Life is damn pleasant, but sometimes incredibly difficult. And the theme of death, which has worried humanity since time immemorial, is still full of unanswered questions. People have tried and are trying to invent the very "medicine" - if not for eternal life, then for the preservation of youth. Bill Gifford, an American science journalist and publicist, tried to find out what scientists have achieved in studying this burning issue. He shares the results of his large-scale investigation in the book “Getting old is not necessary! Be Forever Young, or Do Your Best for This”, published in Russia by the publishing house“Alpina Publisher”. It turned out exciting, clever, and most importantly - applicable in life. AnySports explains why.
We have begun to live longer
This is a well-known fact. Since then, as a person accustomed himself to the elementary rituals of hygiene - washing hands, using clean water - life expectancy has increased. Although there is still a tangible inequality in indicators between residents of developed and less prosperous countries. According to the World Health Organization, “the average life expectancy of newborn babies in 29 high-income countries is 80 years or more, while the life expectancy of newborns in 22 other countries in sub-Saharan Africa is below 60 years..
Nevertheless, this trend has significantly influenced the very phenomenon of old age. Due to the fact that living conditions are improving, and the boundaries of life have shifted for several decades, the body of modern inhabitants of the Earth is aging more slowly.
Today, 70-year-olds are as healthy as 60-year-olds decades ago. Their physical condition begins to deteriorate much later: now the worst last five years of life occur at the age of 80–85, and not at 70, as before.
Unfortunately, so far this tendency is typical mainly for prosperous countries with a high standard of living. But scientists believe that the aging process can and should be taken under control, and this should be done as early as possible. The secret is to be attentive to yourself, your habits and lifestyle.
Although, according to all gerontologists (scientists who deal with the problem of aging), so far no comprehensive attention has been paid to the aging process. And instead of working to stay healthy and active throughout life, we are waiting for the typical age-related diseases - cardiovascular, cognitive diseases, diabetes and even cancer.
This is ridiculous as more and more researchers are beginning to realize that aging is the main risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's, and that there is something in the aging process itself that links all of these diseases. Each of them begins imperceptibly and develops over a long time without any obvious symptoms. Dysfunctions at the cellular level, leading to Alzheimer's disease, begin decades before cognitive changes are noticeable; the same goes for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In other words, when we realize that we are sick, it is too late to cure the disease. So why don't we try to look deeper - to understand what exactly makes us vulnerable to these diseases during aging?
Having started to investigate the problem, experts have discovered a lot of interesting things. For example:
Hormone therapy is not the answer
For a long time, it was believed that hormonal injections are urgently needed during menopause in women and andropause in men.
Hormone therapy is an attempt to address one of the most obvious problems of aging: we are decrepit. We are losing our vitality. Men become less masculine and women less feminine. Estrogen is a wonderful substance; it makes a woman's body fertile and attractive, with smooth skin and mouth-watering curves, while testosterone provides men with prominent muscles, masculine strength and self-confidence. But in middle age, the production of both of these hormones begins to decline - gradually in men, rapidly in women.
Research has shown that this approach does not improve health. On the contrary, the risk of developing breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, venous thromboembolism, and strokes increases.
The negative effects are associated not only with injections of estrogen and testosterone, but also with growth hormone or growth hormone (STH). Studies show that "growth hormone and longevity are inversely related." If immediately after taking this hormone, general well-being improves, then in the long term, an excess of STH provokes the development of cancer cells and can lead to early death.
Fasting - Prevention of Aging
It turns out that our lifespan is directly related to our metabolism, as well as to the vital activity of cells. This is how it works:
These metabolic pathways are tied to one important cellular protein called TOR, which functions as a master switch in a factory. When the switch is turned on, the factory (that is, the cell) begins to work: amino acids are actively processed into proteins that serve as building blocks, intermediaries, catalysts, etc.
Suppression of TOR protein activity also inhibits cell growth pathways (mechanisms) that are believed to cause aging. When the TOR switch is turned off, protein production stops, which slows down cell division and the animal does not grow - and does not age. Instead, his cells begin to cleanse themselves and heal themselves. In addition, in this mode, they resist stress better and use energy more efficiently - therefore, they are more difficult to damage. This is a classic example of a positive hormesis response - the stress response.
And stress in this case is nothing more than fasting! Within reasonable limits, of course. Evolutionarily, the human body is programmed to successfully endure hunger and do it with benefit! Agree - our ancestors rarely had the opportunity to eat regularly, several times a day, and even with snacks. And this led to the fact that the cells of the human body for its survival began to adhere to a simple principle: there is no food - there is no point in spending energy on growth. Intermittent fasting or cutting your diet to 25% of your normal daily intake will suppress the production of growth hormone and TOR protein, two of the main drivers of cellular aging, according to researchers. Truly, all ingenious is simple!
What can you do to live longer?
There is no universal recipe for longevity. There are many more research topics in the science of aging. It is quite possible that new causes of age-related changes will soon be identified. For example, it is possible that in some cases longevity is due to the structure of DNA - here, simple therapy is definitely not enough! But so far, experts note that the most accessible and way in the fight against aging are not drugs, but a conscious attitude towards oneself. First of all, in matters of nutrition and physical activity.
So, in food, you need to know when to stop - the examples of many centenarians show that excessive culinary delights are not at all necessary for a healthy existence. The diet should have a balanced level of proteins and carbohydrates, as well as a moderate content of sugars - all of these substances accelerate the production of growth hormone and TOR protein.
With regard to physical activity, then it must absolutely be added to your life. You don't have to play sports - the main thing is that you have enough movement in your daily life. With him, perhaps, the meaning of life will come to her!
Be attentive to yourself, be active and watch what you eat. And just remember to enjoy life!
