The duration of human life is constantly increasing. Even some two hundred years ago, the life of the average person was short and rather bleak. The average life expectancy then did not exceed 37 years.

If we talk about our time, the standards of life of a modern person are very high - especially in developed countries. In many of them, the average life expectancy inspires much more optimism, amounting to about 79 years.
It is also estimated that about half a million people on our planet are a hundred years old or even more. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus about the factors that affect the increase in human life expectancy, although they believe that it will continue to increase.
Some researchers are even more optimistic, suggesting that the existence of an upper limit to life expectancy is not a mandatory law of nature at all. That is, we can live as long as we want.
However, it is unlikely that human immortality is something achievable and real. But it is quite possible to increase the duration of your life, if you follow the following ten practical tips.

How to live longer

Red hot pepper

It's no big secret that there is a connection between nutrition and life expectancy. Unfortunately, there is often a tendency that the healthier the food, the less it attracts with its palatability.
However, there is one very striking exception to this rule - red hot peppers. This product is definitely not boring, considering all its variations - from the prosaic jalapeno to the brain-melting hottest pepper in the world called the Carolina Reaper.
And although not everyone loves red hot peppers, there is good news for those who like to “pepper” their lives. In China, a large-scale study was conducted, in which almost half a million people took part.

The results showed that those who ate spicy food six or even seven times a week reduced their overall risk of sudden death by 14 percent. Scientists came to the same conclusion as a result of a similar study (perhaps not on such a large scale) conducted in the United States.
Despite this, you will not find red hot peppers in the list of so-called superfoods containing the maximum of vitamins and beneficial nutrients. Perhaps this is due to the presence in hot peppers of such an alkaloid as capsaicin.
The hotter the red hot pepper, the higher the concentration of capsaicin in it. And if we are talking about the hottest peppers, you should be especially careful, since their use can cause not only heart palpitations and vomiting, but in some cases lead to death.

Intermittent fasting

Proper nutrition is an important part of a long life, but equally important is how often we eat. The results of one of the recent studies conducted by experts at Harvard University prove that short-term fasting can stop the aging process.
When our body feels the lack of food, it switches to the so-called survival mode. During this period, it becomes less important for the body how its liver, kidneys and other systems function, so it spends the bulk of its energy and resources on servicing the digestive system.
The theory says that when the hunger strike ends, our body begins to repair itself. In the process of this restoration, old cells are replaced with new, more viable versions.

There is even evidence that fasting, coupled with chemotherapy, helps to destroy cancer cells in experimental mice. However, more research is needed to explore the effectiveness of this treatment in humans.
And although many studies are discovering new benefits of intermittent fasting, it is not beneficial for everyone (and even dangerous for some people). Therefore, the effectiveness of a less extreme option associated with dietary nutrition, which allows you to reduce calories to a daily useful minimum, remains effective.

Infusion of young blood

Advances in modern medicine have played an important role in enabling people to live longer than before. Alas, a person often comes to these achievements through numerous experiments on various animals.
One of the most eerie examples of such experiments is the so-called parabiosis - a phenomenon achieved by the anatomical fusion of two animals in such a way that they form a single circulatory system.
Thus, the researchers were able to find out that the blood of a healthy young mouse has an amazing rejuvenating effect on older individuals. This improves the functionality of the brain, there is a faster recovery of tissues, and organs throughout the body begin to work more efficiently.

Thanks to parabiosis, it was possible to eliminate many of the consequences of the detrimental effects of age in mice. Some scientists believe that blood transfusion (blood replacement) may well lead to similar results in humans.
This theory causes quite a lot of controversy in the scientific community, since science does not yet have definitive convincing arguments confirming its effectiveness in increasing life expectancy. However, many treatments based on blood transfusion are known and are quite successful.

In 2017, a company from California, USA, called "Ambrosia" offered people the opportunity to infuse young blood. This procedure was proposed to be carried out for a fee of 8 thousand US dollars.
Not much time has passed, so it is too early to say how effective this operation was in prolonging life. Perhaps the effect of it will be completely reduced to zero ... In any case, this is one of those procedures from this list that you are unlikely to be able to carry out on your own at home.

How to prolong life

Correct sleep duration

The average person spends about a third of their entire life sleeping. At the same time, the final answer to the question why our body needs it still remains a mystery to researchers.
Of course, despite the fact that the mechanisms of sleep are not fully understood and studied, we certainly know that sleep is extremely important for maintaining our mental and physical health.
The surprising enough fact is that everyone needs about the same amount of sleep; while it turned out that too much sleep can do much more harm than normal sleep deprivation.

