Two books have come out in the last few years that seem especially relevant to those baby boomers now experiencing a variety of ailments correlated with age: dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Parkinson’s, strokes, heart disease, cancer and so on. David Sinclair, a genetics professor at Harvard and author of “Lifespan” with Matthew LaPlante, suggests that aging is a disease, not something that is inevitable, as we are taught. Modern medicine is described as a Whack-a-Mole approach, treating one ailment at a time, often without regard to side effects.
Children born in Japan today can expect average lifespans of 100 years. In the US we have lagged behind in average lifespan statistics, mostly as a result of obesity, lack of exercise and poor diets. David Sinclair explains how, with a myriad of behavioural modifications, we can live not just longer, but much more active and healthier lives.
Another complimentary book, “The Great Age Reboot” by Michael Roizen MD, along with Peter Linneman PhD and Albert Ratner for the economic insights, suggests much longer lifespans are possible now. A spattering of salient points from both books are provided here, but first, back to the question: do you want to live forever?
Most people will say “no” as they think about long periods of time with illness and suffering, but with a lifespan of 120 years or more, and potentially 150 years by the end of the next century, more than 119 of those 120 years could be healthy and active. Professor Sinclair also suggests that assisted life ending procedures should be the ubiquitously legal, and suffering should not be the cultural norm enforced by a fear of legal jeopardy on the part of physicians.
Business and economist types will immediately think of the financial implications of longer lifespans. If we lived longer, but correspondingly, did not work longer, the social security and pension systems would go bankrupt, even sooner than the bleak path already underway. Yet, if in our 70s and 80s we felt the same as in our 30s and 40s we would not hesitate to work longer. Sinclair suggests the additional productivity and savings from eliminating so many age-related illnesses would more than offset the costs of longer retirements on the part of some people.
Dr Roizen et al. suggests that living longer, happy lives are possible as long as we maintain an interest, passion or purpose via work or volunteering. A healthy 75- year- old today, with some behavioural modifications and improvements in medicine, can expect to live 100 years. Among the keys to longer lives are the reduction in stress and having a “posse” or community of supportive friends and colleagues. One way to reduce stress is to garner sufficient resources that you can say “no” to working with jerks or violating your own moral compass, or wasting time in bureaucratic useless meetings.
Aside from reducing stress, Roizen suggests keeping weight down, exercising regularly, taking some supplements like Calcium, DHA Omega-3, low dose aspirin, ASU, NAD, Metformin, D3, possibly iron, eating blueberries, drinking coffee, and fasting on occasion. He also suggests eating less or no red meat, less dairy and fat, and not eating late in the evening or first thing in the morning, whereby we have longer periods without food while awake. The book covers a number of medical discoveries and research underway that will enhance lifespan, much of which is similar to “Lifespan”.
In Sinclair’s book, he goes into much more detail about new research, cancer treatments, and ways to avoid or delay cell senescence, which is when cells no longer continue to divide and repair themselves. Most diseases are caused indirectly by senescence and this “aging” process is a curable disease. Already in the labs, a number of techniques have been tested successfully on mice and yeast that can greatly extend lifespans. If you are over 60, Sinclair admits some of the damage (too much sun, bad diet, smoking) may have already occurred, but he also suggests a diet with less meat, less fat, less dairy, less pasta and bread, and less sugar will greatly enhance whatever years you have left. Fish is healthier than chicken, which is healthier than red meat and there are other ways to get protein, such as non-fat yogurt, quinoa, beans, soybeans, and a variety of vegetarian powders with concentrated protein. While he does not endorse any supplements, as a matter of principal, he does personally take NMN, Resveratrol, D3, K2, low dose aspirin, and he avoids desserts, pasta, and bread. Some red wine is okay and helpful in moderation.
On a personal level, I exercise regularly, keep my weight down, have never smoked, and have followed a diet similar to that suggested by Dr Roizen for over three decades now. I can attest that is it not easy, especially when you travel or go to a friend’s home for dinner. In order to keep cholesterol under control, I avoid fat of any kind, not even 1% milk. Butter is my enemy and red meat is something I have not had since 1985. This can make eating in a French style restaurant nearly impossible, and it seems that all the highly rated “gourmet” restaurants are “frenchified.” Fortunately, California is among the places where almond milk is ubiquitous and vegetarian or pescatarian choices abound, but I carry lots of low sugar protein bars, and try to be as diplomatic as possible when eating at friend’s homes, even partaking of poultry, if that is all that is available, as long as it is not cooked in butter. Avoiding desserts is easy for me, but fresh bread is my vice and downfall, along with a good wine or beer. Heart disease runs in the family along with diabetes, but Dr Roizen suggests we can, if disciplined enough, counter our genetic predispositions. I am counting on it.
So, do you want to live forever?
