is very exciting is with only very, very few exceptions, the Russians estimate that they have treated over a million if that's the right word, over a million people with these peptide bioregulators, okay. So, it has enormous use. In fact, Professor Khavinson told me that something like a 100 million capsules of peptide bioregulators have been consumed in humans.

Ben:  Wow. 

Phil:  So, with that in mind, they've seen no side effects. Isn't that fascinating? No side effects.

Ben:   It's amazing. Well, they're so small and, of course, they're so precise. We're talking about something almost like a robotic minimally invasive surgery versus a bloody butcher fest. So, yeah, that does surprise me that they're not associated with those type of side effects.

So now, when it comes to your protocol, you talked about how you're doing these bioregulators and then occasionally throwing in a detoxification bioregulator support for the liver and the kidney, you have this whole magazine the AgingMatters magazine, you obviously did that conference, you talked to a lot of people in the industry. I'm just kind of curious, are there other things besides bioregulators that are big wins for you in the anti-aging department that you've come across and all the discussions that I'm sure you've had the opportunity to have?

Phil:  Well, you can imagine, Ben. I get sucked in to all kinds of rabbit holes. And, sometimes they're fads and sometimes they get traction. I mean, there are a lot of biochemical pathways. I mean, hottie at the moment, of course, is to improve NAD levels since the work of David Sinclair. I love what Bill Falloon does at life extension. He's always on the ball showing people the way forward. And, he has what he describes as the stair-step approach to biological age control. And, there are a number of steps on that. 

So, for example, I think step one, actually, is to activate AMPK. And, the number one drug to do that is metformin, which is in two clinical trials at the moment as I'm sure you know. So, I mean, there are other things that will activate AMPK, it doesn't have to be metformin.

Ben:  Yeah, dihydroberberine is another good one. Gynostemma also. Gynostemma, that one kind of flies on the radar, is also a really, really good AMPK precursor. So, yeah, there are alternatives to metformin, of course, which is good for people who don't want to get that slight decrease in VO2 max or mitochondrial production or for people who get a stomach upset on it. But, yeah, anything that increases AMPK, I agree that's got a really potent anti-aging effect.

Phil:  Yes. And then, you've got NAD as another plan. I'm sure you know the supplements like NMN and NR. It's quite controversial at the moment because of what's going on in the states. I'm sure you know about that.

Ben:  Yeah. You mean the breast cancer scare about the association with breast cancer?

Phil:  Well, there's also pressure by the FDA to remove NMN from the marketplace as a supplement because a company has put in an IND for it. So, they say, well, somebody wants to make it a drug, it can't be a supplement. So, that's going on as well.

Another step would be senescence, how to remove senescent cells from the body. And, again, you've got different substances here. You've got your quercetin or your fisetin or you've got drugs dasatinib, of course. Another step, which is gaining a lot of interest, especially from the sort of research community is mTOR. And, the big drug there, of course, everyone's kind of hot trot on is rapamycin. And, there's a whole bunch of other stuff in the middle, whether it's resveratrol or other things.

Ben:  Yeah. But, what about practices? I mean, obviously NAD, AMPK, peptide bioregulators, and some of the anti-senescence compounds, these I think are all pretty well-proven and in many cases well-known for their longevity-enhancing properties. But, what about any lifestyle practices whether it's hyperbaric or infrared light or specific forms of exercise, do you dabble around with any of those type of things for the people who are going to say, what can I do besides popping pills?

Phil:  Absolutely. No, no, don't get me wrong, I'm not here as a pill pusher, we just happen to be talking about this specific subject.

Ben:  Yeah.

Phil:  You're absolutely right, there are always natural ways. I mean, if we look at telomeres as one example, although it seems to be very hard to extend telomeres, there are plenty of processes that will not make them shorten as quickly. And, that can be from good exercise, good food, and various vitamins as well have been shown in that department. 

