How Centenarians Explain Their Longevity The really encouraging part of this report is that so many of them say they feel 20 years younger. Like saying, Man, I feel so happy! I feel like 80! Also, we need to realise that these people were 60 years old before the food industry entered the stock market and processed toxic foods became the norm. Excerpts: Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of the US population, with numbers doubling every decade... Hundreds of centenarians have been interviewed about what they believe explains their long life, and 10 key themes have been identified If you want to live to be 100, there are four key nutrients important for overall brain health, helping prevent dementia and cognitive decline: vitamin D, DHA, folate, and magnesium ... Some jokingly said they attribute their longevity to avoiding dying. Others give hints to their life philosophy, such as Find your passion and live it, Make time to cry, and Practice forgiveness. Centenarians overwhelmingly cite stress as the most important thing to avoid. Their lives are marked by as many stressful events as the rest of us, but they differ in how well they manage their stress. Rather than dwelling on it, they let it go. And they are very happy people! … Rx: Happiness Happy people live longer—by 35 percent, according to one study.11 Another study found that happiness and contentment increases health and longevity.12 Other studies show optimists live longer than pessimists.13 So its no surprise that centenarians are a happy and optimistic lot. Positive thoughts and attitudes seem to somehow do things in your body that strengthen your immune system, boost positive emotions, decrease pain, and provide stress relief. In fact, its been scientifically shown that happiness can alter your genes! A team of researchers at UCLA showed that people with a deep sense of happiness and well-being had lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger antiviral and antibody responses.14 This falls into the realm of epigenetics—changing the way your genes function by turning them off and on. Part of your longevity may depend on the DNA you were born with, but an even larger part depends on epigenetics—over which you have more control. Your thoughts, feeling, emotions, diet, and other lifestyle factors exert epigenetic influences every minute of the day, playing a central role in aging and disease.15 Perhaps its not as important to avoid that bowl of ice cream as it is to feel sheer bliss when eating it... at least, on occasion! articles.mercola/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/09/centenarians.aspx Story at-a-glance Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of the US population, with numbers doubling every decade; by the year 2050, the number of people who will have reached the century mark is expected to pass one million Research shows centenarians have 60 percent lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, yet scientific explanations for their health and longevity remain elusive Centenarians as a group are happy and optimistic and have extremely low rates of depression and other psychiatric problems, suggesting that personality traits may be one of the most significant factors in longevity Hundreds of centenarians have been interviewed about what they believe explains their long life, and 10 key themes have been identified If you want to live to be 100, there are four key nutrients important for overall brain health, helping prevent dementia and cognitive decline: vitamin D, DHA, folate, and magnesium
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 01:57:37 +0000