Share:
Are old genes or healthy life?
Methuselah in the Bible is supposed to have been 979 years old. Not a real man, but Camelo Flores from Bolivia reached 123 years after he was born on 16 July 1890; he thus lived twelve years more than the oldest American, Alexander Imich, who died at the age of 111 years. But Flores age is not proven beyond doubt - in contrast to the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years. Today the US-American Susannah Mushatt Jones, born on the 6th of July 1899, is the oldest person.
contents
- Mythical Methuselems
- Healthy to the highest age
- Where do the oldest people live??
- Genetic dispositions?
- Living healthy?
Mythical Methuselems
Many people are said to have become much older: the Englishman Thomas Parr died in 1635, according to his contemporaries at the age of 152; the German Martin Kaschke in 1727 according to the sources with 117th Joseph Brunner blessed in 1827 with supposedly 120 years, the temporal, and Therese Fiedler von Hülsenstein 1876 after all, have managed 119 years.
Why do some people "stone age"? Image: Robert Kneschke - fotolia Meanwhile, historians found that Brunner actually turned 88. It is only since the 19th century that birth certificates have been issued in many states, which place old age of the mythical realm on the ground of reality.
The first person, who was undoubtedly 110 years old, was the Dutchman Geert Adriaas Boomgard. He was born in Groningen in 1788 and died in 1899 in his birthplace. In 1792, Margaret Ann Neve was born in Guernsey and died in 1903 - making her the first documented 110-year-old woman. Delina Filkins from New York died in 1928 at the age of 113 years and held this record 50 years.
But even in the 20th century, some records could not be maintained. So the Guinness Book of Records in 1980 called the American Charlie Smith the oldest man. He stated that slavers had abducted him from Africa to the United States in 1854 - a deed of 1854 seemed to confirm this. In 1980, however, Smith's marriage certificate, which corrected his age to 104, appeared.
Some age records fall into the milieu of UFO believers who obscure the alleged photo disappears showing the supposed aliens: The Indonesian Turinah Masih Sehat Sehat, for example, made in 2010 as allegedly 157 years a name. But she had allegedly destroyed her documents in 1965 in order not to end up in jail as a supposed communist.
The Cuban Juana Bautista de la Candelaria, however, had a passport with the year of birth 1885 - a crude fake. Under the 1885 could easily recognize the overwritten in 1913.
Healthy to the highest age
However, several thousand people over the age of 110 are historically proven - and it would have been many years. These oldest people occupy science. Their way of life, their environment and their genes may contain information that also helps other people live longer lives?
Generally, the oldest women are older than the oldest men. Scientists explain this with the same causes as the average life expectancy, which is also higher in women.
Biological approaches see the male hormones at work that wear the body faster. This is supported by the fact that eunuchs lacking testosterone on average live longer than potent men.
Growth hormones and male sex hormones therefore shorten life. A thesis also says that female menses remove harmful substances, heavy metals and iron from the body. In addition, the double X-chromosome of women to protect against hereditary diseases and premature death.
Sociological and psychological theories rather assume the traditional role allocation. Accordingly, men suffer from activities that harm the body: they consume their powers in their role as providers, they die and inflict injuries in the war, they undertake dangerous work with long-term consequences for the health; they rarely go to the doctor for illnesses; they smoke and drink more.
Where do the oldest people live??
Most of the ancients come from the rich countries, from Europe, the USA and Japan. Little is known about age records in the developing world - with limitations. Mountainous regions of China, Azerbaijan and other regions of the Caucasus have been famous for centuries for their large numbers of extremely ancient people, and Abkhazia is also known for its ancient and elderly women.
However, in Azerbaijan, for example, the information is questionable. So the shepherd Shirali Muslimov claimed to be 168 years old in 1973. The proof was a birth certificate from 1805.
In the province of Nuoro in Sardinia especially many very old people live, as well as in Oinawa and Kyotango in Japan.
For the age records in the industrialized countries, there are probably similar causes as for the average also very high life expectancy. Anyone born in Spain, Germany or the Netherlands has a statistically good chance of becoming 20 years older than their great-grandparents - the average life expectancy is over 80 years. In Bangladesh or Tanzania, it is not even half.
In Germany, the average life expectancy doubled from 1880 to 2007, and even more: men today are 76, 6 years on average instead of 35.6, women even 82.1 instead of 38.5. Every year, life expectancy increases by three months. The causes are undeniable medical advances and improved hygiene and healthier working conditions.
Poor medical care, illnesses, deficient nutrition, lack of education, wars and poor hygienic conditions ensure that in the Third World only a few hundred years old, and therefore much less than in the industrialized countries can even enter the circle of the supernumeraries: against genocide The genes of Alexander Imich could not have done anything, and Jeanne Calment would never have reached her age if she had drowned in a tsunami.
The lack of data also plays a role. Birth and death are meticulously recorded in the industrialized countries, in the Congo, Cambodia or in the Yanomani in the Amazon basin is not the case.
However, the generally better conditions in the industrialized countries do not explain ancient people in Pakistan or the Caucasus. Because here is the opposite of comprehensive medical care and good hygiene.
Genetic dispositions?