There's one story I'd like to tell you, Ben, which normally staggers people when they hear it. And, it's very simple and is something that nearly everyone can do for a very, very little cost or no cost at all. And, although it mainly affects men more than women, but men up to the age of about 50 have twice the risk of a heart attack or a stroke as opposed to women of the same age, okay. But, past the age of about 50, women catch us up and even overtake us. So, what's going on? Well, what's going on is, of course, up to about the age of 50, women eventually go through menopause and, of course, their menstrual cycle stops. So, okay, I know we can argue that their change in estrogen, they lose some of the protection that estrogen offers them in that regard. But, by stopping their menstruation, two other things are going on the menstrual cycle. Two other things are going on. One, they are not releasing some toxins every month. Okay, can argue that. And, they're not thinning their blood because by the release of the blood, we're forcing our bone marrow to produce more blood.

Okay, let's take that for a moment. Alright, fair enough. Well, what about men? Well, here are the figures. If you go to the blood bank and you donate a pint of blood every six months, the statistics show that a man halves his risk of a heart attack or stroke just by donating a pint of blood every six months.

Ben:  Yeah.

Phil:  And, that follows in line with what the ladies are doing, the ladies are giving a little bit every month. We have to give a little bit more every six months and it's blood thinning. So, that's quite high on my list, okay.

Ben:  Yeah. And, by the way, I think that you can get some of those effects through both endurance exercise and regular use of a sauna just because you also see some red blood cell turnover and kind of a staving off of some of the accumulation of iron from both of those practices as well. I don't give blood much, but I have a pretty robust sauna practice, infrared sauna, four to five times a week, and also engage in freaking aerobic exercise. And, I think that helps out quite a bit as well.

Phil:  Totally, agree, Ben. I'm a sauna addict, but I don't go quite as often as you but I try and go once a week. And so, absolutely. And, of course, the sauna, the sweat is taking out a lot of things as, I think, you mentioned lead and iron and things like that as well. So, that's all good stuff to do, and infrared, it's also very effective. So, yeah, absolutely. And, sweating, in general, if you go and do aerobic exercise, you're going to sweat, so that's going on as well. So, no, that's a very simple thing.

There are other things, of course, anyone interested in this subject, I would say go and look at the book of the–unfortunately, it's the late cardiologist, Kenneth Kensey, American cardiologist, and he wrote a book some years old now called “The Blood Thinner Cure.” And, he evaluated all the kind of markers in blood that the doctors look for; cholesterol, homocysteine, triglycerides, c-reactive protein, and so on and so on and so on. And, at the end of the book, he basically came out and he said biggest risk factors for having a heart attack or stroke bar none where your blood viscosity and your arterial stiffness. So, in other words, if you have relatively thin blood and you have relatively soft arteries, your risk of heart attack or stroke is minimal despite any other marker. And, as we've already talked about, giving blood or saunas or using enzymes–I'm a big fan of enzymes. I personally use lumbrokinase, which I'm sure is the earthworm enzyme, seems to be very effective.

Ben:  Yeah.

Phil:  So, that's one of my favorites. And, I do chelation.

Ben:  And, I do quite a bit of that as well. One of my supplement companies, Kion, we have a product with proteolytic enzymes and serrapeptase and silkworm extract in it. And, that's a very similar effect. I like that at higher doses for breaking down biofilm, but then at lower doses. Yeah, for some of the fibrin and clot reduction effects. It's a pretty powerful supplement.

Phil:  Yeah. Alright, that's a nice one. We can't get that in Europe because it's a novel food, but that's another source.

Ben:  Yeah.

Phil:  But, no, that's all good stuff. So, there are simple things that folks can do with too little to no cost. I think you even get paid in the states to donate blood, don't you? We only get tea and biscuits.

Ben:  Yup. Donate all sorts of fluid for some extra cash.

Well, you have quite the protocol. Now, there's AgingMatters magazine, I would imagine you report a lot of this stuff in that. Is that a print magazine or is that online only?

