A 12-year study on 61,566 subjects showed that cancer among meat eaters was 3.8%, among fish-eaters was 0.5%, and among vegetarians was 1.3%. The study found that compared to meat-eaters, vegetarians had a 53%, 45% and 74% reduced risk in bladder, cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and stomach cancers, respectively. Vegetarians were 12% less likely, and fish eaters were 18% less likely than meat eaters to develop all types of cancer combined (58).
Don’t Keep Your Carbs Too Low for Too Long
Another one of the ways to live longer and increase life expectancy is to avoid Atkin’s style diets over a long period of time. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet, much like the Atkins style diet consumed for 12 years was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular deaths in women when they used this diet for weight control (19).
Tea is Great
Women who drank ≥ 5 cups/day of green tea had a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 23% lower risk of mortality from all causes than women who drank <1 cup/day. Those who drank 1 to 2 cups/day or 3 to 4 cups/day green tea had a 2% and 18% reduced risk of all-cause mortality, respectively. Corresponding risk reductions in CVD were 16% and 31%. The protective effects of green tea was stronger in women than in men. In men who drank ≥ 5 cups/day green tea their all-cause mortality rate fell by 12%. Men who drank 1 to 2 cups/day or 3 to 4 cups/day green tea had a 7% and 5% reduced risk of all cause-mortality, respectively. Green tea consumption was not associated with a reduction in cancer mortality. (20)
Watch the Calcium
Avoiding an excess of dietary calcium may be another one of the ways to live longer and increase life expectancy. Excess calcium intake appears to increase the risk of prostate cancer in men (33,34). Intake of calcium over 2000 mg per day by men in the form of dietary and supplement intake was associated with a moderate increase in risk of prostate cancer (33). Adequate calcium intake in pre-menopausal women appears to be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer (34). Avoid calcium intake over 1400 mg per day including food sources and supplements. Attempt to increase calcium intake by food sources to the RDA (recommended daily allowance) instead of supplements unless required to replace a deficiency gap in the recommended intake. Compared with dietary calcium intakes of 600 to 1000 mg daily, higher daily intakes of ≥1400 mg were associated with significantly higher rates of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and ischemic heart disease, but not from stroke. This is why too much calcium should be avoided.
Eat More Lignans
A study by McCann SE et al (24) enrolled women consuming food sources of lignans from dark bread, peaches, coffee, broccoli and winter squash. Researchers noted a 51% reduction in risk of all cause mortality in those consuming higher lignan amounts. These same women were also far less likely to die of breast cancer. The superfood with one of the highest known concentration of lignans are flax seeds.
The Hope of Pomegranate
The compound urolithin A was able to enhance longevity by maintaining healthy mitochondria and extend life span in worms by 50%. It was also found to significantly extend exercise endurance in mice by 40%. Over time, mitochondria develop alterations that cause them to degrade. Urolithin A derived from pomegranate is believed to keep mitochondria healthy by inducing a process called mitophagy. Read more…
Think About Zinc
The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) (25) followed subjects for 6.5 years and 11% of the participants had died. A higher mortality risk was seen in those with AMD, (age-related macular degeneration. Participants randomly assigned to receive 80 mg zinc with 2 mg cupric oxide (high does zinc is associated with copper deficiency), whether alone or combined with antioxidants, had lower mortality than those not taking the mineral. They reported a 27% lower relative risk of mortality for zinc alone due to less death from respiratory causes. Read more about zinc. Find zinc in foods. Ensure an adequate zinc intake as another way to possibly help you live longer and increase life expectancy
What are Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are an organic chemical present in plants with antioxidant action. Based on a study provided by the Division of Dermatology, University of Kansas, individuals with dietary restrictions combined with antioxidants containing polyphenols was noted to extend lifespan. In the study, mice were placed on one of three diets. These included a diet of continuous feed; alternate day eating; and alternate day eating supplemented with polyphenol antioxidants including blueberry, pomegranate and green tea extracts. The supplemented group outlived the other two groups (28).
Calorie Restriction and Longevity- Why Stop Eating?
Calorie restriction is known to increase lifespan in rodents, but there are few studies on humans that show whether calorie restriction increases longevity. Heilbronn LK et al (49) followed markers of aging in calorie restricted subjects over 6 months. The authors found that a smaller degree of DNA damage measured in calorie restricted individuals compared to baseline. They also found lower body temperatures and lower fasting insulin levels. which the authors believed, translates into a lower metabolic rate than what is expected from a lower body weight.
Resveratrol Potentially Increases Lifespan.
A study by Baur JA et al (50) conducted on middle-aged mice on high-calorie diets found that resveratrol improved insulin function, increased mitochondria, improved motor function, minimized ill effects of a high-calorie diet, produced the effects of calorie restriction, and extended the lifespan of middle-aged mice. Resveratrol was also able to improve the heart and liver function in mice. Resveratrol enhanced longevity in mice but more research is needed. There is not enough research yet available on lifespan enhancement by resveratrol in humans.
Keep Stress Away with a Hobby
A moderate amount of stress is able to keep you motivated to achieve great things in life. Excess stress however, is detrimental. You need a hobby. It doesn’t actually matter what it is so long as you enjoy it and it helps you relax. If you’re dealing with a lot of stress in your life, this wears on you, which speeds up the aging process. It lowers your ability to fight off cancer and is a contributing factor in hypertension and cardio-vascular disease. Doing something you enjoy helps protect you against these things.
Lower Consumption of Red Meat
Red meat consumption has been found to be associated with increased cancer risk of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, larynx, stomach, colorectum, lung, breast, prostate, bladder, and kidney. Lamb was also associated with increased cancer risk. Processed meat was also linked to an increased risk of cancers of the esophagus, larynx, stomach, colorectum, lung, and breast (56). A study from Italy found that red meat intake of at least 7 times per week had a higher incidence of cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, bladder, breast, endometrium, and ovaries. In this study, red meat was not connected to cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, larynx, kidney, thyroid, prostate, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and multiple myeloma. (57)
Yes, More About Fruits and Vegetables…
A literature review of 206 human studies and 22 animal studies by Steinmetz, K. A.et al showed that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables decreased the cancer risk of the stomach, esophagus, lung, oral cavity, pharynx, endometrium, pancreas, and colon. The most protective foods against cancer included raw vegetables, followed by allium vegetables (onion, garlic), carrots, green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage), and tomatoes (52). A review of epidemiologic studies found that the higher the consumption of brassica vegetables the lower the risk of cancer especially for cancers of the lung and digestive tract (53). A significant reduction in risk for esophageal, lung, stomach and colorectal cancers was seen with both fruit and vegetable consumption and there was a reduced risk of bladder cancer seen with fruit consumption but not vegetables (54). Men who consumed at least 6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day had a 55% reduced risk of renal cell cancer (RCC), and vitamins A and C were found to be inversely associated with RCC (55).
Grab Some Nuts
According to Fraser (60), frequent consumption of nuts has been linked with a 30% to 50% decreased in the risk of coronary heart disease. According to Kris-Etherton PM et al (61), four recent U.S. studies reviewed by this author estimates that Americans who eat five or more servings of nuts per week have a 35% reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease as well as improve oxidation, inflammation, vascular reactivity.
Control Your “Inflammaging”
What is “inflammaging” you ask? This is the term referring to the low levels of chronic inflammation which occurs in older adults with aging. As we age, higher levels of inflammatory markers occur in the blood and result in this condition. However, inflammation can be controlled. Duarte PO et al (62) researched subjects who were over 100 years old with dementia and compared them with 100 year olds without dementia. They found that those subjects without dementia had lower inflammatory markers in the blood than those with dementia.