The
secret to living long into ripe old age has been heavily debated for quite some
time.
Eating
a healthier diet, regularly practising yoga in a peaceful park, visiting exotic
hot springs to cleanse your body… people have tried all sorts of things to
ensure longevity.
However,
a study has discovered that the key to reaching past the age of 90 could all
come down to drinking a couple of glasses of alcohol a night and putting on a
few extra pounds.
Dr
Claudia Kawas, a specialist in neurology from the University of California,
spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual
conference in Austin, Texas about research that she has carried out for the
past 15 years.
She
and her team began. The 90+ study in 2003 in order to investigate the reasons
why some people reach the age of 90 and beyond and others don’t.
The
researchers analysed 1,700 nonagenarians, examining how their daily habits
affect their health.
They
discovered that those who consumed approximately two glasses of beer or wine a
day were 18 per cent less likely to experience a premature death.
Furthermore, those who were slightly overweight, although not obese, were recorded as having a three per cent reduced chance of an early death.
“I
have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking
improves longevity,” Dr Kawas stated at the conference.
Moderate
drinking wasn’t the only activity reported as having a positive impact on the
health of the participants.
Regular
exercise and spending time practising a hobby were also associated with living
for longer.
Those
who spent two hours a day on a hobby were 21 per cent less likely to pass away
prematurely, while 15 to 45 minutes of daily physical activity also reportedly
reduced their risk of an early death by 11 per cent.
For
some people, living past the age of 90 and maintaining a healthier overall
wellbeing in old age could be related to their genetic makeup.
Scientists
from the Northwestern University in Chicago have carried out a study exploring
the memory of people who are more than 80 years old.
The
team noted that the individuals classified as “superagers” - a term coined by
neurologist Marsel Mesulam to categorise people whose memory and attention span
reflects that of someone far younger - had a greater concentration of Von
Economo neurons in their brains.
Von
Economo neurons are a type of brain cell that are believed to increase social
behaviour, which could in turn help a person retain their memory for
longer.
Some
of the “superagers” even had more Von Economo neurons in their brains than
people in their 20s.
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