In Pursuit of the Jade Body: The Influence of Acupuncture on Nutrient Sensing Longevity Pathways

Humans are living longer than ever before, but increasingly burdened by age related and lifestyle diseases. By the year 2030, twenty per cent of the United States population will be over the age of sixty-five. The working population will no longer be able to adequately support the expanding geriatric community. Combined with stagnant wages, the exponential rise of chronic disease and the exorbitant cost of healthcare, the United States is facing a public health crisis. Acupuncture, an ancient and well-studied modality of traditional Chinese medicine, could be an effective treatment to combat agerelated disease and morbidity. This research explored this by investigating how acupuncture affects nutrient sensing longevity pathways. A series of literature reviews were conducted using the PubMed database. Acupuncture, particularly electroacupuncture, was shown to exert statistically significant effects on the signalling pathways insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), adenosine monophosphateactivated protein kinase (AMPK) and sirtuin. These effects have been linked to positive health outcomes and increased lifespan.