Fasting has gained a lot of attention in recent years for its potential health benefits, but it can be difficult to maintain and may be damaging if not practiced safely. A company called Mimio Health wanted to create a product with all the advantages of fasting without actually having to deprive yourself of food for an extended period of time. Enter Mimio, its flagship new supplement (https://longevity.technology/news/mimio-health-launches-biomimetic-based-on-the-science-of-fasting-to-promote-cellular-health-and-longevity/).
Mimio Health specializes in biomimetics, or products that emulate (or mimic) natural (biological) processes. In the case of its eponymous new release, the biological processes in question are those that activate when we fast. Research suggests that the stress caused to our cells by restricting what we eat, particularly calories, can encourage them to start repairing themselves and become more resilient.
This is partly because of mechanisms like hormesis and autophagy and partly because of how fasting helps activate proteins like sirtuins and AMPK, which can impact how we age. Fasting may also alter cell signaling and the way your genes express themselves, in addition to reducing oxidative stress and encouraging metabolic flexibility. This may alleviate some of the decline associated with aging.
To develop Mimio, researchers first had to analyze how the body naturally reacted to fasting. They found four metabolites: nicotinamide, spermidine, oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), that increased to particularly high levels during the 36 hours of the fast. Mimio is a combination of these four bioactives, mixed together in a proprietary formula.
In the case of the nicotinamide, the researchers found that it was 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) in particular that saw elevation levels, rather than nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or nicotinamide riboside (NR). It performed better than another popular candidate for longevity supplements, ketone bodies, at reducing inflammation. Trials also showed that the four metabolites together were more effective than any one on its own.
Another important question when developing new supplements is not just whether the ingredients are effective but whether they are bioavailable. In other words, can they be absorbed by and distributed around the body effectively? PEA is normally known for its poor bioavailability, but in Mimio, it is ultra-micronized to improve its effectiveness. Mimio as a whole takes just under an hour to enter the bloodstream, where it will remain for about four hours before being fully absorbed.
This supplement is just the start of Mimio Health’s quest for more biomimetic products.
