“Biologists have estimated that the human body has the potential to last 120 years if not abused and properly cared for.”
Wisdom, discipline and lifestyle play a huge role in people’s longevity. The COVID-19 pandemic is a good example. While seniors, especially those with health problems, are more prone to infection, a large majority of them have been so cautious and vigilant that they have evaded the virus, compared to carefree, arrogant younger ones who have not been as disciplined to get infected. Many of them died anyway, despite their genetic code for life.
According to the University of Minnesota, the death rate among young people aged 25 to 44 in New York was 38% as of December 17, 2020. That’s almost half the death rate for seniors. In fact, a healthy lifestyle has an impact on longevity.
COVID-19 cases worldwide have reached nearly 110 million, with approximately 2.5 million deaths; United States – nearly 28.5 million cases and nearly half a million deaths; and the Philippines – about 553,000 and about 12,000 deaths.
Nearly 180 million doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide. In the US, approximately 55 million, or approximately 11.6 percent of the US population, have received the vaccine. Around 12.6 million doses are administered daily.
About a century ago, the average life expectancy for American men was 46 years and today it is 78.93 years, an added bonus of 32.93 years. This is based on statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Biologists have estimated that the human body has the potential to last 120 years if not abused and properly cared for. The “fountain of youth” seems to be a healthy lifestyle.
How we live will predict 75% of how far we can get.
There are some “strategies” that have been scientifically proven that can maximize longevity.
The studies also “calculated” how many “added years” each regime gives to the person using one of them. While the benefits are not cumulative, the more strategies are used, the greater the chance of longer life.
For example, if you restrict cell phone use while driving, your life will be 45 seconds longer for every call you don’t make. According to Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier of the University of Toronto loses 99 years of life in traffic accidents every day while a driver is on the phone.
Have sex often and live longer if possible. Studies have shown that there is an inversely proportional “dose-response” relationship between orgasms and heart problems. The more sex, the lower the risk of heart disease. A study of 918 men showed that those who had sex the most had a 50% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
If you reduce your caloric intake (the amount of food you eat) by a third of what you eat now, you can lower your cholesterol and extend your life by 2 to 3 years. Leaving the dining table less than full is a healthy practice.
A study by the UCLA School of Public Health shows that men who consumed 300 mg or more of vitamin C per day lived 5.5 years longer than men who consumed less than 50 mg. Getting enough vitamin C from vegetables and fruits is the best way to do this.
It has been found that helping your spouse to look after your children increases life expectancy.
If you lower your cholesterol from 239 to 200 it will extend your life by 6 months, and if you lower it from a high value from 300 to 200 it will extend your life another 4 years. This can be achieved through diet, exercise and, if necessary, cholesterol lowering medication.
Attend church twice a week and extend your life to 7-14 years as reported in Demographics. In addition to learning to abstain from tobacco and alcohol, the religion in this case also provides strong social and psychological bonds and other best practices that are conducive to a healthier lifestyle.
Research has shown that active social life can add almost 10 years to life. Those with practically no friends, minimal social contacts, live 4.5 years shorter.
Out of 10,000 men studied, those with the highest aerobic fitness lived 8.7 years longer than the least healthy.
A regular medical exam increases the lifespan by 2 to 3 years by preventing diseases and detecting diseases in their early, curable stages.
Eating less red meat will extend the lifespan by up to 9 years. A diet high in fish, soy, legumes, beans and other vegetables increases life expectancy by 13%. Limiting red meat to 3 ounces twice a week if not eliminated entirely, in exchange for chicken meat, is sufficient.
Get a dog and walk with him every day to add 5 years to your life. The studies at the Cooper Institute reported that men who walked briskly for 30 minutes a day five times a week added five years to their lifespan.
Those who give up tobacco live five years longer than smokers. Alcoholics die at least 8 years earlier than disciplined drinkers or non-drinkers.
Normal or medically controlled blood pressure increases your life expectancy by five to 5.3 years. The normal standard blood pressure, which used to be 120/80, has been lowered to around 115/70. You can reduce your risk of death by 13% over the next two decades by ignoring fast-food fries / hamburger chains, a study of 3,000 men confirms. Normal control of body weight will extend the lifespan by 8 to 20 months.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer / writer, a public health attorney, and chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501 ( c) 3 humanitarian and anti-transplant foundations in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com E-Mail: [email protected]