Phil:  No, it's both, Ben. It is online and online, it's free. You can download it for nothing.

Ben:  Oh, really?

Phil:  We recently have started selling them on as print, so they're $10 a copy if anyone wants them. And so, you could actually use the website and go through to a store where you can get those. And, we don't charge for mailing, so it's $10 wherever you live in the world.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  Yeah, we've done about 40 or maybe more than that, 45, and I tried to do them every quarter. Of course, in the last couple of years, that didn't quite go to plan. But then, we all know what happened in the last couple of years.

Ben:  Yeah.

Phil:  We did have a very recent copy, which on the front cover is called “Hacking Aging with Peptides.” It was a deep delve. And, that's really reporting on what Bill Lawrence, his study has been showing with these peptides.

Ben:  Yeah. I'm looking at the cover now. It looks like you got Jonathan Wright discussing niacinamide, and Ward Dean, Bill Lawrence of a biological age, and your hacking age peptides. Very cool. So, that would be a good one for people to download for even more on the peptides. 

And then, I'm also going to link to your website and some of these fantastic books you've written, “The Peptide Bioregulator Revolution” would be a really good one for people to wrap their heads around this as well. I'm still working on putting together the sourcing for the peptide bioregulators, and I'll put that in the shownotes as well. And so, I'll put all this over at BenGreenfieldLife.com/M-I-C-A-N-S for any of you who want to take a deeper dive. Or, if you want to ask your questions or your comments, you have more feedback for filler eye. You can pop in over there and ask away. 

But, I personally plan on getting back onto some kind of a well-structured bioregulator protocol. So, I may go through my notes especially after you laid out your protocol, Phil, and probably start back into something just because the couple of times I have done, I actually felt really fantastic as far as energy and sleep and recovery. And so, then honestly for a little bit of time, I started getting into organ extract supplements as well. But, you've reinitiated my interest in these bioregulators. So, I'm going to have to jump back on the bandwagon because they're just absolutely fascinating. And, I think that the research, especially all this Russian research that Khavinson does, it doesn't lie. So, I appreciate you coming on the show and sharing all this stuff with us.

Phil:  No, Ben, it's been fantastic. Really enjoyable. And, I don't know how much time we have left because I didn't tell you about the eyesight side of the equation. But–

Ben:  Oh, yeah. Actually, just real quick, we got a few minutes because you did send me over some of those eye drops and my eyesight's great, knock on wood. But, my wife started using them and I told her that they had some good research on them for saving or improving vision. But, what exactly are the eye drops?

Phil:  Yeah. Well, what you're talking about is Can-C, which is an eye drop containing n-acetyl-carnosine, which is a peptide, a dipeptide. And, believe it or not, this is also Russian research, although a different institute. And, what they've been doing in Russia is basically reversing cataract with them. So, the clinical trials have shown that people who put two drops twice a day in their eyes for sort of five to six months at least about 80 to 89% of the people, because most things in life it doesn't necessarily work for everybody, will actually either reduce or even remove their cataracts.

Ben:  Wow.

Phil:  And, the Russians designed it specifically as a non-surgical approach because one of the problems with cataract as the world is aging, we all know there's more older people on the planet, they woke up and said, “Hang on, we may not even have”–it's so prevalent, one in five people over 50 get cataracts. They were worried they wouldn't even have enough surgeons to do the operations every day. So, this is where that research came from. All this is described in another little book. Look, I hope you've got a copy of it called “Eyesight Saviors.”

Ben:  Yeah, I got that one. I didn't read it yet but it's over here on my shelf.

Phil:  Great. And, in there also the peptides for the eyesight. And, you're going to be flabbergasted at that, which is including reversal of age-related macular degeneration. And also, a rather rare but almost untreatable eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, and all being reversed in Russian clinics with these peptides.

Ben:  Wow, wow. And, for those eye drops, you just apply them daily?