Children and teenagers need more sleep; pensioners have less time; and for everyone else, an average of seven hours of sleep each night seems to be the most acceptable.
As a rule, everyone who manages to constantly stick to this figure notes the extraordinary benefits of such a schedule for their health. Professor Matthew Walker of the University of California, USA, went even further, stating that sleep is more important for maintaining good health than proper diet and sports activity.
Some of the data is definitely startling. The researchers found that the risk of death among people who sleep six hours a night or less is 12 percent higher. Perhaps even more surprising is that this risk increases for those who sleep nine hours a night or more.

Teeth cleaning with dental floss and brush

Dentists strongly recommend that their patients spend at least two minutes brushing our teeth in the morning and in the evening. Agree, this procedure does not require much time from our lives, however, it is believed that about a third of people, even in civilized countries, do not follow this rule.
Even more deplorable statistics are revealed when it comes to brushing your teeth with dental floss. According to various data, in the same developed countries, no more than 16 percent of people do this every day.
As you know, those people who really zealously maintain the health of their teeth and oral cavity in excellent condition rarely encounter such a phenomenon as caries, periodontitis, and so on.

However, this is not the only health benefit - there are even more amazing benefits. Research shows that there is a link between brushing your teeth (both brushing and flossing) and a reduced risk of age-related dementia, lung disease, and some heart disease.
It may be somewhat surprising that dental hygiene can have such a profound effect on overall health; however, the reasons why this is indeed true are serious enough and quite logical.
When plaque forms around our teeth, this area becomes an excellent breeding ground for many millions of bacteria. And if these bacteria manage to get into our circulatory system, they are in a position to seriously undermine our health.

Live above

With an average life expectancy of less than 53 years, the people of the Central African Republic of Chad have one of the worst life expectancy statistics in the world.
And there is nothing surprising in the fact that people brought to an extreme degree of poverty have a significant lag in life expectancy compared to the much richer developed countries of the West.
However, the real surprise is the fact that among the citizens of various developed countries there is also a fairly noticeable difference in life expectancy. And this is at approximately the same high standard of living and income.

Comprehensive and thorough research on this issue, which took more than three decades, was carried out in all American states. The results were very interesting and contradictory.
For example, the average life expectancy for residents of South Dakota is 66.8 years. The longest life expectancy was revealed among the inhabitants of Colorado - in some regions of the state it exceeded the life expectancy of people from Dakota by almost twenty years!
While Colorado is a comparatively wealthy state, which no doubt plays a role, it is by no means the most prosperous state in the country. It turns out that life expectancy is influenced by a number of other factors.

As you know, Colorado is the highest state in the United States, located at an average altitude of about 2073 meters above sea level. It took a few more studies that could convince scientists that the highlands are the most "healthy" for living.
Reduced oxygen content is believed to prevent the development of certain types of cancer; This factor also has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, which significantly reduces the risk of heart and vascular diseases.
There is no doubt that there are reasonable limits to this pattern; that is, living at extreme altitudes is almost impossible, and a long stay there leads to symptoms of altitude sickness, including nausea, dizziness. Sometimes this can lead to death.

How to slow down aging

Learning a second language

The human brain is probably one of the most complex structures in the universe - at least as far as science now knows. It is sometimes said that if our brain were simpler, then we simply would not be smart enough to understand how complex it is.
Science also knows that the brain reaches its peak efficiency around the age of 22, and after that this efficiency gradually decreases. For most people, irreversible physical changes in the brain also occur as they age.
Fortunately, there are several ways to delay the decline in functionality. The process of learning a new language is one of the most effective ways to significantly slow down the aging of the brain.

Numerous studies show that people who are bilingual demonstrate significantly greater resistance to Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia than those who know only one language and speak only one language all their lives.
And while the benefits of knowing two or more languages are more obvious to those who have studied them since early childhood, if you start learning an additional language as an adult or even older, it can also slow down brain aging.

