THE Brian Johnson has completed 47 August on Earth. However, he maintains that the age of his vital organs is far less than that shown on his birth certificate. The American businessman, who for the past five years has been engaged in a relentless battle against time and aging and has conquered the media and social networks with his eccentric or often even unorthodox haircuts, firmly believes that no one is bound to die.
In order to prove – with himself as a guinea pig – that the biological end is not a law but a choice, he spends about 2 million dollars a year, follows an ascetic diet, exercises daily, sleeps strictly 8 hours a day and above all resorts to expensive but effective, according to him and the team of doctors who follow him, methods. A few weeks ago, for example, he replaced the last drop of his blood plasma with new…
The once-prominent child of Silicon Valley is one of the most famous exponents of longevity, but he’s not the only one it seems. Some of the world’s richest citizens, such as Jeff Bezoso Sam Altman – CEO of OPEN AI, i.e. the parent company of Chat GPT – or o Peter Tela previously unknown but staunch supporter of Donald Trump, are investing a significant portion of their fortune in research – focusing primarily on gene therapies – to extend life expectancy.
5 regions of the planet have emerged as longevity champions: Sardinia, Okinawa, Ikaria, Costa Rica and Loma Linda
The blue belts
In 2022 alone, five billion dollars were invested in companies engaged in “hacking” the human genome. Yes, longevity is no longer a utopia, or at least it doesn’t seem as utopian as it was 20 or 30 years ago, and it’s certainly a promising investment. This is something that was realized as early as 2003 by another curious and demonic American. The father of today’s famous “Blue Belts” Dan Buettner.
At 64, Buettner is considered a modern longevity guru. So populist and sophisticated that he can market it as a commodity, selling it through books, seminars, a populist documentary on Netflix (“Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”), and even life-reshaping programs to suit the standards by which the centuries-old inhabitants of the “Blue Zones” of the planet live.
Buettner’s journey into the uncharted world of longevity began in 2000. It was sparked by a University of Sassari study documenting how the residents of Sardinia live longer than average, the American, then a partner of National Geographic, decided to visit the regions of the Earth that researchers had marked in blue on the map – hence the designation “Blue Zones”.
82.9 years is the life expectancy for women in Greece compared to 77.4 years for men
His experiential reporting eventually led to the identification of five areas whose residents had at least the age predictions on their side. So next to Sardinia were placed the Okinawa of Japan, the region Loma Linda of southern California, the peninsula Nicoya in Costa Rica and of course the Ikaria as the places where life reaches or sometimes exceeds the century.
The theory that grew into a lucrative business, tirelessly fueled by man’s eternal anxiety about aging, disease and the inevitable end, projected for almost a quarter of a century as a given. But just a few days ago the G Justin Newmana researcher at the University of London, decided to plant the seed of doubt in the universe.
24 years after the formulation of the theory of Blue Zones a University of London researcher questions what we knew
According to data he presented from an as yet unpublished scientific journal study, Newman concluded that the number of centenarians in the five “Blue Zones” is not due to lifestyle, but to the fact that the records regarding the births and deaths of residents are unclear or even non-existent. Generally, many of those who claim to be flirting or dating their age actually do not know their true age. Yes, according to Newman, the secret to longevity may be nothing more than simply being ignorant of something as given today as the date of birth.
4 are the main factors that favor the inhabitants of the so-called Blue Zones: low stress, social ties, mild physical activity, balanced diet with local raw materials
Quality counts
Regardless of the new hypothesis, longevity remains a central topic of scientific research as well as discussion in society. But is a longer life the same as a better life? We sought the answer from him George P. Gold, academic and emeritus professor of Pediatrics and Endocrinology.
«Longer life expectancy does not necessarily mean better life. Quality of life is just as, if not more, important than quantityhe says himself. “Longevity accompanied by physical and mental well-being may be considered desirable, but the key lies in how one lives these years. “Better life” means that the person enjoys good health, autonomy, mental well-being and life satisfaction. A longer life filled with disease, social restrictions or isolation may not be better. The extension of life span must be accompanied by practices and habits that ensure the maintenance of its quality. The Blue Zones, for example, offer a model where longevity goes hand in hand with mental well-being because they incorporate practices that provide meaning, social support and balance. Without these elements, longevity can end up being just an extension of life without happiness or fulfillmenthe explains.
600 billion is projected to be the value of the longevity market by the end of 2025
Because we want to live longer
But why do people want to live longer? Isn’t life already difficult, sometimes even unlivable? For the eminent academic, the unyielding struggle against our biological end is a matter of instinct: “The desire to extend life expectancy is deeply rooted in human nature and stems from a multidimensional emotional, social and biological basis. On the one hand, the very instinctive desire to survive, which has existed since the beginning of our existence, leads us to want to prolong our lives as long as possible.” he says.
71,455 were the number of births in Greece for 2023, while deaths were counted at 127,581
But does this curiosity of affluent and influential citizens have a tangible impact on research to extend life expectancy? “Methods followed by successful entrepreneurs, such as specialized nutritional plans and blood plasma exchange treatments, have sparked interest and curiosity among the general public.
However, their utility in longevity research is subject to varying opinions and controversy. On the one hand, these individuals’ investments in innovative treatments can push related research in new directions that may not have had the support to develop.” explains Mr. Gold.
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