Phil:  Yeah, just apply daily. They do have other benefits. It's not just senile cataract as it's called, it also can reduce glaucoma. And, I don't know if we've got time to explain why, but some effects on there, and also quite effective for people suffering with diabetic retinopathy as well.

Ben:  Interesting. Okay. And, those aren't bioregulators, that's a mix of different vitamins and nutrients for the eyes, right?

Phil:  Well, it is a peptide but it's not being classified as a bioregulator. It's basically getting back to one of my favorite peptides actually is carnosine, not to be confused with carnitine but carnosine. But, you can't make carnosine up into an eye drop and put it in your eye, it won't get into the eye. So, you have to use a very specific form so it gets it, because of course the lens is sitting within a capsule surrounded by a fluid called the aqueous humor. So, you have to get the carnosine into that place.

Ben:  Yeah, yeah. Okay, got it. Well, I'll link to those eye drops as well for people. And, they're called Can-C, right?

Phil:  That's right.

Ben:  Yeah. Okay, cool. So, if you go to BenGreenfieldLife.com/Micans, it'll take me a while to say. I always write down all these notes while I'm chatting, but I'll pull them all together and they'll all be over there for you guys. And, you can also, of course, ask any of your follow-ups over there.

Phil, thanks so much for coming on the show and sharing all this stuff with us. You're a wealth of knowledge and I can't wait to take a deeper dive into your magazine and some of these other resources you talked about.

Phil:  Ben, it's been an absolute pleasure. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope to get to meet you in person one of these days.

Ben:  I hope so too. That'll be fun. Maybe I'll make it over there to Russia. It's a place I've wanted to visit for some time anyways. So, is that where you guys are doing the conference, in Russia or is it just over in Europe?

Phil:  No, no, we're doing well at the moment, of course. It's difficult to do anything over there. No, we're doing the conferences our own personal conferences in England.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  So, that makes life a little bit easier.

Ben:  Okay.

Phil:  I do travel a bit. When you and I chat privately, I can tell you my private schedule if you want to meet me up. I'll probably be in Bahamas in April and other places all around the states.

Ben:  Okay. Well, I'm sure our paths are going to cross soon, we have a lot of mutual interests and friends. So, in the meantime though, for those of you listening, BenGreenfieldLife.com/M-I-C-A-N-S. Until next time. I'm Ben Greenfield along with Phil Micans signing out from BenGreenfieldLife.com. Have an amazing week.

One thing you should know that's super cool is that on the evening of March 11th in Sedona, I'm hosting a VIP dinner that's catered by me and my family using a bunch of biohacked recipes from my “Boundless Cookbook,” live music and intimate Q&A, and an absolutely unforgettable once in a lifetime taste bud entertaining experience where you just come and hang out with me.

Regardless of whether or not you go to the event that I'll be teaching at there at Shine in Sedona from March 10th through 12th, you're in for the VIP dinner with only 25 seats available, so things are going to fill up fast, it's a VIP dinner, only a select few. We want to keep this small, intimate, but super fun with amazing food. So, if you want to get on the VIP dinner as a part of this event that I'm doing down in Sedona, go to BenGreenfieldSpeaking.com/Sedona-dinner, BenGreenfieldSpeaking.com/Sedona-dinner. 

More than ever these days, people like you and me need a fresh entertaining, well-informed, and often outside-the-box approach to discovering the health, and happiness, and hope that we all crave. So, I hope I've been able to do that for you on this episode today. And, if you liked it or if you love what I'm up to, then please leave me a review on your preferred podcast listening channel wherever that might be, and just find the Ben Greenfield Life episode. Say something nice. Thanks so much. It means a lot.