Regular coffee drinking

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks on the planet. The value of the world coffee market is about several trillion dollars a year (in second place after the oil turnover). Hundreds of billions of cups of coffee are drunk by people on the planet in one year.
And this is not bad, since there is quite clear evidence that regular coffee consumption can slightly increase our life expectancy. In particular, this is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
According to the Agency, people who drink coffee on a regular basis show greater resistance to heart disease, and also suffer less from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Although there is a lot of controversy on this topic, it is still believed that three cups of coffee a day is the optimal amount of coffee that can increase your life expectancy by adding about nine minutes to it daily.
In fact, the true mechanism of how exactly drinking coffee benefits our health is not fully understood. However, it is known that the answer to this question definitely does not lie in caffeine.
Research results show that there is not much difference in the impact on our health due to whether we drink decaffeinated coffee, natural or instant coffee. In any case, this is good news for all coffee drinkers who have been terrified of the potential health problems of coffee for years.

Maintain social activity

Any study of the topic of human life expectancy is fraught with various difficulties. Human beings lead quite complex lives. And the duration of this life is influenced by a huge number of different factors.
In addition to the lifestyle of each individual, there are numerous genetic factors. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to identify what exactly is the cause and what is the effect.
However, it should be said that there is one very variable factor that has repeatedly proven its importance as one of the most important factors affecting human life expectancy.

As you know, man is a social being. There is overwhelming evidence that people who regularly maintain close contact with their loved ones and friends are much more likely to live longer than those who are single.
In general, the fact is that social interaction is extremely important for mental health. For example, solitary confinement brings such tangible harm to a person that some experts demand its ban, classifying it as nothing more than torture.
An active social life brings real physical benefits, regulating blood pressure, strengthening the immune system. The impact can be so strong that, according to a 2008 study, its benefits are comparable to those received by the body of a smoker who has given up this habit.

To have a pet

The famous French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said that hell is other people. For those who agree with Sartre's statement, but are keenly aware of the longevity benefits of social interaction, there is a great alternative.
Numerous studies suggest that pet owners live longer and healthier lives than other people.
In fairness, it should be noted that this is not such a surprising fact. Responsible dog owners who walk their dogs on a regular basis are known to benefit just as much as those who exercise regularly.

However, not everything can be explained by additional physical activity, since not only dog owners reap the positive health and life benefits from interacting with their pets.
For example, cat owners are also less likely to suffer from blood pressure problems. According to a study by specialists from the Stroke Institute in Minnesota, USA, such people are three times less likely to have heart attacks.
And even those animals that are definitely not cute and fluffy (turtles, lizards) also benefit the health of their owners. There is evidence that even the mere sight of swimming fish in an aquarium can lower blood pressure and regulate heart rate.

Life expectancy in Russia is on average 66.05 years (according to the results of 2013). Whether you reach this age or even exceed it depends largely on many factors that are under the control of the person himself.

Everyone knows about a number of them - proper nutrition, physical activity, quitting smoking, maintaining a balanced weight.

The rest of the healthy habits are a little less obvious. Their list is given below.

A four-legged companion could help you live longer, according to a review published in the journal Circulation.

Researchers believe that a dog will maintain a more active lifestyle for its owner, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

"Dog owners walk their dogs and are more likely to meet their daily physical activity goal (150 minutes per week)," said Eric A. Goederis, MD, of Webster University in St. Louis. Pet owners also have reduced stress levels, which contributes to the fight against CVD.

More sex

Perhaps this is the most pleasant method of prolonging life. A number of studies show that there is a link between orgasms and longevity. In a 1997 study, people who were more intimate were less likely to die from heart disease. Although the study did not find a causal relationship (maybe initially healthier people simply have more sex), sex can still be beneficial. “In addition to pleasure, sex makes almost every muscle in the body work. It also enhances the body's immunity, relieves stress and even allows you to control appetite. Two to three times a week is considered the optimal number.

Use dental floss every day

It not only allows you to extract food from the teeth, but also removes a film of bacteria that hardens over time and can no longer be removed with a toothbrush. Periodontal disease can cause inflammation, which increases the chance of early heart attack and stroke.

Many studies have linked oral bacteria to CVD (Cardiovascular Disease). It is recommended to floss at least once a day.

Keep a positive attitude

Specialists at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx studied 243 centenarians. When they assessed their personalities, they found that most of them had a positive outlook on life, were calm and optimistic.

Try to laugh more often, watch comedies, spend time with people who make you smile. “Laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces blood sugar, reduces pain, reduces stress, all of which can make your body healthier,” says Elisabeth Lombardo, MD.

Be socially active

Go with friends to the movies or cafes. The Brigham Young University analysis looked at 148 studies. The dependence of social activity and life expectancy was found.

