Category Archives: Transhuman News

My Uncle Phil, who drank himself into his mid-60s before his liver gave out, always claimed that he wasnt much interested in longevity. Whoever said, hed ask rhetorically as he sipped his eighth or ninth lunchtime Scotch and water, that the point of life was to make it last as long as possible?

This brings to mind the old joke about the man whose doctor tells him that he has to stop smoking, drinking, eating rich foods, and having sex. If I give up all that, the man asks, will I live a lot longer? Probably not, the doctor replies, but it will seem a lot longer.

In an article this spring in The New Yorker called Silicon Valleys Quest to Live Forever which was basically about how all those billionaire titans of the digital universe dont see why they should have to actually, you know, die, considering their dazzling disruptive genius the writer Tad Friend divided longevity scientists into two groups:

healthspanners, whose ideal (I paraphrase) is a healthy life snuffed out quickly and painlessly after a good long run, and immortalists, who think we (or at least they) ought to be able to pretty much live forever. (Friend further separated the latter category into two factions, the Meat Puppets, who believe that we can retool our biology and remain in our bodies, and the RoboCops, who believe that well eventually merge with mechanical bodies and/or with the cloud the latter only slightly sillier, I'd venture, than the former.)

Immortal is a funny word when you stop to think about it, deriving from the joining of the Latin prefix im ("un-") with the Latin noun mortalis ("mortal," in the sense of a mortal being) which of course is in turn derived from mortem, death.. It's more or less a synonym for not human, in other words. If you're immortal, then, you're not really one of us.

Ever since it first dawned on the human mind that human bodies apparently didnt last forever, though, people have been desperately looking for the loophole. Well, yeah, the lights might go out and the body turn to compost, but surely our spirits would survive, finding new homes in a cat, a tree, an Egyptian princess maybe even in Shirley MacLaine. Or else wed ascend to the heavenly realm where we would indeed live forever, even though we were, paradoxically, dead. Or on a more interventionist level, maybe if we drank enough of that mercury-and-honey cocktail the mixologist down at the alchemists shop was brewing up we could actually stay around in more or less the same form. Or maybe if we sold our soul to the.

Of the possibility of reincarnation or heavenly repose, both of them widely held as religious tenets around the world, the best that can be said is that, well, maybe I guess well find out if and when we get there. On the subject of alchemical elixirs, theres no need to equivocate: They didn't work, and were quite possibly poisonous to boot (see heavenly realm). And that selling-the-soul stuff never seems to work out too well in the end.

Ultimately, I think we just have to face it: Death and taxes. And I just got a letter from the IRS.

If death is inevitable, then, as the smart money certainly says it is, what about keeping it at bay for a while longer? That we can talk about. Average life expectancy worldwide increased about seven years for men and 10 years for women between 1990 and 2013. If it were to keep going at that rate indefinitely.

But it won't. Methuselah lived 900 years, according to Ira Gershwin (and 969 according to Genesis 5:27), but the oldest documented human being in modern times was Jeanne Calment, a Frenchwoman who died at the age of 122in 1997 and researchers believe that the absolute limit for human life is probably 125. Different researchers believe that it might be possible for a human being to run as fast as 40 miles an hour (Usain Bolt manages about 28). Needless to say, the chances of you or me achieving either milestone are mighty slim.

Does that mean we shouldn't try at least for the 125 years thing? Well, no, I guess not. Eating right, exercising, avoiding tobacco and non-prescription opioids and too much alcohol all those things you've been being told to do since you were old enough to care are probably well worth trying. At least in moderation. At least as long as they don't turn our lives into existential scut work, an anhedonic slog.

It would be nice to think that we can just keep going, but of course we can't. We know what's coming. We can rage or pray or turn to crackpot remedies or feed ourselves reassuring fantasies about post-cryogenic resurrection or downloading our spirits into cyberspace, but it isn't going to do any good.

Through his haze of Cutty Sark, Uncle Phil had a point. Maybe we should consider the possibility that longevity isn't everything. Maybe we should consider the possibility that as they used to say in those old commercials for Winston cigarettes (speaking of things we're supposed to avoid) it's not how long you make it, it's how you make it long.

