How To Live Longer

 

How To Live Longer

We all want To live longer and have a happy life – and the emphasis here for many of us is probably on the ‘long’ part. No one wants to die young, and no one wants to leave their family behind to fend for themselves.

Unfortunately living forever is something that is currently not an option. With the future innovations in science who knows what will one day be possible, but for now our time on Earth is sadly fleeting.

It’s important that we face this reality, and that we make provisions for after we’ve passed away. But at the same time there’s no harm in swinging the odds a little in our favour.

Here then are some ways you can extend your lifespan.

 

Eat Less To Live Longer

 

It may sound surprising, but according to much scientific study, lifespan is almost directly correlated with the number of calories we eat. In one study, mice had their caloric intake cut completely in half and it was found that they outlived the control group by up to a third of their lifespans.

 

The reason for this, as we understand it currently, is that the lack of calories can trigger a ‘fasting response’ in the body which causes it to operate on less energy. Part of this process involves the increased function of the mitochondria which surround the cells and convert glucose (sugar) into ATP (usable energy). As these mitochondria are situated around the outside of the cells this makes them highly useful as little ‘shields’ that can protect the DNA from damaging free radicals and thus help us to live longer and avoid illnesses such as cancer.

 

To this end there are groups out there who practice ‘calorie restriction’ in the hope that they might squeeze an extra decade out of their lifespan. Of course this is fraught with its own problems and malnutrition is unfortunately common.

 

Resveratrol, To Live Longer

The good news is that there is another way to achieve that increased mitochondrial function – and that’s through the use of resveratrol which is a substance that comes from red grapes. The only bad news, is that in order to get enough of this substance you’d have to eat palettes and palettes of grapes every day (which would cause its own issues). And the ‘raw’ stuff is quite expensive…

 

Antioxidants, To Live Longer

Resveratrol is also an antioxidant, meaning that it can combat the free radicals directly as well which would otherwise damage our cells and cause aging and potentially cancer. The good news is that there are many other antioxidants that do this just as well and are more readily available. Omega 3 fatty acid for instance is one such source, as is good old vitamin C (and there are many other reasons to eat vitamin C too).

 

Exercise, To Live Longer

There are countless good reasons to exercise, with improved brain function among them. However at the same time it is also a good idea to exercise regularly in order to increase your lifespan, and there are countless studies to demonstrate that regular exercise and general high levels of activity can help us to fight off the grim reaper just a little longer. The main reason for that seems to be that it strengthens the heart and thus prevents heart attack, but there are also many positive hormonal changes associated with exercise that may help too.