 

You may have heard of peptides before, but probably not peptide bioregulators.
Peptide bioregulators – which can be taken orally as a supplement – have been a secret of the anti-aging and longevity world for years, but are just now beginning to hit the mainstream.
These things communicate with specific sections of your DNA, activating genes for cellular regeneration. Peptide bioregulators can function as cellular mediators to regulate gene expression and protein synthesis and were first discovered decades ago during the Cold War. At that time, the Russian military seemed to display evidence of premature aging. In response to the situation, the Russian government went on a quest to find a solution to maintain the troops’ health and prevent premature aging.

Professor Vladimir Khavinson, who was commissioned to tackle this aging problem, started his research by looking at regulatory peptides  involved in the genetic transmission leading to protein production. Realizing the potential of the previous research, Professor Khavinson began to utilize regulatory peptides to regenerate tissue and restore the functions of organs impaired by aging. He then found a biological reserve of peptides in each human body organ, and developed a host of compounds to target each specific organ.

My guest on today's podcast, Phil Micans, has extensively studied Khavinson's work and is one of the world's leading experts on anti-aging, peptide bioregulators and much more.

BIO

Phil Micans, MS, PharmB

Phil Micans has qualifications (including a Masters degree and Bachelors degree) from the UK and the USA in Food & Vitamin Technology, Pharmacy and Biochemistry.

He has been actively involved in antiaging medicine since the late 1980’s and has contributed to numerous books, magazines, radio, and TV shows on various subjects connected to healthy aging.

Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the Aging Matters™ Magazine, the Assistant Editor to the Lifespan Medicine Journal (founded by Thierry Hertoghe, M.D.) and Director to the British Longevity Society (founded by Marios Kyriazis, M.D.). He also advises the Stromboli Conference on cancer and aging (founded by Walter Pierpaoli, M.D.) and the London Antiageing Conference.

In 1991 he was a cofounder of the IAS Group (International Antiaging Systems), an organisation dedicated to the dissemination of preventative and regenerative medicine information and the supply of hard-to-obtain health products.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Phil Micans and his work in the anti-aging industry…5:30

  • Extensively studied Vladimir Khavinson's work on peptides
  • Considered a leading expert in anti-aging
  • Education in Food & Vitamin Technology, Pharmacy and Biochemistry
  • Editor in Chief of Aging Matters Magazine

-What are peptide bioregulators and how were they discovered?…8:45

  • Peptide bioregulators are short-chain peptides
    • Placement of amino acids in this chain determines the type of peptide
    • If the chain is made long enough, it can turn into a protein or hormone
  • Made up of 2-4 amino acids
  • Can be taken as a supplement
  • Activate genes for cellular regeneration
  • Acts as “gene switches”
    • Peptides work in a similar way as adaptogens
  • Peptide bioregulators occur naturally in food
  • Peptides in the Epigenetic Control of Ageing by Vladimir Khavinson and Phil Micans
  • The Peptide Bioregulator Revolution by Marios Kyriazis
    • Contains over 40 years of Russian research
  • So far, 21 peptide bioregulators have been discovered

-Who is Professor Vladimir Khavinson and how did he discover Peptide bioregulators?…14:08

  • Head of the Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in Saint Petersburg
  • In the 1980's, he received a call direct from the Kremlin asking him to find something to protect their troops
    • Discovered peptides in response to this call
      • A military secret, used to keep soldiers from aging prematurely
      • Used by Russia's Olympic athletes to enhance performance
      • Helped shorten the recovery time of cosmonauts returning from long missions
  • Peptide bioregulators are sold in the Russian market as food supplements; also available as injections
  • Can be bought without prescription
  • Not all studies are available in English

-What was found in the studies on Peptide bioregulators and anti-aging?…19:45

-Is taking a Pineal peptide bioregulator superior to supplementing with melatonin?…35:40

-How many different peptide bioregulators are there, and how do they know what area of the body to go to?…41:05