“People with more active social relationships are 50% more likely to live longer. Loneliness compromises the immune system, making it harder to fight disease."

Eat nuts

Cashews, walnuts, almonds are all good for longevity as well. People who ate nuts weekly showed a reduced risk of death, says a 2013 study.

Nuts are rich in antioxidants, fiber and unsaturated fatty acids, they reduce the risk of CVD. "They also counteract certain risk factors for diabetes." Nuts are high in calories, so 20 pieces will be enough.

Find your purpose

Regardless of age, having a life purpose can help you live long enough. In an analysis of 6,000 people, the Rochester Medical Center found that people with greater purposefulness were less likely to die over the 14-year study.

"People with purpose are more likely to take care of their health." Develop a sense of purpose, focus on your importance in the family or at work.

Start your morning with coffee

Coffee not only helps to wake up, but also adds years to life. It reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases. “These include diabetes, CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) and Alzheimer’s disease.” However, don't overdo it: too much caffeine can cause anxiety and insomnia, or interfere with calcium absorption.

Healthy sleep

The quality of sleep plays an important role in life expectancy. Numerous studies have linked sleep deprivation to an increased risk of death, and other studies have shown that sleep deprivation may increase the risk of type II diabetes.

"Some people need more sleep than others, but 7 hours is now considered sufficient." Set a sleep schedule and try not to deviate from it even on weekends.

Glass half full

The study found clear evidence that happy people are healthier than others and live longer than their unhappy peers. “Depression, pessimism and stress lead to a short life expectancy.

These mental states trigger a stress response in the body that can weaken the immune system. Happiness also leads to a decrease in stress hormones.

Don't drink sparkling water

Even if you don't have a problem with being overweight, soda can reduce life expectancy. A five-year study found a link between soda consumption and shortening of telomeres, the caps at the ends of chromosomes that are directly linked to aging. Telomeres shorten during cell division and are considered the "aging clock". The study found no such association with diet drinks, but other studies have found their effects on weight gain, type II diabetes, and depression.

Drink some wine every day

If you drink just under a glass of wine daily, it reduces cardiovascular mortality, scientists from the Netherlands say. They found that a small amount of alcohol consumption led to an increase in life expectancy at the age of 50 years. 20 grams of alcohol per day reduces the risk of death from all causes by 36% and the risk from cardiovascular causes by 34%. This does not apply to beer and cocktails.

Run at least 5 minutes a day

You don't have to run for an hour a day to get the health benefits. A study shows that running 5-10 minutes a day increases longevity by reducing the risk of death from heart disease by 58% and the overall risk of death by 28%. This is true even for a small pace of running. Running at speeds up to 10 km/s once or twice a week is also beneficial, according to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The reason is better functioning of the heart and lungs. It's best to be consistent - the biggest benefit has been seen in runners with 6 years of experience.

The problem of increasing human life expectancy has occupied the minds of scientists for perhaps millennia. The modern view on this issue comes down to several directions. One of them involves looking for some mechanism in the body that can be turned off so that aging stops. This, according to scientists, may be a specific gene or a combination of them.

Another direction is an attempt to use to the maximum those reserves that a person already has, but for a number of reasons he does not use them. This is what the researchers came to, in particular.

1. Be a winner

Studies have shown that Nobel Prize winners live an average of 1.8 years longer than those who were nominated but did not receive it. The same trend was revealed with Oscar winners: they live an average of 2 years longer than other nominees. Those who received the award twice lived, on average, 6 years longer. Thus, the winners, that is, those who become first. but not one of. live longer than others.

2. Eat healthy food

Modern nutritionists, in general, agree with the statement that a person is what he eats. Consuming healthy foods such as milk. chocolate, buckwheat . vegetables and fruit strengthens health, and therefore prolongs life. But the most important thing is not the diet itself, but the right combination of food, time of day and environment. It has been found that people who eat healthy meals at the same time and avoid snacking on the go live an average of 5 years longer.

3. Lead an active lifestyle

Mobility and exercise have a beneficial effect on the health of our heart. Scientists at the Erasmus University in the Netherlands conducted a large-scale study to find out how much longer physically active people live. It turned out that on average for 14 years.

4. Avoid smoking and alcohol

smoking and alcohol worsen the work of the lungs, heart, and also make a person addicted. Several American studies have shown that non-smokers and non-drinkers live an average of 10 years longer. This took into account the fact that passive smoking causes the same harm as ordinary, so you need to stay away from places where smoking is allowed.

