Good morning. It’s October 15, and also Global Ethics Day.

Quite fitting for this week’s rundown, where lack of ethics and capitalism go hand-in-hand in the wellness industry. When “clean” products are found dirty, the only thing that gets a detox is your wallet.

The rundown for this week:

  • 🤮 The ugly Consumer Report on protein powders

  • 🦠 A breakdown of “mesenchymal drift”

  • 💉 Costco joins the GLP-1 party

  • 💪 Why strength training is still your best friend

Let’s get to it. 👇

RealSimple - 5 drinks that’ll help you live to 100, according to these experts. (Read more)

Business Insider - 43 years after “Conan The Barbarian”, Arnold Schwarznegger is thriving at 78. Here are his tricks and tips. (Read more)

Business Wire - Wisp & Vesalius Longevity Labs partner on women-focused peptides line. (Read more)

NBC News - Hold on to your rotisserie chickens, Ozempic has landed at your favorite store; Costco! (Read more)

TIME - Strength training; still the best anti-ager. (Read more)

PR Newswire - TruDiagnostic awarded grant to advance breakthrough epigenetic diagnostic technology. (Read more)

Longevity.Technology - The Cat Health Company scores $1.2MM in fresh funding for feline life extension research. (Read more)

FROM THE CLINIC

Altos Labs Tackles “Mesenchymal Drift”: When Good Cells Go Rogue

Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, one of the scientific founders of Altos Labs, believes aging has a lot to do with good cells losing their way. Not like in a “Homeward Bound” losing-their-way, but in a destructive, self-sabotaging, and uncontrollable manner.

At the 2025 ESGCT meeting this October, he shared how his team is tackling that problem head-on with some of the most ambitious biology on the planet.

Altos Labs, the $3 billion biotech funded by Jeff Bezos, is built around a simple goal: restore cells to a younger, more resilient state, in what they call the “buffer capacity”.

Here’s what that means:

  • Aging cells often lose control over their genetic “packaging.” DNA that’s supposed to stay tightly wrapped becomes loose, and genes start firing in the wrong places.

  • When you’re young, your buffer capacity is strong. As you age, it weakens, and diseases sneak in through the cracks.

  • This leads to what Altos Labs calls “mesenchymal drift” — a shift where many cells begin behaving like connective-tissue cells, which can lead to fibrosis and other degenerative diseases. In studies of human and animal tissue, higher levels of mesenchymal gene activity consistently correlated with worse outcomes.

To fight back, the Altos team is experimenting with short bursts of Yamanaka reprogramming factors, a method that can rewind a cell’s epigenetic clock without fully turning it back into a stem cell. In lab tests, briefly “pulsing” these factors helped rejuvenate damaged kidneys taken from older animals. When those organs were transplanted back into mice, survival rates improved.

So now you’re wondering….

Are we about to see “Yamanaka” shots served ala-carte at your local wellness spot?

Not just yet, but the science is compelling.

👉🏾 Learn more about mesenchymal drift & Altos Lab’s work

FROM THE CLINIC

Consumer Reports Just Tested Protein Powders, And It’s Ugly

Are your gains coming with a side of lead?

If you’ve been scooping protein powder like it’s pre-workout confetti, you might want to pause mid-shake. A new Consumer Reports investigation found that many popular protein powders and shakes are spiked with heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic.

Out of 23 tested products, two-thirds contained more lead per serving than what’s considered safe. Some had 10 times the limit.🤯

The worst offenders? Plant-based powders, especially those made from peas.

Great for the planet, but not your bloodstream.

Even “organic” labels didn’t save the day; they actually showed three times more lead than conventional ones.

The FDA's interim reference level for dietary lead was created to protect against lead toxicity in women of childbearing age, but an FDA spokesperson told CR there is sufficient evidence for applying the 8.8 micrograms per day benchmark to all adults.
Graphic: Consumer Reports

So what does that mean for your morning smoothie ritual? Occasional use isn’t a death sentence, but daily dependence could stack up over time, especially if you’re already getting trace metals from food, water, or supplements.

A quick fix while you dig through the study:

  • Rotate your protein sources

  • Stick to whey-based powders when possible.

  • Look for third-party tested brands with transparent heavy metal reports.

👉🏾 Now - go check out if your favorite brand is laced with heavy metals, in the latest Consumer Report.

Are you on the fence in taking GLP-1s?

How about taking it slow with just a nibble.

You’re in luck - here’s some data from Bryan Johnson on easing into it.

Check it out…👇🏼

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