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Healthspanners and Immortalists: A Philosophy of Longevity - The Daily Meal

Kitsap 1:59 p.m. PT June 15, 2017

Ginny Sugimoto, MD(Photo: Kitsap Sun)

This Fathers Day, you could give your dad a tie or a watch, but I have another suggestion: How about giving him the gift of a long, healthy life?

Over the years, researchers, mysticsand even science fiction writers have sought the key to longevity, but no one has found one perfect answer. One challenge is that many factors that affect human longevity are mostly beyond an individuals control, such as a persons genetic makeup, or their exposure to environmental pollution. On the other hand, research indicates that our actions have more influence over our life expectancy than we may think. Results of a study of Danish twins, for instance, suggested that 25 percent of our aging is determined by our genetics, while 75 percent is determined by lifestyle and medical conditions.

This is good news because it means we can have a big effect on healthy aging by changing how we live. Scientists in a range of fields are finding that we can live longer, healthier lives through basic daily attention to such things as avoiding smoking, eating well, exercising, and getting regular checkups and enough sleep. While these lifestyle choices apply to both females and males, women worldwide already live longer than men do on average about three to seven years longer, depending on location. There are several reasons for this, including the extra risks men are more likely to take when young due in part frontal lobes in the male brain that develop later than in females and the fact that men are much more likely to skip doctors visits and health screens than women are.

With that in mind, here are five science-backed ways to increase the odds of a long, healthy life, for your father, or anyone you care about:

1.Get treated. Everyone should start with making sure they are getting and following effective treatments for any chronic conditions, especially individuals with diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and/or obesity. If undiagnosed and untreated, these conditions are sure ways to shorten a life and to deteriorate health in older age. See the doctor for regular screenings to diagnose and treat medical problems before they further affect your quality of life. Those screenings include not just blood pressure checks and cancer screenings, such as colonoscopies, but also screenings for depression and other mental health concerns. Men are more likely to commit suicide than women, even though women seem to be more likely to have depression and to make suicide attempts.

2. Focus on diet. Diet and longevity have been linked in numerous studies. A Mediterranean-style diet, for instance, is associated with heart health, brain health and longer life. That diet is high in olive oil and fresh vegetables, particularly leafy greens, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils; moderate in fish, dairy, and wine, and low in red meat, eggs and sugar. Another possible longevity diet is that of people who live in the Okinawan Islands of Japan, which boasts a large number of centenarians. The Okinawans eat several servings of fish a week, and also consume copious whole grains, vegetables, soy products, and seaweed, as well as a kind of native sweet potato that is rich in beneficial nutrients. Another community known for longevity, the Seventh Day Adventist Community in Southern California, also has a high intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as nuts which have been shown to benefit heart health. They eat little or no meat or fish. These individuals also eschew smoking and drinking. If you smoke, quit. If you drink, follow guidelines for moderation.

Other dietary research is focused on specific vitamins for instance, some research suggests that Vitamins C and E may provide health benefits as we age, functioning primarily as antioxidants to protect against damage to cells. But research suggests the best way to get these vitamins is in a plant-based diet. Sources high in Vitamin C include red peppers, kale, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, cabbage, and oranges. Foods high in Vitamin E include wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, whole wheat, spinach, and cabbage. Eating fish twice a week protects against inflammation and atherosclerosis hardening and narrowing of arteries. There is increasing evidence that foods which contain live, beneficial bacteria, called probiotics, may also have an anti-aging effect. Good sources of probiotics include certain yogurts (make sure the label says they contain live bacteria), kefir, aged cheeses, and sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles all of which will only contain probiotics if they are sold in the refrigerated section those sold on store shelves at room temperature have been pasteurized, removing the bacteria.

3. Stick to a sleep schedule. We often have disrupted sleep as we age, and if it disrupts our internal circadian rhythm that manages our hormones, body temperature, and other functions it can be damaging to our health. Older adults still need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time, and avoid napping if it affects sleep. Avoid screen time in bed, as it can also disrupt sleep. Some people believe alcohol helps them fall asleep, however, alcohol makes it harder to stay asleep once you do nod off. Talk to your doctor if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

4. Keep your body active. Physical activity is associated with a higher quality of life and a longer life, with benefits such as reducing insulin resistance, reducing inflammation and promoting brain health, particularly in areas associated with memory and learning. Daily activity also improves sleep and mood. All adults should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of at least moderate physical activity that gets your heart pumping thats about 30 minutes most days of the week. Walking is an excellent activity for overall health. Participants in a study that improved memory walked briskly for one hour, twice a week.

