How to Live Longer – from Those Who Did
July 21st, 2010
“The centenarian in the neighborhood”
Our neighbor just turned 102 yrs old. She still goes around by herself unassisted, with most of her children scattered here and abroad. She roasted cacao beans in her prime, turning them into chocolate tablets. My Mon used to send me over to her place to buy some for the family’s consumption.
Everyone in the neighborhood is awed by longevity. Could it be from all those black chocolate she consumed all her life or is it because of her complete serenity? The look on her face is the look of peace.
The puzzle of longevity:
Longevity has been the puzzle of several researchers, past and present. Once such study published in the journal of Science suggested that a set of 150 genes may be the key to it.
Tom Peals and his colleagues at the Boston Medical Center (foodconsumer.org), analyzed genetic data from more than 1000 centenarians and established a statistical model based on the longevity genes that researchers say can predict a persons longevity. This model is said to have 77% accuracy in predicting if a person can live over 100.
How about those who don’t fit into the mold?
No argument about genetics. But there is lifestyle, diets and exercise to look into, of which these people are perfect examples:
1. Many years ago, two New York sisters lived over a 100 years old. Both never married and both consumed lots of cod liver oil during their lifetime. Though the health benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D in the liver oil have long been established, but it is probably their never having been stressed out by straying and erring husbands that was responsible for their longevity.
2. A 93-year old Chinese was able to give a 3-hour lecture, non-stop, while standing. He mostly ate vegetables, taking only the required amount of meat.
Could the veggies be from China where pesticides and fertilizers have not tainted their purity?
3. A Chinese immigrant in New York is now over 100 years old. He still looks very healthy and his skin is as young as that of a baby. His 70-year old wife said that he drinks two glasses of bitter lemon juice every day.
Search Goggle and you will be taken to a site showing 10 benefits of lemon. All of these can potentially contribute to his longevity.
But he must be one tough dude for never having etched “grimace” marks on his face from all those glasses of bitter lemon juice.
4. A Chinese immigrant in New Jersey was so energetic at the age of 85 years that he worked all day without feeling tired. He is said never giving into worry and ate Korean ginseng.
Korean ginseng, or Panax ginseng, is considered an adaptogen, and can help the body in regulating itself under stress, be it, psychological, emotional or physical stress.
So it seems that his not being taken to worry is the result of his Korean ginseng habit. And if one has to support a lot of relatives back home, he/she would also work as hard as the guy. So many Filipinos in foreign shores do the same.
5. A Wisconsin woman still drives even if well over 100 yrs of age. It is said that she keeps her windows open even in winter time.
If she can stand the risk of hypothermia, she can live over a 100 years.
I wonder if she wasn’t a Chinese, too.
Conclusion?
There is none. The above examples don’t have a pattern except for the fact that three in five are Chinese (no intention of being a racist) and each have different lifestyles which can easily be affected by the harmful environments they lived in. They were not gene-mapped though to see if they had the 150 genes necessary for longevity.
Living longer will remain a pipe dream for most as its “secret,” by far, has eluded man’s finite wisdom. Therefore people over 70 must be content in praying “prayers of thanks” each morning upon waking up to another day in their lives.
