If you could live to be 1,000 years old, would you? Aubrey de Gray thinks so. As a relentless pursuer of longevity hacking, he believes that with proper medical interventions, we as a society must solve the “aging problem” and give humanity the right to live as long as it wants. Scientifically justified or not, he believes this may happen soon. If he feels a sudden sense of unease, he’s not alone. The possibility of living forever affects our entire value system of time and value. As time is a precious commodity, we are encouraged to disconnect from the world around us and stop to smell the roses in order to enjoy life more deeply, to “live in the moment”. If we had all the time in the world, would our special moments mean as much?
Whether 1000 years is realistic or not, we are living longer as a species. The proof exists. In 2020, the World Economic Forum reported that there were over half a million people worldwide, currently over 100, and that number is rising. Thanks to an improved medical system, greater wealth, and better lifestyles, we are living long enough to fight age-related diseases. However, the scientific community is interested in finding out if we can “solve or hack” the problem of aging forever.
However, what does the average person want? There will always be trailblazers like de Gray who are disruptive enough to push the boundaries of our understanding of the world. However, a Norwegian study indicated that most people don’t want to live infinitely beyond in the distant future: they want to live a little past their average due date and live those years well. According to research by Big Think, the average Norwegian said 91 was the ideal age to pass, with Americans saying 93 and Germans saying 85. To put this in perspective, Norwegians have a life expectancy of 83, Americans they are 77 years old and the Germans are 80. years old.
The same study showed that when the same group of people were asked how long they would like to live if they had dementia, chronic pain, loneliness, poverty, etc., their responses decreased. That means, when we talk about maximizing our longevity, we’re not talking about living a millennium, we’re simply aiming to ‘beat the odds’ while continuing to live our best lives. How do we do that?
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“Inflammation” and oxidative damage
Those of us over the age of 35 are all too familiar with the moans that escape our mouths when we get up off the ground: our bodies naturally begin to break down over time. Scientists have identified two important factors behind aging: “inflammation” and oxidative stress. According to an article titled “Inflammation: Chronic Inflammation in Aging, Cardiovascular Disease, and Frailty,” inflammation is when the body switches to a pro-inflammatory state and doesn’t resolve itself. The result of this relentless increase in inflammation can be age-related diseases. According to a publication in Clinical Interventions in Aging, the oxidative stress theory of aging is that damage within our cells accumulates over time, leading to age-related diseases and functional or organic decline. Inflammation and oxidative stress can lead to age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and dementia, to name a few.
The genetic argument
We blame a lot on genetics, but digging deeper, you may find people in your family tree who actively contributed to your oxidative damage and inflammation. They may have been lifelong smokers, not getting enough sleep, living sedentary lifestyles, and eating a lot of pro-inflammatory foods. That begs the question: did they have “poor genetics” to live a longer life, or did their choices affect their lifespan?
Jamie Justice, assistant professor of gerontology at Wake Forest University, interviewed by the Washington Post, said that our longevity is approximated by 25% of our genetics and 75% of our lifestyle choices. An article published by National Geographic expanded on this, saying that humans can “self-design” their genetics. We can influence our genes, which is called ‘epigenetic’. Epigenetics is when our lifestyle decisions change the way our bodies react to our DNA, and every decision we make regarding our health and well-being turns certain genetic expressions on or off. For example, how exercise has been shown to reduce some cases of cancer, according to “Exercise Impacts Epigenome of Cancer.” This is an exciting thought: the more healthy behaviors we employ, the longer we live.
Also Read: Why Exercise Helps With Inflammation
lifestyle and diet
There are many other complex processes besides inflammation, oxidative stress, and epigenetics that influence aging. Even De Gray has yet to be able to fix this whole problem. However, if we know that our lifestyle significantly impacts how our bodies age, the next logical step is to establish basic actions to become longevity hackers of our lives.
The first recommendation is to exercise. An article published by Biogerontology titled “Toward Healthy Aging: Use It or Lose It: Exercise, Epigenetics, and Cognition” is clear: exercise is available to everyone and can significantly affect how well and how long you live. The general basic recommendation is to perform 150 minutes of weekly exercise of moderate intensity.
The second recommendation is to limit the junk you put into your body, including cancer-causing substances from tobacco and alcohol use, which are a major cause of oxidative stress.
The third is to eat well. Found in fish, nuts, eggs, and fortified foods, omega 3s are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Including more sources of these foods in your diet while cutting back on processed foods (rich in Omega 6, which is pro-inflammatory) will help rebalance inflammation associated with aging.
Fascinating information is being discovered about a particular carotenoid found in plants, fungi, algae, and bacteria called astaxanthin (ASX), a potent antioxidant. According to the article, “Astaxanthin’s Role as a Nutraceutical in Health and Age-Related Conditions,” it is 6,000 times more potent than Vitamin C, 770 times more potent than CoQ-10, and 100 times more potent than CoQ-10. vitamin E. You can buy astaxanthin as a dietary supplement. However, it’s best to first talk to your doctor about adding any supplements to your diet. It’s also important to note that while astaxanthin sounds powerful, the jury is still out on whether it can help you live longer, but it just might be able to help you live better.
And this is the bottom line of the longevity argument: we don’t have a control group of our own lives to know how long we are destined to live and whether all our daily actions were direct contributions. However, we know that our actions can affect the outcome: the healthier you live your life now, the better chance you have of enjoying a longer life.
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