Decoding Key Reasons For a Longer Life Span

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Highlights

• For a longer life span: Eat local, traditional, time tested food to meet your body's nutritional requirements
• Genes and family history of diseases also play a very crucial role in determining the longevity of an individual
• Physical exercise, yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, and healthy relationships with people also influence longevity

The average life expectancy continues to increase year after year. In the United States, the life expectancy is 81.5 years of age. This is a good benchmark to be working towards to live a longer and healthier life.

A healthy body is the key to a healthy life. A healthy body helps to prevent diseases, obesity, and can delay the effects of aging. To live a longer and healthier life, you need to take care of your body. Eating healthy and exercising are the basics to a longer and healthier life.

What Plays a Major Role in Human Longevity?

Low calorie, nutrient dense balanced diet is one of the important contributors for a long human life span. Nutrient dense foods, fruits, vegetables are laden with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (3^✔). They maintain the shape and structure of the cell. This intact damage free cell structure prevents the cell from being destroyed. This helps in delaying aging.

‘Human longevity is linked closely to the quality of food one takes, better social connections, regular physical exercise and a peaceful lifestyle’

Physical exercise is mandatory. There is much evidence linking exercise and decreased incidence of heart diseases and stroke-related illnesses. So physical exercise is a very important way to prevent sudden deaths thereby increasing your life span (4^✔).

Apart from lifestyle changes, genes play a very important role in determining longevity. Studies reveal that 25% variation in human life span is due to genes (1^✔). Genes regulating insulin, growth factor pathways have been associated with determining longevity in human beings (1^✔). Many genes related to human life span are identified. They are being studied for important clues and treatment options to delay aging and help with neurodegenerative diseases.

Social relationships also play a very important role in determining the human life span and longevity. Research repeatedly shows that people with healthy, warm, positive relationship attitudes enjoy longer life spans (2^✔).

Environmental factors help in determining longevity by interacting with genes and modifying them.

What to Do and What Not to Do For A Longer Life Span?

Intake of a balanced diet with enough protein, carbs and fats, fibre, and antioxidants. Yoga and meditation have been proven to improve longevity in people by increasing the telomere length (5^✔). Telomeres are the aging checks in your genetic material. The longer the telomere, the longer your life span. Relaxation practices and having hobbies to engage and enjoy are also life-span-promoting habits.

Bad lifestyle practices should be given up as soon as possible. Cutting down on smoking and watching your alcohol and moderate red meat intake is mandatory. Red meat and processed foods are tagged with carcinogenic effects leading to various types of cancers. Focussing on mental health and seeking help, if necessary, also promote longer lifespan.

References:

1. Human longevity: Genetics or Lifestyle? It takes two to tango - (https:immunityageing.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12979-016-0066-z)
2. The Okinawan diet: health implications of a low-calorie, nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich dietary pattern low in glycemic load - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20234038/)
3. Male longevity in Sardinia, a review of historical sources supporting a causal link with dietary factors - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25369832/)
4. Exercise and longevity - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23063021/)
5. Longevity: potential life span and health span enhancement through practice of the basic yoga meditation regimen - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19735236/)

Source: Medindia

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