5. Reduce blood pressure

According to a report from Yale University, a sharp increase in pressure caused by stress negatively affects the cardiovascular system. People who find a way not to worry once again will extend their lives by an average of 4 years.

How to prolong a person's life?

It is believed that stress and illness occur when a person is not sincere with himself. From this insincerity, an imbalance of the whole organism arises, which significantly shortens life, let's say up to 70 years. It is assumed that human life could be much longer.

But how and where we deceive ourselves is very difficult to identify.

A primitive lie to ourselves can be to constantly check with what a father or mother would say about our successes or failures. This applies to people who have already matured, because aging begins at about 28 years of age.

For some, it will seem strange that the experience and advice of parents can be associated with lying to oneself.

Here is the situation.

We automatically accept the words and deeds of good parents. And we do our best to follow their instructions, not even intending to doubt their justice.

And remembering the words and deeds of bad parents, we try to do the opposite. Also not trying to doubt that maybe somewhere the parents were right. No, we cross out everything. Often to your own detriment.

Those. we go from today to many years ago, look for the estimated assessment of the parents there, going through file by file, episode by episode in memory, we find and return again to today.

And so we travel regularly. Can you imagine how much energy it takes to travel like this?

Now, if all this is taken apart and discarded, then a huge layer of vital energy will be released.

How to extend human life to 500 years

How to extend human life up to 500 years? Unexpected assistants in the fight for longevity were discovered by Australian experts.

Scientists from Australia have discovered the amazing ability of snails to completely stop aging during their hibernation. Now experts have to find the genes responsible for this process. Experts are confident that the positive effect of these genes can be applied to humans.

Thus, some snails can increase their lifespan from 3 years to 23. If you transfer this to a person, then its duration would increase from 70 years to almost 500, Rosbalt quotes Dr. Scott Cummins, a molecular biologist from Sunshine Coast University.

Currently, Dr. Cummins is trying to identify the genes and neurohormones that cause sleepiness in snails during the summer, when these animals simply fall asleep for several months in hot climates.

It is noted that the composition of human genes is almost 50% similar to the genes of snails, so it is possible that people have hibernation genes.

The new discovery will give humanity the means to slow down aging and introduce a state of suspended animation. This means that organs for transplantation will be able to survive longer, and people will no longer suffer from age-related diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's disease.

Do we think about our health and life expectancy? Yes. But not all and not always. I know many people who believe in their destiny and reason like this: When I am destined to die, then I will die. Not realizing that they themselves are bringing their end closer, they have a lot of bad habits and addictions.

What factors can prematurely end a person's life or shorten it due to his own illiteracy?

1. Surprisingly, overeating comes first. Oh, how many people have such an addiction and practically kill themselves.

1 2 times a year, it would not significantly damage our health. But remember how many feasts a year fall to the lot of modern man, tortured by poverty. Some New Year's holidays are worth it! And almost every feast in conjunction with alcoholic beverages is overeating.

2. The second place is taken by smoking. Someone calms their nerves in this way, someone smokes for the sake of image, and someone just feels uncomfortable not supporting the company.

3. Next come alcoholic beverages both in terms of the degree of harmfulness and the number of accidents that occurred due to the fault of drunk drivers. US statistics for the past year detained one and a half million drunk reckless drivers driving a car. The consequences of such heroism need no comment.

Many other reasons for indifferent attitude towards oneself bring significant harm to health: food in a hurry, usually dry; the stresses we face on a daily basis; sedentary lifestyle and much more. And if there is also a complex of such negative factors, then this is tantamount to unintentional suicide.

The genome of bats will tell you how to extend human life

Bats have managed to survive for 65 million years. According to Australian experts, they can tell us a way to achieve longevity and improve immunity.

Scientists from the Australian Animal Health Laboratory explained that bats are natural reservoirs for several deadly viruses, such as Hendra, Ebola and SARS. But they themselves are not touched by infections. It is also the only flying mammal. And they live quite a long time compared to animals of the same size.

Australian researchers, together with scientists from the Beijing Genome Institute, have deciphered the genomes of two types of mice - black flying fox and Myotis davidii. Experts want to get information that will help prevent the development of diseases in humans and cure them. Understanding evolutionary adaptation mechanisms is key to success in terms of dealing with virus outbreaks and human longevity.

