The BGB Guide to
Longevity Language

Plant-derived substances studied for how they may influence the body’s response to stress. Evidence, preparations and safety profiles vary by substance.

In context: “Adaptogen” describes a research category; it does not guarantee that a product has a proven effect.

Compounds formed when sugars react with proteins or fats. They can form inside the body and can also be present in food.

In context: AGEs are studied in relation to aging, metabolism and inflammation.

A research concept describing the cumulative physiological strain associated with repeated or prolonged adaptation to stressors.

In context: Researchers estimate allostatic load with groups of measures rather than one universal test.

A cellular process that breaks down and recycles selected components inside cells.

In context: Autophagy is continuously regulated and cannot be confirmed from a fasting clock alone.

The proportion of a substance that reaches circulation and is available for the body to use.

In context: Formulation, digestion, dose and interactions can affect bioavailability.

An estimate of how biological measures compare with patterns observed across age groups.

In context: Different clocks use different data and can produce different estimates for the same person.

A popular term for places described as having unusually high concentrations of long-lived people.

In context: The idea has shaped longevity culture, while its methods and claims remain subjects of scholarly debate.

A state in which a cell stops dividing while remaining metabolically active.

In context: Senescence can support processes such as wound repair and can also contribute to age-related tissue changes.

A wearable sensor that estimates glucose in fluid between cells throughout the day and night.

In context: CGM readings can show patterns; interpretation depends on the device, timing and clinical context.

An approximately 24-hour biological rhythm that helps coordinate sleep, hormones, metabolism and other functions.

In context: Light is a major timing cue, alongside eating, activity and social schedules.

A steroid hormone involved in energy regulation, immune activity and the body’s response to stress.

In context: Cortisol follows a daily rhythm, so timing matters when a result is interpreted.

A protein made by the liver that can rise in response to inflammation.

In context: CRP is nonspecific; a result signals context to explore rather than a cause by itself.

The addition of chemical tags called methyl groups to DNA, often affecting how genes are regulated.

In context: DNA-methylation patterns are used in some biological-aging research.

The study of changes in gene regulation that occur without changing the underlying DNA sequence.

In context: Epigenetic patterns reflect dynamic biology; they are neither a simple record of experience nor a fixed destiny.

The concentration of glucose in blood measured after a defined period without caloric intake.

In context: A single result is interpreted alongside timing, symptoms, medications and other measures.

A chemical reaction in which sugars attach to proteins or fats without enzyme control.

In context: Glycation occurs in the body and contributes to the formation of AGEs.

The community of microorganisms and their genetic material within the digestive tract.

In context: Microbiome composition varies across people, places, diets, medications and time.

A blood measure reflecting the proportion of hemoglobin with glucose attached, often used to estimate longer-term glucose exposure.

In context: Red-blood-cell turnover and some hemoglobin variants can influence the result.

The period of life spent in relatively good health and function.

In context: Healthspan shifts attention from years lived alone toward how those years are experienced.

A dose-response concept in which a low level of a stressor may prompt an adaptive response while a higher level may cause harm.

In context: The effect depends on the stressor, dose, timing and person.

A signaling network connecting the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands.

In context: The HPA axis helps coordinate hormonal responses to changing demands.

Variation in the time between successive heartbeats.

In context: HRV is highly individual and is usually most useful as a trend measured under consistent conditions.

A coordinated immune response to injury, infection or other signals.

In context: Inflammation can be protective and time-limited or persistent and associated with disease processes.

A state in which cells respond less effectively to insulin, prompting the body to require more insulin to manage glucose.

In context: It is assessed through a wider metabolic picture rather than one symptom alone.

An umbrella term for eating patterns that alternate defined periods of eating and fasting.

In context: Protocols, evidence and suitability vary; timing is only one part of nourishment.

A metabolic state in which ketone bodies contribute substantially to the body’s energy supply.

In context: Nutritional ketosis differs from diabetic ketoacidosis, a medical emergency.

Length of life, considered at the level of a person or a population.

In context: BGB examines longevity alongside healthspan, context, agency and lived experience.

The capacity to adjust fuel use in response to changes in availability and demand.

In context: Researchers study it through multiple metabolic measures rather than a single consumer score.

Cellular structures involved in energy production, signaling and other essential processes.

In context: Mitochondria are dynamic networks whose functions extend beyond the phrase “powerhouse of the cell.”

A gene that provides instructions for an enzyme involved in folate metabolism.

In context: Common variants are widespread; a variant alone does not determine symptoms or establish a supplement plan.

A coenzyme involved in energy metabolism, redox reactions and cellular signaling.

In context: NAD+ biology is an active research area; supplement claims extend beyond what has been established for many outcomes.

Energy used for daily movement outside sleeping, eating and structured exercise.

In context: Walking, standing and household activity can all contribute to NEAT.

An imbalance between reactive molecules and the systems that regulate or repair their effects.

In context: Reactive oxygen species also participate in normal signaling, so “oxidation” is not synonymous with damage.

A large family of plant compounds studied for varied biological activities.

In context: Foods contain different polyphenols, and their metabolism depends partly on digestion and the microbiome.

A recurring sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movements, vivid dreaming and distinct brain activity.

In context: REM is one part of sleep architecture and cycles with non-REM stages.

Compounds studied for their ability to selectively remove certain senescent cells.

In context: Senolytics remain an active research area, and consumer access does not establish clinical benefit or safety.

A family of enzymes involved in cellular regulation, metabolism and stress responses.

In context: Their roles in human aging are complex and continue to be studied.

The pattern and organization of sleep stages across a sleep period.

In context: Architecture includes the timing, sequence and proportion of REM and non-REM sleep.

Protective DNA-protein structures at the ends of chromosomes.

In context: Telomere length varies across cells and people and is not a stand-alone measure of how long someone will live.

A broad term used for aspects of vagus-nerve influence on organs and autonomic regulation.

In context: It is often estimated indirectly; HRV is related to vagal activity but is not a direct measurement of the nerve.

A label for sustained aerobic exercise performed within a moderate intensity range.

In context: Zone systems and thresholds differ, so device labels are estimates rather than universal boundaries.