Looking for the Fountain of Youth
Books about how to stay young and live longer abound. Almost everyone is interested in living a long life and looking and feeling young. No Ponce de Leons are traveling to new lands on a search for a magic fountain to restore their youth. However, researchers are looking at genes, cells, hormones, eating patterns, and other factors for clues about what causes aging and how to prevent or slow it.
Research has identified three strategies that may help people live longer: exercising, following certain types of diets, and eating fewer calories.
People who exercise are healthier than those who do not. Exercise has many established health benefits: improving and maintaining the ability to function, maintaining a healthy weight, and helping prevent or postpone disorders such as coronary artery disease and diabetes.
People who eat a low-fat diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables are healthier than people who eat more fat and starch. Also, people who live in Mediterranean countries and consume the so-called Mediterranean diet seem to live longer. This diet is generally thought to be healthier than northern European and American diets because it consists of more grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish and less red meat. In addition, the main fat consumed is olive oil. Olive oil contains many vitamins and consists mainly of monounsaturated fat rather than saturated fat. Monounsaturated fats do not increase cholesterol the way saturated fats do.
A low-calorie diet over a lifetime may lead to longer life because it reduces the number of certain damaging substances in the body. These substances, called free radicals, are by-products of the normal activity of cells. The damage done to cells by free radicals is thought to contribute to aging and to disorders such as coronary artery disease and cancer. But no studies to test this theory have been done in people.
These three strategies would require a change in lifestyle for most people. Consequently, many people look for other, less demanding ways to prevent or slow aging. For example, they may look for other ways to manage free radicals. Substances called antioxidants can neutralize free radicals and thus help prevent damage to cells. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants. So some people take large amounts of these vitamins as supplements in the hope of slowing the aging process. Other antioxidants, such as beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A), are also sometimes taken as supplements. In theory, the use of antioxidants to prevent aging makes sense. However, no studies have shown that antioxidants prevent or slow aging.
Levels of some hormones decrease as people age. Another way people try to delay or slow aging is to take supplements of these hormones. Examples are testosterone, estrogen, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), human growth hormone, and melatonin. But whether hormonal supplements have any effect on aging is unknown. Furthermore, some of these supplements have known risks.
Some people believe that Eastern practices, such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong, can prolong life. These practices are based on the principle that health involves the whole person (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) and balance within the body. The practices may include relaxation, breathing techniques, diet, and meditation as well as exercise. They are safe for older people and probably improve their health. But whether these practices prolong life is difficult to prove.
