StemCell Therapy

The Rocky Mountain States, for example, have a lower prevalence of cancer death compared to the Gulf States, says Chrysohoou yet the background radiation in Idaho, Colorado and New Mexico is around three times as high as the natural background radiation in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. A few animal studies have also found that a very low dose of radiation can induce an anti-inflammatory response and DNA repair possibly in the same way that the small but beneficial stress of caloric restriction can trigger protective mechanisms within cells.

For the time being, the finding remains a curiosity. Many more studies would have to confirm that these patterns cannot be explained by other factors and their potential mechanisms; Chrysohoou certainly isnt suggesting that radioactive drinks might be the elusive elixir of youth. It is rather dangerous to expect that radioactivity is good for your health, she admits.

The moderation principle

Clearly, exceptional longevity of the Blue Zones cant be restricted to a single magic ingredient, but is the combination of many factors some of which are shared between the regions, and some of which are unique to each individual place. While that may not be as enticing as the discovery of a miraculous anti-ageing elixir or superfood, there are nevertheless many ways we could learn from these discoveries.

Eating moderately with plenty of fruit and vegetables, exercising plenty, drinking coffee and tea, and finding space for spiritual solace (whether thats church or a long mountain walk) these are things that we can all build into our daily lives.

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* David Robson is the author of The Intelligence Trap, which examines why smart people act foolishly and the ways we can all make wiser decisions. He is @d_a_robson on Twitter.

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This entry was posted on May 17, 2023 at 12:02 am and is filed under Longevity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |