The Key to Immortality

by Cecillia

Take a look around. Media, advertisements, books. America has become a sea of self-help, where admitting problems and asking for advice are now seen as weaknesses. No longer do people turn to each other for help. Instead, websites with titles, How to Live a Long Life, and Ways to Prolong Your Life receive thousands, if not millions of hits every year. The very existence of therapy has been understated into ‘little more than do-gooders with degrees.’ But the most prevalent question that resides today is still one unanswered.

“How can I live longer?”

Frankly, over the millennium, the maximum life span for humans has not change. It has, and is still, 150 years old. What has changed is the life expectancy. Back in 1796, humans lived only to around twenty years old. In other words, everyone was underage drinkers. As of 2009, the average age is 66.57 years, which means the life expectancy had tripled in just two hundred years.

There are various factors that determine the life span of a person, such as gender, cultural background, lifestyle, and genetics.

Jeanne Louise Calment holds the record for having the longest confirmed human life span in history, living for 122 years and 164 days. But it is not a coincidence that the longest living human was a woman. On average, women tend to live longer than men. Why?

A supposed theory is ovulation. Though men do not have to put up with mood swings, cramps, migraines, or any of the monthly presents life has given to their counterparts, the payoff is a longer lifespan. Through ovulation cycles, women purge toxins and other harmful chemicals from their bodies. Think of it like detoxification.

As of 2008, Japan is ranked number one for highest life expectancy in the world. As men live around 79.0 years and women live to 86.1 years, that average out to 82.6 years. Compared to United States which, at rank 38, is at 78.2 years, that seems really quite amazing. The reason for such a difference lies in not the technology, but lifestyle. Contributing factors to a higher life expectancy are due to a healthy diet of: fish as opposed to red meat, soy products that help reduce heart disease and high blood pressure, buckwheat flour which helps with digestion, and small portions.

But what it really comes down to is deoxyribonucleic acid. At the very ends of chromosomes are telomeres which act like the plastic tips on shoe laces. Telomeres are there for the sole purpose of keeping the chromosomes from scrambling. They are also what allow cells to divide continually without losing genes. However, every time a cell divides, the telomeres grow shorter and shorter. In this way, cells can divide for a maximum of fifty times, the Hayflick limit. If cells could only divide for a certain amount of times, wouldn’t embryos be unable to grow? That is where telomerase comes into play. As an embryo a gene in cells allow for production telomerase which repairs the telomeres and allows continual division. However, as time goes by, the gene turns off and cells no longer produce telomerase. Once a cell stops replicating, it enters cell senescence which is similar to aging. If the genes for telomerase could be re-activated, aging could potentially stop and the idea of eternal youth would be reachable.

With all these factors taken into account, it is not surprising that one would reach for a self-help book as compared to completely changing their habits and rituals, some of which have become some ingrained, it is impossible to imagine life without them.

Avoid the sun.

Sure the tan may look nice, but the UV rays cause radiation. In turn, the radiation damages cells, causing mutations that can result in cancer.

Eat healthy.

Take a look at the typical diet mentioned in the Japan article.

Most of all, stay happy.

Happy people tend to have a higher life expectancy than others. Happiness seems to protect people from illnesses and while it does not make those who are already sick live longer, it helps expand the life expectancies of others.

"Demographics of the United States." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States#Median_age>.

"This Wonderful Lengthening of Lifespan." The Longevity Meme -- Pointing the Way to a Longer, Healthier Life. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.longevitymeme.org/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=11>.

Whitney, Craig R. "Jeanne Calment, World's Elder, Dies at 122 - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 05 Aug. 1997. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/05/world/jeanne-calment-world-s-elder-dies-at-122.html>.

"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html>.

Closely, By Looking. "Maximum Human Lifespan." NealIRC. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nealirc.org/Gerontology/MaximumHumanLifespan.html>.

Carnegie Mellon University. "Happy People Are Healthier, Psychologist Says." ScienceDaily 8 November 2006. 3 December 2010 .