5. Engage your mind and be social. Learning new skills, doing the crosswords, reading, working and volunteering can all help to stimulate the brain in ways that may help to protect it from age-related changes. Connecting with others socially also activates your brain, and improves emotional health. Staying connected with friends and family keeps life stimulating and fun. it also helps you maintain a network of caring and support when you need it. Try a new hobby, find a new walking buddy, and try to hold an attitude of openness to new thoughts and adventures.

Its a great day to start on these steps to a healthier, longer life or to help your father do so.

Resources: The website of the National Institute on Aging offers many health and aging resources: http://www.nia.nih.gov

Ginny Sugimoto, MD, is a board-certified family practice doctor at Kaiser Permanente Port Orchard Medical Center. Her philosophy of care includes a emphasizing a preventive lifestyle and shared decision-making in partnership with her patients.

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The ultimate Father's Day gift: a longer, healthier life - Kitsap Sun

GETTY

The elusive 'elixir of youth' pill is a major step nearer after the discovery of bacterial genes and compounds that not only extended life, but slowed down tumour growth and the build up of amyloid-beta, a compound associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Centre in the US hope one day a simple pill could play a vital role in slowing down ageing.

Dr Meng Wang, an Associate Professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor, said: "The scientific community is increasingly aware that our body's interactions with the millions of microbes in our bodies, the microbiome, can influence many of our functions, such as cognitive and metabolic activities and ageing.

"In this work we investigated whether the genetic composition of the microbiome might also be important for longevity."

The study used the laboratory worm C. elegans, a transparent, simple organism that is as long as a pinhead and shares essential characteristics with human biology.

We think that C. elegans is a wonderful system in which to study the connection between bacterial genes and aging

Dr Meng Wang

During its two to three week long lifespan, the worm feeds on bacteria, develops into an adult, reproduces, and progressively ages, loses strength and health and dies.

Prof Wang explained: "We think that C. elegans is a wonderful system in which to study the connection between bacterial genes and aging because we can very fine tune the genetics of microbes and test many genes in the worm in a relatively short time."

To test the effect of individual bacterial genes on the lifespan of the worms they employed a complete gene-deletion library of bacterium E. coli. These each lacked one of close to 4,000 genes.

Prof Wang said: "We fed C. elegans each individual mutant bacteria and then looked at the worms' life span.

"Of the nearly 4,000 bacterial genes we tested, 29, when deleted, increased the worms' lifespan.

"Twelve of these bacterial mutants also protected the worms from tumour growth and accumulation of amyloid-beta, a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease in humans."

Further experiments found some of the bacterial mutants increased longevity by acting on some of the worm's known processes linked to ageing.

Other mutants encouraged longevity by over-producing the polysaccharide colanic acid.

When the purified colanic acid was given to C. elegans, the worms also lived longer.

Colanic acid also showed similar effects in the laboratory fruit fly and in mammalian cells cultured in the lab.

GETTY

She suggested it might be possible in the future to design preparations of bacteria or their compounds that could help slow down the ageing process.

Colanic acid mediates crosstalk between bacteria and mitochondria.

In particular colanic acid regulated the fusion-fission dynamics of mitochondria, the structures that provide the energy for the cell's functions.

Prof Wang added: "These findings are also interesting and have implications from the biological point of view in the way we understand host-microbe communication

"Mitochondria seem to have evolved from bacteria that millions of years ago entered primitive cells.

"Our finding suggests that products from bacteria today can still chime in the communication between mitochondria in our cells.

"We think that this type of communication is very important and here we have provided the first evidence of this.

"Fully understanding microbe-mitochondria communication can help us understand at a deeper level the interactions between microbes and their hosts."

The study was published in the journal Cell.

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Elixir of youth? New anti-ageing hope with pill made from human GUT bacteria - Express.co.uk