Olga Nagornyuk

Three secrets of life extension

The question "How to live long and not grow old?" since antiquity has excited the minds of many prominent people. According to scientists, the average life expectancy of a primitive person was only 25 years, a citizen of the Roman Empire - 35, and a resident of medieval Europe - about 40.

Progress brought with it cures for many diseases and reduced traumatic risks, thereby increasing the life expectancy of our contemporary to seventy. However, scientists say that this is not the limit. The reserves of the human body are calculated for 120 years. We will tell you how to increase your life by a quarter of a century.

From ancient youth elixirs to modern gerontology

The first mention of human attempts to deceive death, snatching eternal life from its tenacious paws, are found in the Sumerian myths about King Gilgamesh, dated to the 2nd millennium BC. e. The inhabitants of Mesopotamia believed in the existence of a magical flower that could give eternal youth.

The ancient Egyptians took a more practical approach to the issue of life extension: their scientists saw the source of longevity in certain dietary restrictions, which, however, did not prevent them from practicing other methods. So, the great Cleopatra from the Ptolemaic dynasty surrounded herself with babies, firmly believing: their presence makes her younger.

The inhabitants of Ancient Rome sincerely believed that the source of longevity is contained in young blood. Therefore, after the gladiatorial fights, the elderly descended into the arena to wash themselves with the blood of the defeated fighters.

In the Middle Ages, they practiced life extension with the help of virgins. Entrepreneurial people did good business on this, renting girls to old people. The course of rejuvenation was 24 days, to obtain the desired effect, a person needed only to sleep next to young girls who did not know a man.

More or less serious studies on the phenomenon of aging were found in the writings of the ancient Greek physician Asklepiad (128-56 BC), who claimed that the cause of old age is the smallest, invisible particles that make up the human body. In young people they are in constant motion, and in older people they are in stagnation. Walking, traveling and exercising can make the particles move again, and the body rejuvenate.

Since that time, science has stepped far forward, but scientists have not yet found the elixir of eternal youth. But as a result of research, gerontologists were able to understand how to push back old age and extend the life of an elderly person by an average of 20 years.

Three secrets of life extension

Israel is a country with one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Scientists have conducted a series of studies that have helped to identify factors that allow a person to live 20 years more. The results we want to share with you were published in the journal Personality & Social Psychology.

It turns out that human life expectancy is only 25% dependent on genetic predisposition. The rest is determined by the way of life. What prolongs youth and allows you to live longer?

1. Moderate physical activity + 6 years.

The hackneyed phrase "Movement is life" best reflects the conclusion of Israeli doctors. Daily physical activity for the elderly is 150 minutes of brisk walking. It can be divided into several parts, the minimum duration of each should not be less than 10 minutes.

Almost any physical activity is useful, however, due to the increase in bone fragility in older people and the decrease in flexibility and endurance, doctors advise the following forms of sports:

bike. With low loads on the heart, it perfectly trains the muscles of the legs, stimulates the work of the lungs, develops coordination of movements and allows you to maintain the mobility of the hip joints. No - arthritis, gout and shortness of breath;

fast walk. The most affordable way to strengthen the heart muscle and the walls of arterial vessels, as well as promoting the mobility of the joints of the hips, ankles and knees;

gymnastics. Gives a load on all the muscles of the body, keeping them in good shape, maintains flexibility and develops the vestibular apparatus. Yoga classes are ideal for older people, which, with minimal stress on the cardiovascular system, give the maximum effect;

swimming. It relieves pain from chronic arthritis, trains muscles, removing additional stress from the joints, which is very important for women during menopause. Doctors say that swimming contributes to the production of endorphin - the hormone of happiness, and it, in turn, prolongs life.

2. Low-calorie food + 11 years.

Why should food be low calorie? With age, the body's ability to remove free oxygen radicals, which shorten our lives, is sharply reduced. Energy-poor food leads to a decrease in their formation, automatically extending our lives by an average of 11 years.

This is confirmed by the example of the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa, who are considered long-livers among the Japanese, whose life expectancy is already the highest in the world. To live up to 100 years of age and remain active, the islanders can be poor in calories, but rich in vitamins and minerals, food of marine origin.

