What Are Sirtuins And How Do They Relate To Aging And Disease?

Sirtuins regulate aging and help protect the body from disease. This family of seven proteins supports cellular health and longevity by influencing metabolism, stress resistance, and gene expression (Wan et al., 2022). Notably, you can activate sirtuins through specific nutrients and exercise — both of which have been linked to benefits in conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

What Are Sirtuins?

Over the past decade, researchers have studied the sirtuin family extensively due to its role in cellular metabolism (Nogueiras et al., 2012), stress responses (Dai et al., 2018), and longevity (Korotkov et al., 2021; Mouchiroud et al., 2013).

Indeed, numerous studies have found that sirtuins can protect against age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders (Leite et al., 2022), cancer (Aventaggiato et al., 2021), and metabolic diseases (Kane & Sinclair, 2018).

How Sirtuins Influence Aging

Sirtuins are involved in regulating the aging process by modulating gene expression, metabolic pathways, and gene silencing (Mouchiroud et al., 2013; Zhao & Rusche, 2022). Additionally, sirtuins play a role in DNA repair, inflammation, and cell death (Choi & Mostoslavsky, 2014).

Furthermore, sirtuins can regulate gene expression by modulating the activity of certain transcription factors. These include FOXO3 and NF-κB, which are important for maintaining health and longevity (Fujita & Yamashita 2018).

Activating Sirtuins

Both lifestyle and nutritional factors can influence sirtuin activity. Several dietary components (Malaguarnera, 2019) have been shown to activate sirtuins:

• Resveratrol and its more powerful cousin pterostilbene, which is included in NOVOS Core
• Fisetin, also in NOVOS Core
• Curcumin
• NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), included in NOVOS Boost and popularized by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. David Sinclair; well-studied for its impact on NAD+ and by extension, sirtuins (Sinclair et al., 2018)

Once activated, sirtuins may help protect against stressors, aging, and the consequences thereof.

Additionally, exercise has been shown to increase sirtuin activity (Vargas-Ortiz et al., 2019), which can help protect against aging and disease.

Sirtuins & Age-Related Diseases

In terms of disease, sirtuins have been linked to numerous conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have found that sirtuins can protect against these diseases by modulating gene expression, controlling oxidative stress, and inducing cell death (Zhang et al., 2020; Zhao & Rusche, 2022).

Additionally, sirtuins have been found to be involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses, suggesting that they may play a role in treating various inflammatory conditions (Mendes et al., 2017).

Why Sirtuins Matter for Healthy Aging

Overall, sirtuins have been found to be a critical factor in the regulation of aging and disease. By modulating gene expression, metabolic pathways, and gene silencing, sirtuins can help to protect against age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, sirtuins can be activated through dietary components and exercise, providing additional strategies for protecting against aging and disease.

Click here to learn more about aging and aging-related diseases.

Learn more about sirtuin activators, NOVOS Core and NOVOS Boost, or discounted packages of both Core & Boost.

FAQ on Sirtuins and Aging

What are sirtuins?

Sirtuins are a family of seven proteins that regulate aging and cellular health. They influence metabolism, DNA repair, inflammation, and gene expression.

How do sirtuins affect aging?

By regulating key processes like gene activity, oxidative stress, and cellular repair, sirtuins help slow age-related decline and may protect against diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cardiovascular disease.

Can I naturally activate sirtuins?

Yes. Sirtuins can be activated by certain nutrients and regular exercise. Compounds like resveratrol, pterostilbene, fisetin, curcumin, and NMN (found in NOVOS Core and NOVOS Boost) have all been shown to support sirtuin activity.

How does exercise influence sirtuins?

Exercise increases sirtuin activity, which may contribute to its protective effects against aging and disease.

What NOVOS products support sirtuins?

• NOVOS Core contains pterostilbene and fisetin, two natural compounds that activate sirtuins.
• NOVOS Boost provides NMN, which helps raise NAD+ levels, essential for sirtuin function.

