Super Agers-by Dr Harold Gunatillake
Some people stay sharp as a tack even as they enter their “golden years”, — but are they just lucky, or do they know something others don’t?
Sadly, only a select few are destined for super-ager status: most of us slow down in our twilight years.
So, what makes a super-ager? Is it genes, diet, lifestyle- or some magic combination of all three?
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
Research suggests that moving out of your comfort zone is the key to staying mentally and physically young.
Why are some people living healthier and longer? Maybe it is the lifestyle. Notably, 50% are overweight and obese: 30% of the women were smoking, and 60% of the men were smoking. There are diverse answers when you ask them why you think you live so long. I ate chicken fat all my life; I was a ballerina; I ate chocolate, exercised, and didn’t exercise, luck or God. However, the most common thing is exceptional longevity in their family. They have what we call contraction of morbidity; they are less sick, their life is complete, and then they die. There is something that slows their ages. Once you discover what gene it is, it is possible to design a drug to do the same for people.
When you are 100, you become a Centenarian. When you are 110, you become a supercentenarian.
When you reach 80 + and exhibit continuous cognitive functions comparable to a middle- aged person- you become a Super-Ager. These active super-agers are supposed to show less brain volume loss.
Cerebral atrophy occurs naturally in all humans. But cell loss can be accelerated by a variety of causes, including injury, infection, and medical conditions such as dementia, stroke, and Huntington’s disease. These latter cases sometimes culminate in more severe brain damage and are potentially life-threatening. On the contrary, the Super-Agers avoid such brain atrophy or brain volume compared to most other humans.
Cognitive function is a broad term that refers to mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge, manipulating information, and reasoning. Cognitive functions include perception, memory, learning, attention, decision-making, and language abilities.
Super Agers, as mentioned before, has little brain volume loss.
The researchers used MRI scans to measure the thickness of the area in the brain called the cortex in two groups of subjects: 24 SuperAgers and 12 controls. Generally, a normally ageing adult will lose around 2.24% of brain volume annually. However, the SuperAgers only lost about 1.06%. It was suggested that because the SuperAgers lose their brain volume more slowly than their peers, they may be better protected from dementia.
By the age of 6, the size of the brain increases to about 90% of its volume in adulthood. Then, in our 30s and 40s, the brain starts to shrink, with the shrinkage rate growing even more by age 60. Like wrinkles and grey hair that appear later in life, the brain’s appearance also starts to change.
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It’s not possible to reverse brain atrophy after it has occurred. However, preventing brain damage, especially by preventing a stroke, may reduce the atrophy you develop over time. Some researchers suggest that healthy lifestyle strategies could minimise the atrophy usually associated with ageing.
What Are Cerebral Atrophy Symptoms? Loss of reasoning ability.
Disorientation.
Difficulty with communication, whether vocally or in writing. Memory loss.
Declines in reading comprehension. The onset of learning disabilities.
In addition to losing less brain volume more slowly than their peers, they tend to have several healthful anti-ageing habits, such as exercising to keep themselves fit.
Keeping active, such a long brisk daily walk benefits both body and mind. Regular exercise helps your heart, and muscle training with weights will reduce the risk of falls. Exercise and other normal body activities increase your oxygen intake.
Oxygen’s primary function is to provide our body with energy. It all happens within the cells, in little organelles called mitochondria which are natural energy generators: they use oxygen to transform nutrients from the digestive process into energy that can be used directly by the cell, thus causing the body to perform at optimum levels while reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Regular exercise also helps keep your weight within the normal range, which is essential for brain function because having a BMI over 30 triples the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Super-agers’ diets seem to be healthy ones. They eat to live younger. They focus on nourishing your gut, body and mind coupled with regular exercise.
As we age, our muscles attached to the bones, referred to as skeletal muscles, tend to decline in mass. This is referred to as sarcopenia, which seems to begin at 30. The decline is progressive, and a more drastic reduction occurs after 60.
Sarcopenia can be reduced by a regular resistance training routine at least three times a week to maintain lean muscle mass. Gym work would be ideal.
“You are never too old to start resistance training.”
Eating adequate protein is also vital to maintain or to build muscle. “Try to eat a good protein source at each meal.”
Research shows that a diet rich in whole foods and plants improves gut health and reduces inflammation and disease risk.
“A Mediterranean diet is rich in plant foods, and people who consume at least 30 different plant foods a week have the most incredible diversity of bacteria in their gut.
“We must strive for a diverse population of microbes in our gut because it is associated with a healthier gut and mind.”
We can move on and ensure that we can live longer but keep healthy. I hope this video presentation was helpful.
Stay safe, and goodbye for now.
Music Martin Hurkens- You Raise me Up