Doctors have proven that you can add more than a dozen years to your life by observing the following rules:

Adhere to the daily calorie intake:

we increase the content of protein in food to 110-140 g per day (the ratio of proteins of plant and animal origin should be 1: 1). Muscles need protein, and we need muscles. We eat cereals with milk, succulents, dumplings, boiled lean meat and fish. We limit the use of water extracts from fish, meat and mushrooms (broths). They can not be eaten every day, it slows down the metabolism and contributes to the development of gout;

we reduce the intake of carbohydrates: the daily norm of an elderly person is 3 g per 1 g of protein. By this we unload the pancreas and prevent the formation of excess weight. Alas, obese people live 7 years less than slender ones.

Try to get carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits, buckwheat and oatmeal, whole grain bread. Give up sugar, muffins and carbonated drinks;

fats are important, but needed in a limited amount - at the rate of 1 g per kilogram of body weight. Difficult to digest and poorly digestible fats of animal origin should be replaced with vegetable ones (olive, corn, sunflower oil). This will reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood and improve the flow of metabolic processes.

Butter, rich in vitamins A and D, is relatively easy to digest, and therefore doctors recommend introducing it into the menu of an elderly person at the rate of 30% of the daily fat intake;

vitamins C, A, E, B 1 and B 6 must be present in the diet of the elderly. They affect the immune system, the absorption of fat, the state of vision and reduce the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis, as a result, adding a couple of years to your life.

Where to look for vitamins?

eat less salt and drink more fluids - at least 1.5 liters per day;

cleanse the intestines twice a year - this not only facilitates the process of digestion, but also rejuvenates the body;

give up fried foods. Because of it, the gastrointestinal tract has to work with a double load, while the metabolic processes in the body are inhibited, leading to premature aging;

switch to a 4-time meal plan with 4-hour breaks between meals. Distribute the diet as follows: 1st breakfast - 30% of the diet, 2nd breakfast - 20%, lunch - 40%, dinner - 10% (no later than 2 hours before bedtime).

If you have an increased appetite, eat 5 times a day, but in small portions, without exceeding the daily calorie intake.

3. Positive attitude + 7 years.

Statistics show that optimists live longer. A positive attitude is facilitated by live communication with other people, an active lifestyle and the presence of a hobby. Do not lock yourself in and do not enclose yourself in four walls, choosing a TV and a grumpy neighbor as interlocutors. Remember: your life is in your hands.

What shortens life?

Gerontologists have found out what factors negatively affect longevity. Here is the scientists' conclusion:

Excess weight takes up to 10 years of life from a person. Every 15 extra pounds shortens the human life by 3 years, extreme obesity will take you a whole decade;

chronic stress will take away 8 years. Therefore, it is important to always remain calm and tune in a positive way;

a sedentary lifestyle accelerates aging by 9 years. Lying on the couch and doing nothing adversely affects the metabolism, triggering dystrophic processes in the cells;

smoking, which causes shortness of breath, coughing, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high blood cholesterol, cuts your measured years by a dozen.

Is it possible to extend life? Today, the average human life expectancy is seventy-one years. But it was not always so. During the Paleolithic and Neolithic times, people lived only eighteen years; in ancient Greece and ancient Rome they reached twenty-two years; in the era of the Middle Ages, the majority of the world's population did not even cross the thirty-five-year milestone; in the middle of the nineteenth century the average life expectancy was forty years, and in the early twentieth century it was sixty years.

It turns out that humanity with each century is steadily increasing its ability to live longer. Average life expectancy is increasing by about four months a year. Today it is considered the limit of the life of a human being - 115-120 years. Therefore, with a high probability we can say that people who are thirty years old today, having lived to be a hundred years old, will reach their middle age.

Due to what the horizons of our earthly existence are expanding? What factor affects the new generation of people, allowing them to live longer than the previous ones? Perhaps the achievement of medical science? Opportunities for surgery? Use of antibiotics? Yes. But only in part.

Doctors themselves admit: their contribution to the disease is not so great. According to statistics, medicine is able to extend life span by no more than ten percent. What allows people to live longer and longer; and vice versa: what prevents them from reaching the milestone of two hundred years or more? How are centenarians different from ordinary people?

More and more researchers are coming to the conclusion that the term of human life is a program that is loaded into our subconscious literally from birth. We live as long as it is customary to live in the society around us. We are aging only because everyone around us is aging: our parents, relatives, friends, acquaintances - the entire social environment surrounding each individual. We are all literally saturated with the aging program, we live in this program. And in order to get out of it and prolong life, you need to work hard on your own consciousness, and set yourself a different age limit - 150-200 years.

