Since Ponce de Leon traipsed through the swamps of Florida searching for the Fountain of Youth, people have been seeking for the magic elixir of longevity. Today, while not seeking the waters of a mythological spring, we scour the aisles of the health food stores snatching up the latest antioxidants in hopes of outliving our mortgages.
Aging is a cellular event. If we want to know how to live longer, we have to know what keeps our cells happy.
Over the past ten years, watershed discoveries of what keeps our cells happy have captivated the medical community. Scouring the literature reveals seven practices that have been unequivocally linked to healthy cells and long lives. The most important and exciting part in these findings is that anyone can benefit regardless of genetics, finances, current health, or age. In other words, being healthy and living longer is foremost a choice. But here's the hard part. It requires discipline and effort.
1. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2005, consuming five fruits or vegetables per day reduced the overall mortality of the study population by 24%. Eating this number of fruits and vegetables every day is easy to accomplish as most need little preparation and can even be used as great snacks. Today's marketplace supplies fruits and vegetables year-round, and they are some of the most affordable foodstuffs in the grocery store.
2. Do in aerobic exercise for 30 to 45 minutes a day
The most exciting research on this topic relates to exercise and its relationship to neuroplasticity or the ability of the brain to regenerate damaged brain cells. This may establish exercise as both a prevention and treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Exercise is indeed the fountain of youth and can benefit any age including kids and seniors.
3. Don't smoke!
It is amazing that this even has to be on the list, but 25% of adults still smoke and smoking among teens has increased over the past few years. A recent study from Michigan State University showed that you can reduce your likelihood of premature death by 76% by stopping smoking. One of the biggest health challenges of today is to reduce or prevent teenage tobacco abuse.
4. Maintain a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9.
The BMI is a measure of your lean body mass (muscle) and percent body fat. Tables for calculating your BMI abound, so it is a number you should be familiar with. As your BMI increases so does the incidence of chronic disease. Another measurement that closely correlates to chronic health risks (especially heart disease) is your waist circumference. This is measuring your waist at its greatest diameter (not where you wear your belt… guys!) and studies indicate that you don't live as long if your waist measurements are greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women.
5. Moderate alcohol consumption.
I know I am going to take some flak for this one, but many studies show that moderate alcohol intake (defined as one glass of wine a day) is associated with greater longevity. This is not either a justification of current consumption or a reason to begin drinking if you are a teetotaler, but the science is convincing that a little nip (and I do mean a little) can provide some antioxidant benefit to the cells. This is a great example of more is not better. It should be noted that overall the health risks of alcohol consumption are greater than the benefits in many cases.
6. Develop two or three good friendships.
In the past several years there have been some fascinating studies that have looked at the positive health benefits of social networking. There has not been a good physical explanation as to why people who have two or three close ties live longer than those who don't, however, I suspect it is more related to the emotional benefits they provide. We all know that our thoughts, feelings, and emotions directly relate to our physical well-being. People who feel good about their relationships tend to have more emotional stability. This can translate into such physical benefits as an improved immune system and a decrease in psychological problems.
7. Join a church.
I am not proselytizing or recommending joining a particular faith or denomination, however a study from 2000 showed convincingly that those who were regular church attendees were 36% less likely to suffer a major illness during the time period of the study. The positive effect of religious affiliation was independent of whether the person attended a church, synagogue, or mosque. It was those who expressed a true belief and practiced the tenants of their religion who had fewer illnesses. It was clear that joining a church for health benefits alone was not effective.
The Fountain of Youth is flowing from the pages of the scientific journals, and we can drink in the knowledge so as to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
Aging is a cellular event. If we want to know how to live longer, we have to know what keeps our cells happy.
Over the past ten years, watershed discoveries of what keeps our cells happy have captivated the medical community. Scouring the literature reveals seven practices that have been unequivocally linked to healthy cells and long lives. The most important and exciting part in these findings is that anyone can benefit regardless of genetics, finances, current health, or age. In other words, being healthy and living longer is foremost a choice. But here's the hard part. It requires discipline and effort.
1. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2005, consuming five fruits or vegetables per day reduced the overall mortality of the study population by 24%. Eating this number of fruits and vegetables every day is easy to accomplish as most need little preparation and can even be used as great snacks. Today's marketplace supplies fruits and vegetables year-round, and they are some of the most affordable foodstuffs in the grocery store.
2. Do in aerobic exercise for 30 to 45 minutes a day
The most exciting research on this topic relates to exercise and its relationship to neuroplasticity or the ability of the brain to regenerate damaged brain cells. This may establish exercise as both a prevention and treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Exercise is indeed the fountain of youth and can benefit any age including kids and seniors.
3. Don't smoke!
It is amazing that this even has to be on the list, but 25% of adults still smoke and smoking among teens has increased over the past few years. A recent study from Michigan State University showed that you can reduce your likelihood of premature death by 76% by stopping smoking. One of the biggest health challenges of today is to reduce or prevent teenage tobacco abuse.
4. Maintain a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9.
The BMI is a measure of your lean body mass (muscle) and percent body fat. Tables for calculating your BMI abound, so it is a number you should be familiar with. As your BMI increases so does the incidence of chronic disease. Another measurement that closely correlates to chronic health risks (especially heart disease) is your waist circumference. This is measuring your waist at its greatest diameter (not where you wear your belt… guys!) and studies indicate that you don't live as long if your waist measurements are greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women.
5. Moderate alcohol consumption.
I know I am going to take some flak for this one, but many studies show that moderate alcohol intake (defined as one glass of wine a day) is associated with greater longevity. This is not either a justification of current consumption or a reason to begin drinking if you are a teetotaler, but the science is convincing that a little nip (and I do mean a little) can provide some antioxidant benefit to the cells. This is a great example of more is not better. It should be noted that overall the health risks of alcohol consumption are greater than the benefits in many cases.
6. Develop two or three good friendships.
In the past several years there have been some fascinating studies that have looked at the positive health benefits of social networking. There has not been a good physical explanation as to why people who have two or three close ties live longer than those who don't, however, I suspect it is more related to the emotional benefits they provide. We all know that our thoughts, feelings, and emotions directly relate to our physical well-being. People who feel good about their relationships tend to have more emotional stability. This can translate into such physical benefits as an improved immune system and a decrease in psychological problems.
7. Join a church.
I am not proselytizing or recommending joining a particular faith or denomination, however a study from 2000 showed convincingly that those who were regular church attendees were 36% less likely to suffer a major illness during the time period of the study. The positive effect of religious affiliation was independent of whether the person attended a church, synagogue, or mosque. It was those who expressed a true belief and practiced the tenants of their religion who had fewer illnesses. It was clear that joining a church for health benefits alone was not effective.
The Fountain of Youth is flowing from the pages of the scientific journals, and we can drink in the knowledge so as to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
