Secrets of Longevity

The subject of longevity has long been a central preoccupation of man since the dawn of time. Philosophers, theologians, biologists and deep thinkers have their own pet theories about longevity, immortality and its antithesis, aging.

Curtis Fuller, publisher of Fate Magazine, suggested that progressive decay may be programmed into our genes or that large molecules such as proteins may lose function and flexibility as cross links form between them or that genetic mistakes accumulate throughout life.

Another theory that seems to explain so much, according to Fuller, is that the entities known as "free radicals," which are highly reactive chemicals, increasingly attack various parts of the body. These free radicals contain oxygen in various compounds. They are produced as a by-product of bodily functioning and are generated by ionizing radiation. They break down the body's tissues by oxidizing them. They oxidize the lipids (a form of fat) which are in the membranes surrounding all the cells of the body. They also oxidize the proteins and nucleic acids from which genes are made and this may be the first step in the sequences leading to cancer.

Denham Harman of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine suggests perhaps all life that depends on oxygen for survival "treads a thin tightrope." Oxygen is common and highly reactive and hence it leads to rapid metabolism in living creatures. Balance that against the fact that it is so active it tends to oxidize everything in sight. Thus, oxygen, which makes animal life possible, also carries within it the burning flames that, as in the free radicals containing oxygen, constantly destroys on a micro level the very life it sustains. This is the aging process.

So what can be done to halt or slow this aging? Take vitamin C and E. Medical researchers claim that these vitamins prolong the life of laboratory animals. Harman recommends that people who wish to live longer choose a diet rich in antioxidants, including the two vitamins.

Living to a ripe old age is something we're supposed to long for--if we love life and are contented. But what does it take to live that long? What do we have to do and what do we have to give up?

Dr. Georgi Z. Pitskhelauri, a Russian gerontologist who's been studying extremely old folks in his country, has put the results in a book, The Longliving of Soviet Georgia, and which findings were reported in an issue of Executive Fitness Newsletter.

An interesting finding shows that almost all of the long-living women of Soviet Georgia are housewives married for between 50 and 80 years; only 1.7 percent were not married. On the male side, no records show that any confirmed bachelor has ever lived to 100.

So if you're harvesting hot tips on longevity, the first one might be : Be married.

The findings also show that "the older-than-oldsters" tend to:

• Spend their entire lives in one locality, performing physical activity, while being bathed by the rays of mountain sunlight.
• Go to bed no later than 8 or 9 p.m. and sleep for up to 10 hours.
• Take long walks.
• Eat (in moderation) vegetables, salads, fruits (especially citrus fruits), dried herbs and unprocessed home-made cheese. Honey, not sugar, is the sweetener they use. And grapes are a big favorite.
• Avoid smoking.
• Eat three or four times a day, at specific times, and always not overeating.

No one lives forever. But we would be safe in saying that even if we don't, we must experience a unique quality of life--one that is lived actively and well. That quality alone is important.