In the midst of the Christmas season, when overeating and irregular rest are normalised, we visited Marbella's Diego Suarez, engineer, nutrition expert and founder of the project Coeus RetroAging, an initiative that directly challenges many of today's dogmas about food, ageing and health. His discourse is forceful, sometimes uncomfortable, but backed - he says - by data, technology and years of practical experience.
Suárez is not a doctor, nor does he consult, but he has become a one of the most followed voices on social networks The reason? Nine years of work integrating technology, artificial intelligence, epigenetics and supplementation, with a clear objective: reversing biological ageing and reducing the risk factors associated with ageing.
Technology and medicine: an inevitable alliance
“I'm an engineer and I've been literally nine years ‘plugged in’ to technology”he explains. For him, there is no longer a real boundary between medicine and technology. “One without the other they do not complement each other. Today we can measure, compare and verify which habits make us sick and which make us younger.
This ability to measure has made it possible, he says, to debunk many myths that have been taken for decades as absolute truths: from the traditional food pyramid - which he bluntly describes as “the pyramid of death” - to the demonisation of fats or the excessive consumption of carbohydrates.
“80 % of the products in a supermarket are inflammatory, addictive and designed to keep us sick,” he says. In his opinion, there is a clear collusion between the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries that has shaped our habits since childhood.
Modern food: the great trigger of accelerated ageing
One of the central themes of his discourse is the quality of today's food. Suárez insists that we do not eat worse because of a lack of information, but because the products have changed radically.
“Since the 1970s, bread has been an ultra-processed product: more gluten, more additives, more hidden sugars. It used to have four ingredients; now it has more than 20. The same goes, he says, for fruit, cereals and dairy products.
He is particularly critical of milk: “We are the only animal that continues to drink milk into adulthood, and most of us have lost our lactase. It doesn't make sense. He defends fermented dairy products such as Greek yoghurt or cured cheeses, as well as fermented vegetables, because of their positive impact on the microbiota.
“The best fruit is the one you don't eat,” he says, aware of the controversy. “Fructose, glucose spikes, inflammation... It's not necessary.
Why did people used to live longer... without knowing about nutrition?
The question is unavoidable: how is it possible that previous generations, without nutritional studies and supplements, reached old age in better health?
“The answer is simple,” says Suárez. “They walked more, ate real products without pesticides, respected circadian rhythms and lived with less stress. He adds the importance of the gut microbiota and the direct connection between gut and brain. Sleeping when the sun goes down, exposure to natural light, daily movement and socialising were - and still are - fundamental pillars of longevity.
Retroaging: reversing or slowing down ageing?
From Harvard and other leading research centres, ageing is beginning to be seen as a process biologically modulable. “We are not talking about immortality, but about changing the rules of the game,” explains Suárez.
Through epigenetic analysis, biomarker measurement and the continuous monitoring of parameters such as stress, sleep or resilience, RetroAging works to determine the actual biological age of organs, beyond chronological age.
“If we eradicated cancer, average life expectancy would increase by just three years. What really kills us are the diseases associated with ageing: cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis... and many are directly related to poor diet.
Supplementation, fasting and discipline
In a context where food is becoming less and less nutritious, Suárez advocates for the strategic supplementation as a key tool, always accompanied by consistent habits.
“The supplement is not an excuse to eat badly,” he says. “Information is power. I don't forbid anything, I explain what harms you”. He places special emphasis on the fasting and the autophagy, The cellular process by which the body eliminates damaged and senescent cells. “It is no coincidence that all religions have incorporated it. After 48 hours, the body goes into deep regeneration”.
NAD and scientific evidence
One of the star markers in their protocols is the NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), an essential coenzyme for cellular energy and healthy ageing.
“I entered with 17 micromoles and, two and a half years later, I have 64 micromoles. These measurements, he assures us, are carried out through laboratory tests with specific agreements in Spain. ”I don't believe, I know, and I can prove it,“ he says emphatically.
Democratising longevity
One of the most interesting points of his project is the willingness to making longevity accessible, traditionally reserved for those with high purchasing power.
“If I can offer the best magnesium formulation for 30 euros, I will. This is not about luxury, it's about science applied to real life.
Currently, RetroAging has its main centre in Madrid and plans to open new centres in Marbella, Ibiza, Andorra and Colombia, The aim is to expand a model based on data, prevention and quality of life.
“Of all the projects I have had as an entrepreneur, this is the most beautiful,” he concludes. “Making people live longer and better lives is unparalleled.