Longevity of the planet

Most regions of the planet, where a record number of centenarians live, are cut off from the outside world. The consciousness of the people living here was formed in unusual conditions. Modern civilization has almost no influence on them. The most striking example is Tibet. For many centuries this unique country - the custodian of the traditions of the East - was fenced off from the world by the highest mountain wall. It was almost impossible for a European to reach Tibet.

It was only in the twentieth century that researchers who frequented the area were surprised to find that Tibetan lamas live three times as long as ordinary people. This race of centenarians originally lives in a program that allows them to live to two hundred years or more. But at the same time, they do not carry any burdens associated with social interaction.

Many residents of the Caucasus are also in a different temporal reality. The largest number of centenarians lives in Karachay-Cherkessia, the mountains of Azerbaijan and Abkhazia. More than forty percent of the local old people have crossed the centenary milestone.

Another thing is that hardly all people want to live so long. And if they have no reason to live three hundred years, then they have no reason to live one day. Let them lay down and die. Simple, but iron logic, which, nevertheless, explains something.

In most industrialized countries, old age is associated with retirement. He became a pensioner, which means he is already an elderly person, and there he is already close to the grave. This is one of the most persistent social attitudes that limit our life expectancy.

After a person has retired, he begins a survival period, which averages fifteen years. This is a social setting, and the state pension funds plan to pay pensions for each person no more than this period. And you subconsciously believe in it, and, therefore, you live just that much.

On January 1, 2017, a law came into force, according to which in Russia the retirement age of state and municipal employees will gradually increase over several years. Ultimately, women officials will begin to retire at 63, and men at 65. These people will have longer active lives, which means they are likely to live longer.

But there is no need to rely on any laws there. If you want to be young, be it. Stop associating yourself with aging. Just understand that you are only .

To set yourself up for a long life, you need to subject yourself to self-hypnosis (meditate) every day, step by step, freeing yourself from the mindsets that are entrenched in your mind. It will be enough for you to devote only five minutes a day to such meditation - even the busiest person can allocate this time for himself.

Left alone with yourself, throw extraneous thoughts out of your head, focus and repeat verbal settings, for example: “I am young and full of energy!”

And the right hemisphere will begin to hear this signal coming from the left hemisphere, and will begin to create images of youth, and, consequently, all the organs of the body will begin to work, as the brain ordered them to, using their resources to the maximum.

An example of one of the meditations: imagine that today you are one hundred years old. You look at yourself in the mirror and see a young face with smooth skin, a straight back; you smile, you are happy, you have many plans for this and the next days. This image is remembered, all cells are read and adjusted to it, unless, of course, it is strong enough and supported by powerful emotional nourishment.

It has been proven that people who have a clear idea of their goals and objectives live the longest; able to dream and make dreams come true. Is it worth it to smoke the sky for a hundred years, if life is boring, monotonous and there is no development in it. If a person lives just like this: from paycheck to paycheck, by inertia, then he has no internal incentive to prolong his life.

Scientists have come to the conclusion that the mortality of people with a high level of education is four times lower than the mortality of those with little education. It turns out that the brain without mental stress ages much faster.

The famous German physician Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland wrote back in the nineteenth century: “A person, even for his physical condition, needs a certain degree of education, since it contributes to his longevity”

For those who want to prolong life, doctors advise tirelessly loading their brains: reading books, solving crossword puzzles, learning foreign languages. And you also need to work with your hands - sew, sculpt, draw, make something. Developing fine motor skills of fingers is useful not only in childhood. Our hands are closely connected to the brain. If the hands work, the brain starts to work. Accordingly, if the hands do not work, the brain begins to fall asleep. If the brain falls asleep, then the work of all internal organs and body systems decreases.

You can simply write a short text by hand - best with a fountain pen. But if you tap your fingers on the computer keyboard, there will be no useful effect.

One more piece of advice on how to push back the inevitable end and prolong life. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but in order to live longer, you need to think about death more often and treat it with complete calmness. That is, to work with . Most people experience fear of imminent death and constantly try to suppress it. This latent phobia affects a person's daily behavior, forcing them to abandon many plans and plans, and ultimately significantly shorten their life.

If people knew exactly when they would die, then they would live life to the fullest, cherish every second, and try to make as many accomplishments as possible in this life.

Many people, having reached the age of forty, stop celebrating birthdays, instinctively being afraid of near old age and imminent death. Psychologists say that such a phobia, as a rule, affects those who have not achieved anything in life. Maybe it makes sense to measure age not by the number of years lived, but by the number of really significant deeds?