Food Habits

Recent studies confirm that dietary methionine restriction increases both mean and maximal lifespan in rats and mice, achieving "aging retardant" effects very similar to those of caloric restriction, including a suppression of mitochondrial superoxide generation. Although voluntary caloric restriction is never likely to gain much popularity as a pro-longevity strategy for humans, it may be more feasible to achieve moderate methionine restriction, in light of the fact that vegan diets tend to be relatively low in this amino acid.

Dietary restriction (DR) increases lifespan in a range of evolutionarily distinct species. The polyphenol resveratrol may be a dietary mimetic of some effects of DR. The pivotal role of the mammalian histone deacetylase (HDAC) Sirt1, and its homologue in other organisms, in mediating the effects of both DR and resveratrol on lifespan/ageing suggests it may be the common conduit through which these dietary interventions influence ageing.

Okinawans, who have a different ethnicity and food cultural history to other Japanese nationals, and an exceptional longevity have been studied at home and as migrant groups in Hawaii and Brazil. Biomarkers for fish and soy intake and intervention studies indicate that these foods, along with seaweed and green vegetables are candidates for chronic non-communicable disease prevention.

OBJECTIVES: To assess lifestyle factors including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary habits in men and women with exceptional longevity. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A cohort of community-dwelling Ashkenazi Jewish individuals with exceptional longevity defined as survival and living independently at age 95 and older.

Of the 75 patients in the February 1977 "class" at the Longevity Research Institute, Santa Barbara, California, 11 volunteers were pre- and posttested (21- to 23-day intervals) with the MMPI, 13 with the California Psychological Inventory, and 17 with four subtests of the WAIS (total: 21 males, 10 females). Ten of the (total) 32 scales showed changes in the predicted, favorable direction, statistically significant at the .05 level or better by t test.

Diet is a component in the etiology of the two major causes of death in the United States, namely, cardiovascular disease and cancer. During the last decade, various organizations have suggested that we alter the "typical" American diet in order to decrease the incidence of these diseases even though both diseases are indisputably of multiple etiology. An implication behind these recommendations is that individuals will increase their longevity by changing their diets.