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Matthew D. LaPlante Books

2 books·~20 min total read

LaPlante is a journalist and associate professor of journalism at Utah State University, specializing in science communication.

Known for: Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To, The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

Key Insights from Matthew D. LaPlante

1

The Information Theory of Aging

The heart of my argument rests on what I call the Information Theory of Aging. Biology, at its core, is about information — not just genetic code but how that code is read and executed. Our DNA is astonishingly stable, like the hard drive storing the body’s instructions. Yet over time, the epigeneti...

From Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To

2

The Role of Sirtuins and NAD+

In my lab, the quest to understand longevity led us to sirtuins — a family of genes that act as the guardians of cellular health. When I first began studying them, few could imagine their significance. Sirtuins regulate the body’s responses to stress and scarcity, maintaining genomic stability and e...

From Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To

3

Discovery of Bapan Village

Sometimes the most powerful medical insight comes from a place that looks ordinary. When Dr. John Day first learned of Bapan Village in China’s Guangxi Province, he was skeptical. Reports claimed that the village had an unusually high concentration of people living beyond one hundred, many of them s...

From The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

4

Purpose and Human Connection Matter

A long life is hard to sustain if you have no reason to rise each morning. One of the strongest impressions Day took from Bapan was that its oldest residents were not merely surviving; they remained woven into the life of their families and community. They had responsibilities, relationships, and a ...

From The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

5

Natural Movement Beats Extreme Exercise

Health is often built through motion so ordinary that it barely feels like exercise. In Bapan, the centenarians did not rely on punishing workout plans or expensive fitness equipment. They walked, climbed, lifted, squatted, gardened, cooked, and worked with their hands. Their movement was frequent, ...

From The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

6

Whole Foods Nourish Long-Term Health

The simplest food is often the most powerful medicine. In Bapan, the diet of the centenarians was not trendy, restrictive, or complicated. It centered on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and other minimally processed foods. Meals were modest, local, and seasonal. Rather than eating for sti...

From The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China

About Matthew D. LaPlante

LaPlante is a journalist and associate professor of journalism at Utah State University, specializing in science communication.

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LaPlante is a journalist and associate professor of journalism at Utah State University, specializing in science communication.

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