Could you live to be 100?

How old are you going to live?  More importantly, what will your life look like in the later years?  The average American lives to be 78 years of age.  However, scientists believe that one in ten thousand people can and will live to be 100 years and they can do this without complications of so many age-related diseases.  In fact, some research has shown that our bodies and organs are designed to function normally up to 135 years!  This means that most Americans are living 30 to 60 years short of their potential.

Why are we aging less than our potential?  A recent study identified two factors that may dramatically increase our age and decrease risk of disease.  Not surprisingly, both of these are related to diet.  The researchers found that decreasing our daily caloric intake by 30-40% can extend life by up to 60%!  This is consistent with other studies that report daily caloric intake should be less than 2000 calories in order to control insulin levels and enhance DNA repair.  The second factor identified in greater longevity is again related to omega 3 fatty acids.  They found that people who lived longer typically had very high levels of HDL (good cholesterol).  The thought is that high amounts of large molecule HDL helps remove free radicals that damage DNA.  If you’ve been reading these articles, you know that you get a higher HDL from omega 3 sources such as fish, fish oil and green vegetables.  For more secrets of longevity, check out the book, “Healthy at 100” by John Robbins.