The key to long life?

[Jikx]

The premise would be to limit the number of cellular divisions..

So things like:

Staying out of the sun (lower cell damage and therefore turnover)
Caloric Restriction (lower overall energy needs + less oxidative stress)
Eating a lot of suplements (so the body does not need to synthesise them)
Minimize all work (i.e no unecessary movements, less cell damage, less oxidative stress)
Climate controlled (ambient temp correct so the body requires very little internal heating, nor wasting energy to produce sweat)

Anything to add to the list? Would these even help?

[iansmith]

Caloric restriction will decrease the speed of aging; however, your health might suffer as you may lack vital nutrient. Supplements might also be hazard if they are not taken properly.

I think exercise if better than no excersized. As far as I remember, the person doing a caloric restriction still did regular exercise but it was in water rather than on the ground.

[selfAdjoint]

Caloric restriction will decrease the speed of aging; however, your health might suffer as you may lack vital nutrient. Supplements might also be hazard if they are not taken properly.

I think exercise if better than no excersized. As far as I remember, the person doing a caloric restriction still did regular exercise but it was in water rather than on the ground.

Yes, I think if you severly restrict your diet, as I have been doing for about a year, you have to pay careful attention to WHAT you eat. I eat oatmeal and salads, bread and some cheese. I take supplements of folic acid, B6, and magnesium, as well as an aspirin a day. Once a week I eat some meat (usually beef). This is in addition to my prescriptions; metformin for my blood sugar, lisinopril for blood pressure, and fluvastatin for cholesterol. So far it's working, my numbers have stabilized at good values, and my weight (at 6'4") is 177 pounds..

[Sho'Nuff]

The idea behind the suplements is more the fact that if you lack essential nutrients you will accumulate DNA damage.

I also dont agree with the non-movement part although I would recommend against professional sports. Its vital to keep the body in good shape to fight of disease. A good infection can tremendously speed up the turnover of cells.
So light exersise daily

If I had to add to the list I would say one glas of red whine a day preferrable pinot noir and a fresh bottle every time. :tongue2:

Perhaps an aspirin twice a weak which has been suggested to be beneficial against atherosclerosis and varous types of cancer

[gamze]

Wine would be good:)
Resveratrol, a kind of sirtuin, is said to be anti-aging, and present in red wine. Calorie restricted diet is a good way too, but may have some expenses as iansmith says. There is important research carried on C.elegans and its dauers on this subject, some substances and overexpression of some genes increase their life cycle a lot.

[Tom McCurdy]

The key to a long life is not dieing.

[ConcealedDreamer]

The key to a long life is not dieing.

Haha...That's true, yet obvious.


Another thing I want to add is, if this is what it takes to live longer (no excercise, controled diet, and other minimal fundamental activities) then there's no point in living longer. I rather enjoy the short life and live it happily and freely . There's much more things in life than trying to live longer. :smile:

[Astronuc]

Eating at least five portions a day of certain fruit and vegetables could cut the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 50%, US researchers believe.

Onions, garlic, beans, carrots, corn, dark leafy vegetables and citrus fruits were among the most protective foods, according to the study.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4554790.stm

Eating fresh vegetables and fruits will apparently contribute to a healthier and longer life.

Exercise is also important as well as moderating caloric intake.

Avoiding 'red' meat e.g. beef, and eating instead pork, chicken and fish, will help.

Drinking black tea apparently helps.

And having a positive attitude toward life.

I mention these points based on the fact that they contributed to my grandfather living to 103+ yrs.

Also see - "Lessons From the Earth's Elders" - http://www.webmd.com/content/article/113/110882.htm

The oldest people on earth share their wisdom on living a long and healthy life.

At age 115, Bettie Wilson is a walking miracle, a study in sturdiness. Scientists have long been fascinated by people like her, the oldest of the old. What are their secrets? How do some manage to avoid the diseases that cut short most lives?

Today, about 450 people in the world are past 110, according to The Gerontology Project, an Atlanta-based independent research group that has tracked and documented the ages of these supercentenarians. Many more have hit the full-century mark: about 50,000 people in the U.S. alone and 100,000 worldwide, according to the Boston-based New England Centenarian Study.
. . . .
From these encounters, Friedman uncovered common threads -- personal traits, habits, and attitudes that may offer secrets to longevity. What he found, scientists tell WebMD, matches what the research studies are showing. There is a pattern to longevity that we can control, to some extent. Quite simply, it means taking better care of ourselves -- plus staying active, curious, and confident that things will work out.

[The_Professional]

i had a great great grandmother who ate fish and fresh vegetables everyday who lived till 102 years. i believe that's all she ate. unfortunately, she died when she hit her head as she fell off the stairs

[DaveC426913]

This is in addition to my prescriptions; metformin for my blood sugar, lisinopril for blood pressure, and fluvastatin for cholesterol. So far it's working, my numbers have stabilized at good values, and my weight (at 6'4") is 177 pounds..
Um. Being Diabetic is a rather important point to mention when asking about any issue to do with longevity, diet and general health...:rolleyes:

If you can keep those blood sugars down through diet and exercise alone without the use of medication, you will be doing excellently (and will ipso facto, be living a calorie-restricted diet.)

[force]

Ive heared drinking more water helps prevent aging the brain.

My grandmother told me of a story of a man that lived to be up to 190, he never went outside of his house !

[Schrodinger's Dog]

I read an article in New Scientist that says that people who are slightly overweight tend to live longer than those who are ideal weight or thin, as a statistical average and when all other conditions were accounted for, this has proved true in several studies. Not exactly conclusive but interesting.

Stress reduction is key. Getting enough sleep also pretty key, if you can survive on 4 hrs a day fine but it doesn't mean you have to. Shift working especially triple shifts etc will make you live less long. There are countless odd things you'd never think would affect health but you'd be surprised.

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Oh and I forgot that French lady that lived to 120+ I forget exactly how long but she met Van Gogh. said that her key to a long life was a glass of red wine a day and a positive attitude.

[selfAdjoint]

Um. Being Diabetic is a rather important point to mention when asking about any issue to do with longevity, diet and general health...:rolleyes:
If you can keep those blood sugars down through diet and exercise alone without the use of medication, you will be doing excellently (and will ipso facto, be living a calorie-restricted diet.)


The weight is down due to diet, of course. When I went for a few months without glucose meds a couple of years ago (changing from one region of the VA to another) my glucose level stabilized at around 150, which the doctor thought was acceptible without meds.

[Azael]

strong antioxidant like r-ala and yet to be discovered phytochemicals will probably be a great aid aswell.

Linus Pauling probably had alot going with his ideas.

[Astronuc]

Turning Back the Hands of Time
Being young may be largely a lifestyle choice
By Anne McGrath

Here's some news for baby boomers turning 60: Working out and eating right can make you younger. So say Henry Lodge and Chris Crowley, authors of the new book Younger Next Year for Women: Live Like You're 50--Strong, Fit, Sexy--Until You're 80 and Beyond and the men's version published a year ago. Based on the emerging understanding of the biology of aging, the duo say, 70 percent of the typical American's decline is preventable. Lodge, 47, is an internist who teaches at Columbia's medical school. Crowley, a retired New York attorney, showed up at age 65 for a consultation with Lodge, overweight and achy all over. Today, at 71, after several years of spinning classes, he's fitter than ever. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/060213/13younger.htm