# Is it really healthy?



## JadecloudAlchemist (Mar 30, 2009)

This article was interesting: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328...heart_risks;_ylt=AtC0EaLlGHZqj34TR_8SPHPVJRIF

Jean Calment oldest verfied person lived to 122. She was a smoker her attribute to long life according to her is:Garlic,vegetables,cigarettes,wine,avoid fighting,olive oil and chocolate.

She was active but not in the sense of going to the gym 3x a week.

Shigechyo Izumi lived to 120 yrs old. He was a smoker,drank alcohol,his exercise was most likely farming his Sugarcane.He attributes his long life to religion.

Marie Louis Meille lived to 117 she was a smoker,vegetarian,and ate junk food.

Emiliano Mercado lived to 115 he credited his long life to corn,milk,codfish and humor.
Maria de Jesus lived to 115 credits her long life to vegetables and fish.
Eva morris lived to 114 credits Whiskey,onions,enjoyed a cigarette once in a while,and bicycle.
Ettie mae Greene lived to 114 and drank milkshakes everyday.
Fred Hale lived to 113 he credits Whiskey,Bee pollen,honey.
Moses Hardy lived to 110 credits cabbage,corn bread,butter milk,potatos and Dr.Pepper.
John ingram Mcmorran lived to 113 he smoked,drank and ate greasy food.
It is highly doubtful any of them took vitamins on a regular basis or they did not credit taking vitamins to it. It looks that most were not healthy eaters,or active in exercising on a regular basis. Some might say it is genetics which may be true because some of the family does have long life as well but not always the case because some of them do out live their children. It is just an interesting view on what we think is healthy.


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## CuongNhuka (Mar 30, 2009)

JadecloudAlchemist said:


> It is highly doubtful any of them took vitamins on a regular basis or they did not credit taking vitamins to it. It looks that most were not healthy eaters,or active in exercising on a regular basis. Some might say it is genetics which may be true because some of the family does have long life as well but not always the case because some of them do out live their children. It is just an interesting view on what we think is healthy.


 
I looked over the list and it looks like most only had one or two bad habbits (smoking and/or junk food). Alcohol is actually good for you if you drink in small amounts (it is a rpoven fact that it reduces blood pressure). I've read a few articles that show that for the most part, a vegetarian diet, closeness with family, humor, and faith of some sort all help prolong life. Most of the people on the list, had a few of those. Genetics does seem to play a roll.


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## Bill Mattocks (Mar 30, 2009)

I've never understood why reporters ask centenarians _"To what do you attribute your long life?"_  How they heck would they know?

There are an incredible number of factors that impact longevity.  I think the only scientific study on longevity that has come up with anything like repeatable results (in white mice) is a near-starvation diet, which can extend lifespan by 20% or more.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20070503/d_longevity_gene03.art.htm


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## Nomad (Mar 30, 2009)

Keep in mind that the reason these people were looked at and interviewed was simply because they happened to survive as long as they did.  I think luck is playing as much a hand as anything else here.


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## CuongNhuka (Mar 30, 2009)

Nomad said:


> Keep in mind that the reason these people were looked at and interviewed was simply because they happened to survive as long as they did. I think luck is playing as much a hand as anything else here.


 
Agreed. However, the study I was referncing interviewed/studied individuals from three groups known for making 'super-centurians'. Those are Sicilians, Okinawans, and a religous group (whose name I cann't remember, but are mostly in California). They noticed the groups studied had 'good genes', a mostly vegetarian diet/ate alot of fish and chicken, and all that other good stuff I mentioned earlier.


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## JadecloudAlchemist (Mar 30, 2009)

10 People I used. Out of a possible 90 or so who's history taken was not included on diet,lifestyle or other factors. The 10 I chose gave details on what they did daily in their lives they felt contributed to their health. On the list we can see good things such as vegetables and fish,cholocolate,wine,onions. But out of the 10 we have 5 who smoked,4 whos diet is not to good and out of the 10 none contributed exercise as to their long life. It is quite a difference to going to the gym 3x's a week,running mathatons,taking supplements.



> There are an incredible number of factors that impact longevity. I think the only scientific study on longevity that has come up with anything like repeatable results (in white mice) is a near-starvation diet, which can extend lifespan by 20% or more.


 We do know that limited calories do have an impact on health there have been human studies done on this I wish I had the doctors name who did it with his team. I think he did between 1,000-1,500 daily calorie intake. 


> Keep in mind that the reason these people were looked at and interviewed was simply because they happened to survive as long as they did. I think luck is playing as much a hand as anything else here.


 I think Luck/Genes does have a good factor in it. But how much does Genes play in your long life? We know that if you take Japanese and feed one a traditional diet and one a Western diet we can see a huge difference in quality of life. However in the Supercenturians we do find alot of people from the Kyushu area of Japan to be on the list 



> However, the study I was referncing interviewed/studied individuals from three groups known for making 'super-centurians'. Those are Sicilians, Okinawans, and a religous group (whose name I cann't remember, but are mostly in California). They noticed the groups studied had 'good genes', a mostly vegetarian diet/ate alot of fish and chicken, and all that other good stuff I mentioned earlier.


 The Seventh day adventist?


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## grydth (Mar 30, 2009)

We need to visit Walmart to see if we can buy some of them thar Japanese jeans that lead to such long lives...

Too bad these centipedarians miss the enormous humor potential presented by such interviews. If even a few would credit their longevity to a titanic fart let go each morning, or daily unnatural relations with a goat, or eating wasp thoraxes for lunch..... imagine the fun with the hordes of imitators.....


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## CuongNhuka (Mar 30, 2009)

JadecloudAlchemist said:


> The Seventh day adventist?


 
Bingo.


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## terryl965 (Mar 31, 2009)

I think they where just some of the ones lucky enough to live longer, in the end does it really matter what we do as long as we enjoy it to the fullest.


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## Flea (Mar 31, 2009)

Another good case study on this is the Shakers.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers

They had a heavy emphasis on an extreme (for its time) interpretation of "clean living."  Bathing every day, LOTS of exercise running a fully self-sufficient commune, technological innovations in architecture for excellent climate control (heat in winter!) and great social efficiency so everyone got an adequate and very healthy diet.  As a result, the average Shaker lifespan extended well into the 60s, beating their neighbors by a good 20 years or so.  At some of their communes, members of the surrounding community would often winter with them for survival.

Ultimately, the Shakers died out because they believed in total celibacy.  They had a fantastic run and were able to adopt children by the thousands because of their economic and cultural success.  I think the last Shaker woman died in the 1960s.


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## CuongNhuka (Mar 31, 2009)

Flea said:


> Ultimately, the Shakers died out because they believed in total celibacy.


 
Didn't they also credit there long life span to that?


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## Flea (Mar 31, 2009)

They may have a point on that.  Romance can be stressful!  :uhyeah:


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## Nomad (Mar 31, 2009)

CuongNhuka said:


> Didn't they also credit there long life span to that?


 
If so, I don't mind dying a little younger. 

It reminds me of a recent study looking at different average lifespans in different areas of the country.  One of the ones that came up was that if you live in Buffalo, NY rather than southern California where I am now, you're likely to live 9-12 months longer.  The downside is that you have to live in Buffalo...


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