Very old people existed in all societies and in all centuries. In families of centenarians, many relatives also reach old age - this suggests a genetic disposition. For example, US-American Rosabell Zielke Champion Fenstemaker became 111 years old when she died in 2005. Her mother, Mary P. Romeri Zielke Cota, died at the same age in 1982. Rosabell's sisters Edna, Edith, and Marjoire became 99, 100, and 102 years old.
However, the "Methuselahs" in the industrialized countries argue against an ethnic disposition to a long life. Although there are proportionally more supernumerary Americans than citizens of Uganda, this includes Hispanics as well as African Americans, US citizens with Japanese roots as well as Native Americans.
Centenarians break the rules of aging. In general, cancer, dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or heart disease are the typical diseases of late life. But not in the age-old: From the age of 85, the number of diseases decreases - the extremely old age then apparently slower than the normal old. They are usually spared the age-related diseases.
Some of them even deride the lessons for a healthy life leading to old age: Jeanne Calment died at 122 and had smoked twice as long as many people living a healthy life live. She also drank port wine in quantities.
Boston University researchers compared the genetic material of the ancient with "normal aged" and found 150 differences in the genome. These mutations were also part of 19 genetic signatures that many of these extreme ancestors had in common. Some of these signatures are known for the development of age-related diseases.
The centenarians break out of the general genetic dispositions. In "normal people", the genetic basis only plays a role of about 20%. Far more important is the lifestyle: Who does not smoke, eat healthy, do not eat too much and consume little alcohol, also regularly, but not extreme sports, sets the course to be over 80 - but not over 100.
Over-centenarians are not only very old, but also rarely sick. They also have disease-associated genes as the Frühsterblichen. But presumably the genetic dispositions for a long life prevail over the genes that favor diseases. For example, a centenarian was wearing the "breast cancer gene" BRCA-1. Those affected will most likely contract breast cancer from the age of 40 - they will not.
Living healthy?
There are many ancient ones on the Greek island of Ikaria, in Sardinia and in the Japanese Okinawa.
Rembrandt Scholz from the Max Planck Institute in Rostock says: "There are a remarkable number of very old people in some areas of China, in Japan or in the Hunza Valley in Pakistan, and there are also extremely many very old men living in Sardinia."
The people in these regions have some similarities:
- The rate of cardiovascular failure is very low.
- Even very old people work and live in their own household, one third lives in the family and only every third 100 year old is in need of care.
- The Ancients are therefore not only old, but in their last phase of life usually healthy and independent.
The ancient people live mainly in village communities. They do not have the facilities of modern medical equipment, nor do they often visit a doctor.
Very old people in traditional societies are similar in movement, social environment and diet. For example, they are often shepherds and farmers in mountainous regions. These people work physically outdoors every day - since childhood.
Your options to choose your life are limited. In case of illness, they rely on home remedies and oral methods, which we call natural medicine. Their food consists of crops and little meat; They hardly consume industrially produced food, but rather tomatoes, potatoes and peas from their own farm.
The valleys of the Caucasus, the mountains of Sardinia and the villages of Ithaca are similar: they have a mild micro-climate, a regional meat-less cooking, lots of fruit and vegetables and a lifestyle without the stress of modern cities.
In Sardinia, for example, the food consists of Mediterranean cuisine recommended by nutritionists: wholemeal bread, sheep and goat cheese, olives, zucchini, onions and legumes, oregano and rosemary, occasionally fish and rarely lamb, goat or pork.
In the Caucasus, vegetable stews are the rule, apples, pomegranates, olives, garlic and fresh herbs, plus melted butter, yoghurt, feta cheese and buttermilk. However, the legendary Talyschen in Azerbaijan feed their high calorie content. On the menu are mainly fat mutton, bread and especially dairy products.
The diet seems to play an important role. Image: M.Studio - fotolia The very old son of the much older Talyschin Mizayeva explains the long life of social security: "The ancients are highly respected in our culture. They live in the midst of the extended family, are loved, cared for and happy. "
The psyche plays an essential role in our health - body and soul. That is undisputed. The life expectancy of people with dysfunctional relationships suffers: they develop psychosomatic symptoms, including disorders such as borderline or depression, which in turn drive them into self-destruction. Also, several old people died shortly after their spouse died.
So life ages in traditional societies so long, because they are socially integrated, find a meaning in life and have a task?
Although this idea corresponds to the longings of postmodern neurotics who miss this social warmth, empirical studies are lacking.
The only logical thing is that the Methuselah, whose age has a value, lacks a motive to end its life actively or passively; that they do not die because their relatives neglect them, and that they remain mentally healthy because they do not suffer from the stigma of the superfluous.
The old people in Okinawa, Sardinia, Pakistan and Azerbaijan all have a lot of social contacts. Whether this is a decisive factor compared to under centenarians who live in isolation in the old people's home is not proven. This would require robust studies that compare the extent and quality of social contacts between these old and old in industrialized countries.
The scientific exploration of the "Methuselah complex" is therefore at the beginning. It promises not only insights into the ancient, but also factors that affect the "normal" diseases that ultimately lead to an earlier death. So maybe she helps us ordinary mortals to live longer. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)