Navindra Seeram: College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." The quote, attributed to the Greek physician, Hippocrates, encapsulates the importance of nutrition and the extraordinary ability of certain foods to enhance our wellbeing. In this episode of the LLAMA podcast, we explore the rich array of benefits to be gained from plant foods and natural products and discover why foods rich in compounds known as phytochemicals are hugely beneficial in preventing some chronic conditions. Dr. Navindra Seeram is a professor at the University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy.  

A leading researcher in the science of plant foods,  Dr. Seeram explains how, growing up in South America, with a tradition of using food as medicine, he first became aware of the potent power of plants.  We delve into the unique components of pomegranate and other fruits, which can be used by the body to boost mitochondrial health.  

This LLAMA podcast episode is produced in association with Amazentis, an innovative life science company dedicated to employing breakthrough research and clinical science to bring advanced therapeutic nutrition products to life, under its Timeline brand.

Luigi Fontana: University of Sydney

The art and science of aging well is a complex business - a nuanced melding of a finely tuned diet, essential exercise and a healthy mind. For over twenty years, Prof. Luigi Fontana has been studying the lifestyle regimes that could help us live a longer, healthier life. 

One of the world’s leading experts in the field of human longevity, Dr. Fontana, a physician and professor of medicine and nutrition at the University of Sydney, takes a pragmatic approach to the aging process, railing against aspirations to live an excessively long life. 

The author of ground-breaking research on fasting and nutrition, he explores the wider issues involved in the aging process in a new book, The Path to Longevity: The Secrets to Living a Long, Happy, Healthy Life. In this LLAMA podcast interview, with Peter Bowes, Prof. Fontana argues that medical systems based on treating sick people should be replaced by a more holistic approach to the human body. He also philosophizes about life's "beautiful journey.” 

Patrick Aebischer: Founder, Amazentis

Professor Patrick Aebischer, chairman and co-founder of Amazentis, is a medical doctor, neuroscientist and longtime researcher.  He has held distinguished positions in his home country of Switzerland, as President of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and in the United States at Brown University in Providence.  In this Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast interview we explore how an idea based on little more than “intuition” led to a deeper understanding of muscular strength, as we age, and the role of fruits such as pomegranates. We focus on urolithin A, a bioactive dietary metabolite that is naturally produced when eating certain foods, and how Mitopure, a highly pure, synthetic form of the compound, could help people avoid frailty as they grow older.

Learn more about the history of Amazentis and the science behind Mitopure from Timeline.

This episode of the Live Long and Master Aging podcast is the first in a series produced in association with the Swiss life science company, Amazentis.  It explores the history of the company and the science behind its goal of promoting healthy aging.