Longevity Secrets of the Very Old

How long you want to live, how long you can expect to live, and how long you will live may eventually be the same! Only 4% of us live to 95. The anti-aging world has decided that immortality doesn’t violate laws of physics and chemistry, it’s just a biologic problem waiting to be solved, according to an article in the NYT. How long do we live?

Expectancy for women is now about 78.1 for women in 2011, down from 80.4, US data 2004. Was 48.3 in 1900. Men live just a few years less. So the group of us is getting older. Now the longevity experts would tell us that the oldest among us hasn’t really gotten older. The top dog in longevity: Maybe 113, or 122, the data keeping back then, and from where, not so good.

And who should we ask if we want to live really long, your doctor, right? Maybe not. We are beginning to understand a few health factors that are associated with aging. We have found a gene in worms that if corrected can make the worm live 3 times it’s normal lifespan! And we have found a certain link to cholesterol gene with long life.

Many women with hormone imbalance have both poor sleep and bad dreams. there’s hardly an aliment of PMS that isn’t cured by the proper leaf or herb. And that’s saying a lot since there are over 200 reported symptoms. For menopausal women a green branch of balsam was believed by Native Americans to prevent nightmares. The goal is to balance hormones, and it may require more medical management than just herbals.

But we are mostly just making us all healthier. I can check on how to make someone with a particular cancer survive longer, or with hypertension, you get the idea. Eventually, apparently living longer is treating what you have better. With rats we can do experiments and see which rat lives the longest, apparently that just has not been ok with human research, so extrapolation.

First we do have to kick what kills us off early. Living longer world wide for women also means not dying in childbirth. World wide 600,000 women die each year of pregnancy related causes. Developing countries only represent about 1% of that number of course.

Then we have to kick heart disease, you’ll hear a lot about that, the annual Red Heart Day. And nothing ruins your heart like crossing into menopause, the lipids and BP just take a beating. Average age of menopause is 51.4, and that is true in most all cultures of the world. So 1/3 of your life, you’ll be in menopause, and the “reproductive years” are thought of as ages 15 to 45. Going through menopause early is not healthy. If you have your ovaries removed prior to the age of 40 you have over 50% increased rate of stroke. Actually those who lost their ovaries before age 40 have even been shown to have decreased grip strength! So to fix early menopause, there is some data that says if you take estrogen at that point you will prolong your life. Come on in to gab about it and we will help you interpret the literature.

Our approach at Women’s Health Practice and WHP Health, Hada Cosmetic Medicine, Hatha Yoga and Fitness is to balance hormones, nutrition, and fitness. A modern version of the quest for immortality, The quest for improved longevity a human obsession for centuries has inspired countless myths, legends, and experiments.

But what does science really say about living longer? Is there a limit to how long we can live? What are the factors that influence our lifespan? And what can we do to extend it? In this blog post, we explore the science and secrets of longevity, and share practical tips on how to live longer and healthier.

How Long Do We Live?

Average life expectancy for women in the US was 81.4 years in 2019, and for men, 76.3 years. Women live five years longer than men on average.

Life expectancy increased dramatically over the past century., thanks to improvements in medicine, sanitation, nutrition, and public health. In 1900, the average life expectancy for women in the US was only 48.3 years, and for men it was 46.3 years.

However, life expectancy is not the same as lifespan. Life expectancy is the average number of years a group of people can expect to live, based on the mortality rates of the population. Lifespan is the maximum number of years that an individual can live, based on their biological potential.

The longest verified lifespan for a human is 122 years and 164 days, achieved by Jeanne Calment, a French woman who died in 1997. The oldest living person as of January 2022 is Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman who is 118 years old.

Scientists are not sure what the upper limit of human lifespan is, or if there is one at all. Some researchers believe that there is a natural limit to how long we can live, and that it is around 120 years. Others argue that there is no fixed limit. If limitless, we can extend our lifespan indefinitely with the right interventions.

What Influences Our Lifespan?

Influencing factors can be divided into two categories: genetic and environmental.

Genetic factors are the ones that we inherit from our parents, the determinants of biological makeup. They include our DNA, our genes, our chromosomes, and our telomeres. These factors affect cellular function, how they age, and how they repair themselves.

Environmental factors are the ones that we encounter in our life, and that affect our health and well-being. They include our diet, our exercise, our stress, our sleep, our habits, our infections, our diseases, and our exposure to toxins. These factors affect how our body responds to internal and external challenges, and how it protects itself from damage.

Both genetic and environmental factors interact with each other, and influence our lifespan in complex and dynamic ways. For example, some genes may make us more susceptible to certain diseases. But lifestyle may reduce or increase risk. Some environmental factors may damage our DNA, but our genes may help us repair it.