  • There are 21 commercial bioregulators available and there are also combinations and more are being produced
  • These peptides are nano particles and they interact directly with DNA but they're not changing DNA, it's changing DNA methylation; essentially act as gene switches
  • Phil's awakening in 2008 while attending Dr. Khavinson's lecture
  • Ben was told to take every kind of peptide bioregulator. Is that necessary?
    • Generally fit people don't need to take every kind
    • They act as gene switches and don't need to be taken everyday
    • Recommended to take two capsules a day for 10 days every three months
    • The human body is a machine; know your weak points and focus on those areas

-The three main areas of the body that Phil recommends everyone to optimize with peptide bioregulators…49:40

  • Three peptides in the original Russian studies that reduced morbidity and mortality to 1/3
  • The thymus is the first gland to atrophy with age and it typically happens as we reach puberty
    • Produces thirteen thymic hormones, all of which are peptides
  • Recommends taking these 10 days out of the month
  • Phil's protocol:
    • Alternates taking one peptide per day for 10 days (30 day protocol)
    • Detoxes every three months
    • As part of the detox, add

-Why is it that you don't need to inject these peptide bioregulators?…52:57

  • Can be injected and are more potent when injected
  • Bioactive when taken orally
  • Short chain amino acids
  • Molecules are nano-sized

-What is the difference between organ extracts and peptide bioregulators?…54:25

  • Ancestral Supplements (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
  • Heart and Soil (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
  • Paleovalley
  • Phil views health as a pyramid
    • The base is eating good food, exercising regularly and leading a good lifestyle
    • Add as you go up until you get to the tip of the pyramid where you might be talking about stem cells
  • Weston Price study of tribes
    • Tribes that ate the necks of animals had optimal thyroid function
    • Organ extracts are proven to improve organ health
  • Peptide bioregulators provide and deliver a more concentrated form of peptides
    • Compares organ extracts to a Ford and peptide bioregulators to a Ferrari

-There seems to be a fear in the US that they may be tainted or rife with corruption. Do you have to be careful where you purchase them?…58:15

  • The peptide industry is a bit “Wild West” right now
  • Recommends Nature's Marvels, produced using ISO and CGMP standards (use code BGF15 to save 15%)
    • UK brand, made in Russia to those standards
    • Phil has visited the manufacturer
  • The Russians estimate to have treated over a million people and there have been no known side effects

-What does Phil's personal anti-aging protocol consist of?…61:20

-What exactly are the Peptide Eyedrops…73:03

  • Can-C (use code BGF15 to save 15%)
  • Contains n-acetylcarnosine, a dipeptide, which promotes anti-aging of vision
  • 2 drops twice a day for 5 to 6 months – about 80 to 89% of the people have reduced or even removed cataracts
  • Russian researched
    • Clinical trials show a reversal in cataracts disease
    • Non-surgical approach
  • The Eyesight Saviors by Dr. Marios Kyriazis (use code BGF15 to save 15%)

-And much more…

Upcoming Events:

  • Shine Event / VIP Dinner: March 10th – March 12th

I want to personally invite you to an intimate VIP dinner experience with my family and I in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. I'll be in AZ during that time presenting as a keynote speaker at the Breath, Body & Beyond ‘Shine' event from March 10th to the 12th, and I'd love to see you there for my formal dinner on the 11th. At this dinner, you'll be presented with an exquisite home-style dinner personally prepared by the entire Greenfield family, a free signed copy of Boundless Cookbook, a personalized Q&A with me, and entertainment by local vocal artist and my younger sister, Aengel Greenfield. Learn more here.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

– Phil Micans:

– Podcasts:

– Books:

– Other Resources:

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Shine Sedona: Join my family and me in Sedona Arizona from March 10-12, 2023 at an amazing event hosted by SHINE. I'll be giving a keynote talk on breathwork and biohacking, and hosting a VIP Greenfield-style home-cooked dinner prepared by my family. For tickets to the Shine Event where I'll be a keynote speaker visit bengreenfieldlife.com/shinesedona.  To book your spot for our VIP dinner visit bengreenfieldspeaking.com/sedona-dinner.

 

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