Longevity seems to be highly influenced by luck, genes and money.
Nutritionists and experts in nutrition believe that healthy living can increase our lifespan, and this includes proper diet. The food technology is always introducing a new food fashion with different kinds of tastes to savor, and ways on how to eat it.
The essence of the real function of food in our lives is taken for granted most especially in the adult diet. But what are the basic nutritional needs of the older adults?
There is a rampant obesity in California. Men are predominant in the cases of overweight or obesity. To the extreme of this, there is this other side of the story that is seemed to be taken for granted. These are the unmet needs of more than 20% of the older adult population. They experience food insecurities while 4% live with hunger and insufficient supply of foods for their nutritional support. There is a recent reduction for federal funding for welfare programs, and concerns regarding this problem are probably not given enough attention by the media.
The evolution of health and food is affecting the diet of older adults. The advices that they get from experts in order to prevent themselves from having diseases and increase their lifespan are constantly changing, as their needs follow the demands of their age. Science supports this fact that the health risks and good nutrition are not always proportional to the effects of aging.
Longevity ‘gurus’ who claimed they held the nutrition secret have one thing in common – all of them are dead. Among the better known was Adelle Davis (1904 -1974), and she claimed not to have seen anyone die from cancer. She drank a quart of milk everyday but died at the age of 70 from cancer of the bones. Another notable guru was Nathan Pritkin(1915-1985).After he was diagnosed with heart disease Nathan championed a diet low on fat and rich in fiber as well as regular exercises. At age 69 and suffering from leukaemia, Nathan Pritkin committed suicide.
Robert Atkins(1930-2003) advocated a diet of high protein and low carbohydrate, and he died from a brain injury. Roy Walford (1924 -2004) proposed calorie intake restriction as a way to extend life, and he died of Lou Gehriga’s disease at the age 79. Jim Fixx(1932 -1984) claimed that jogging regularly provided immunity from heart disease, but he died at age 52 from a heart attack while he was out jogging. Alan Mintz (1938-2007), controversially promoted the use of human growth hormone- an anabolic steroid – and he died at the age of 69 from complications of a brain biopsy. Use of anabolic steroids seems particularly to heighten the risk of brain cancer.
The truth seems to be that scientists are unable to understand the aging process. Restriction of calorie intake is the only method shown to extend life across a selection of species, but it hasn’t been proven to work with humans.
‘Jean Louise Calment’ is the oldest person who has ever lived, and she had secrets of her own. She died in 1997, aged 122 years and 164 days. Calment started smoking at the age of 21, and she continued up to the age of 117. She drank port wine and ate close to two pounds of chocolate each week. She maintained her long life thanks to olive oil. She took olive oil for every meal, and she even rubbed it into her skin. But, the luxury of her daily habits aside, it is likely that her marrying into money had a significant influence on her longevity. Her circumstances meant she never had to work and enabled her to have a leisurely lifestyle, pursuing hobbies like tennis, cycling, swimming, roller skating piano and opera. Rich educated people in general live longer. So in the end, it comes down to ones genes, money and luck that determine how long one lives.
Trying to live healthy works, but it does not necessary mean that you will be able to cheat death.
Source: Sign On San Diego
Anti Aging,
Health And Aging,
Lifestyle
© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2011. |
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