Scientists estimate that genetic factors account for about 25% of our lifespan, and environmental factors account for about 75%. This means that we have more control over how long we live than we may think.

How to Live Longer: The Science and Secrets of Longevity

So, how can we live longer? Is there a secret formula or a magic pill that can make us immortal? No. However, there are some general principles and guidelines that can help us improve our chances of living longer and healthier.

Here are some of the most important general principals:

• Eat a balanced and nutritious diet and Exercise.
  • A healthy diet providing essential nutrients our body needs. These nutrients are vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. A healthy diet also avoids or limits the intake of processed foods, added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and alcohol. Some of the best diets for longevity are the Mediterranean diet, the Okinawan diet, and the Nordic diet.
  • `Exercise regularly and moderately. Physical activity is one of the best ways to keep our body and mind in shape, and to prevent or delay many chronic diseases. Exercise improves our cardiovascular health, our muscle strength, our bone density, our metabolism, our immune system, our mood, and our cognitive function. The recommended amount of exercise for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, per week.
• Hormone balance is a key factor for living longer and healthier.
  • Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate many functions of our body, such as metabolism, reproduction, mood, and aging. When our hormones are out of balance, we may experience symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, depression, and increased risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, maintaining hormone balance can help us prevent or delay these problems and improve our quality of life.
• Manage your stress, sleep, AND substances
  • Stress and negative emotions can have a detrimental effect on our health and lifespan, as they can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, hormonal imbalance, and immune dysfunction. Stress and negative emotions can also lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, overeating, or sleeping poorly. Therefore, it is important to find healthy ways to cope with stress and emotions, such as meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, hobbies, social support, and therapy .
  • Sleep well and enough. Sleep is essential for our health and longevity, as it is the time when our body and brain repair themselves, and when our memory and learning are consolidated. Lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep can impair our physical and mental performance, and increase our risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression. The optimal amount of sleep for adults is about seven to nine hours per night, and it should be consistent and uninterrupted .
  • Avoid smoking and limit alcohol. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are two of the most harmful habits for our health and lifespan, as they can cause damage to almost every organ and system in our body. Smoking increases our risk of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and heart disease. Alcohol increases our risk of liver disease, pancreatitis, hypertension, and various cancers. The best way to live longer is to quit smoking and to drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all.
• Maintain your social and intellectual connections.
  • Social and intellectual connections are vital for our health and longevity, as they provide us with a sense of belonging, purpose, and meaning. Social and intellectual connections also stimulate our brain, enhance our creativity, and protect us from cognitive decline and dementia. Some of the ways to maintain our social and intellectual connections are to join clubs, volunteer, take classes, learn new skills, read books, play games, and travel .
  • Follow your passion and purpose. Passion and purpose are the fuel that drives our life, and that makes us happy and fulfilled. Passion and purpose also motivate us to overcome challenges, to grow as a person, and to contribute to society. Having a passion and a purpose can increase our lifespan, as they can reduce our stress, boost our immune system, and lower our risk of depression and suicide. Some of the ways to find and follow our passion and purpose are to explore our interests, values, and strengths, to set goals, to pursue our dreams, and to help others.
• One of the secrets of living longer and better is to never stop learning.
• Lifelong learning is the practice of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and interests throughout our lives, whether for personal or professional reasons. Lifelong learning has many benefits for our health and well-being, such as:
• It keeps our brain active and sharp, and may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Studies have shown that learning new things stimulates the growth of new brain cells and connections, and enhances our memory and problem-solving abilities¹².
• It boosts our self-confidence and self-esteem, and makes us more adaptable and resilient. Learning new things challenges us to overcome obstacles, to discover our potential, and to achieve our goals. It also helps us cope with change and uncertainty, and to embrace new opportunities³.
• It enriches our social and intellectual connections, and expands our horizons. Learning new things exposes us to different perspectives, cultures, and ideas, and fosters our curiosity and creativity. It also enables us to meet new people, to share our experiences, and to learn from each other⁴.
• Lifelong learning can take many forms, such as reading books, taking online courses, joining clubs, volunteering, traveling, or learning a new language, instrument, or hobby. The important thing is to find something that interests us, that challenges us, and that makes us happy. As the famous writer Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” So, let’s keep learning and stay young!

Conclusion

Living longer is not a matter of luck or fate. It is a matter of choice and action. We influence our lifespan by adopting healthy habits, avoiding harmful ones, and living a balanced and meaningful life.

Of course, living longer is not the only goal. Living better is equally important. Quality of life is not measured by the number of years, but by the number of experiences, relationships, and achievements that make us happy and proud.