References

1. Aventaggiato, M., Vernucci, E., Barreca, F., Russo, M. A., & Tafani, M. (2021). Sirtuins’ control of autophagy and mitophagy in cancer. Pharmacology & therapeutics, 221, 107748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107748
2. Choi, J. E., & Mostoslavsky, R. (2014). Sirtuins, metabolism, and DNA repair. Current opinion in genetics & development, 26, 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2014.05.005
3. Dai, H., Sinclair, D. A., Ellis, J. L., & Steegborn, C. (2018). Sirtuin activators and inhibitors: Promises, achievements, and challenges. Pharmacology & therapeutics, 188, 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.03.004
4. Fujita, Y., & Yamashita, T. (2018). Sirtuins in Neuroendocrine Regulation and Neurological Diseases. Frontiers in neuroscience, 12, 778. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00778
5. Kane, A. E., & Sinclair, D. A. (2018). Sirtuins and NAD+ in the Development and Treatment of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases. Circulation research, 123(7), 868–885. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.312498
6. Korotkov, A., Seluanov, A., & Gorbunova, V. (2021). Sirtuin 6: linking longevity with genome and epigenome stability. Trends in cell biology, 31(12), 994–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2021.06.009
7. Leite, J. A., Ghirotto, B., Targhetta, V. P., de Lima, J., & Câmara, N. O. S. (2022). Sirtuins as pharmacological targets in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. British journal of pharmacology, 179(8), 1496–1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15570
8. Malaguarnera L. (2019). Influence of Resveratrol on the Immune Response. Nutrients, 11(5), 946. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11050946
9. Mendes, K. L., Lelis, D. F., & Santos, S. H. S. (2017). Nuclear sirtuins and inflammatory signaling pathways. Cytokine & growth factor reviews, 38, 98–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.11.001
10. Mouchiroud, L., Houtkooper, R. H., Moullan, N., Katsyuba, E., Ryu, D., Cantó, C., Mottis, A., Jo, Y. S., Viswanathan, M., Schoonjans, K., Guarente, L., & Auwerx, J. (2013). The NAD(+)/Sirtuin Pathway Modulates Longevity through Activation of Mitochondrial UPR and FOXO Signaling. Cell, 154(2), 430–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2013.06.016
11. Nogueiras, R., Habegger, K. M., Chaudhary, N., Finan, B., Banks, A. S., Dietrich, M. O., Horvath, T. L., Sinclair, D. A., Pfluger, P. T., & Tschöp, M. H. (2012). Sirtuin 1 and sirtuin 3: physiological modulators of metabolism. Physiological reviews, 92(3), 1479–1514. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00022.2011
12. Sinclair, D., Kane, A. (2018). Sirtuins and NAD+ in the Development and Treatment of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases. Circulation Research, 123(7), 868–885. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.312498
13. Vargas-Ortiz, K., Pérez-Vázquez, V., & Macías-Cervantes, M. H. (2019). Exercise and Sirtuins: A Way to Mitochondrial Health in Skeletal Muscle. International journal of molecular sciences, 20(11), 2717. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20112717
14. Wan, W., Hua, F., Fang, P., Li, C., Deng, F., Chen, S., Ying, J., & Wang, X. (2022). Regulation of Mitophagy by Sirtuin Family Proteins: A Vital Role in Aging and Age-Related Diseases. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 14, 845330. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.845330
15. Zhang, G. Z., Deng, Y. J., Xie, Q. Q., Ren, E. H., Ma, Z. J., He, X. G., Gao, Y. C., & Kang, X. W. (2020). Sirtuins and intervertebral disc degeneration: Roles in inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function. Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry, 508, 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2020.04.016
16. Zhao, G., & Rusche, L. N. (2022). Sirtuins in Epigenetic Silencing and Control of Gene Expression in Model and Pathogenic Fungi. Annual review of microbiology, 76, 157–178. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-micro-041020-100926