The Fountain
of Youth
By Dr. Syed Amir
Bethesda, MD
Does an Elixir of Life exist that would keep
us young and healthy forever? The possibility
has intrigued and fascinated mankind for thousands
of years. According to a widespread folklore,
Khizer, credited with guiding travelers lost in
the wilderness, has drunk from the well of immortality
and is destined to live forever. Such parables,
however, are not unique to Muslims. Marco Polo,
the medieval Venetian traveler who spent years
in the court of mighty Mongol ruler, Kublai Khan,
in 13th century China, reported hearing about
the fountain of eternity.
The stories of the fountain of youth were also
current among the Andalusia Muslims from whom
undoubtedly the Spanish Christians acquired them.
Following the discovery of the Americas by Columbus
in 1492, these legends were carried to the New
World by Spanish explorers, lured in large numbers
by fantasies of gold and other bounties. Some
of the fifteenth-century Spanish fortune hunters
were also interested in seeking the spring of
eternal youth.
A member of Christopher Columbus crews, who accompanied
him on his second voyage in 1493 to the new world,
was an ambitious young man named Ponce de Leon.
After arriving in North America, he quickly climbed
the ladder of success, becoming in 1506 the Governor
of a newly discovered island, the present-day
Puerto Rico. Even though he amassed much fortune,
Ponce de Leon was not content with it, as his
real interest lay in finding the fountain of youth,
stories of which he had heard in Spain as a young
man. Convinced that the source of the water of
eternity lay in nearby unexplored lands, he applied
to the King of Spain for ships and soldiers to
help him find it and embarked on the project with
enthusiasm. In 1513, on the day of Spanish Easter,
his search carried him to the coastal lands of
present-day Florida. He named the land “Pascua
de Florida”, which in Spanish means feast
of flowers, to commemorate the Spanish festival.
Ponce de Leon continued his search for another
decade, but, alas, he never found the fountain.
Although no one has ever found it, the lure of
the fountain has persisted. In the early twentieth
century, some regions of the world, the Caucasus
in Russia, the Andes Mountains in South America
and the Hunza valley of Pakistan, were acclaimed
as the long-sought lands of eternal youth and
bliss, the so-called Shangri La. However, claims
of longevity of the people in these lands could
not be substantiated, as there were no authentic
documents to verify them.
Although Shangri La may be the product of pure
fantasy, demographic studies worldwide indicate
that there has been a progressive increase, especially
during the recent century, in the human lifespan.
For example, the life expectancy at the start
of the 20the century in the United States was
about 47 years. By the time the century closed
in 2000, the lifespan had gone up dramatically
to 77 years, representing of an increase of 57
percent. A similar increase has been noted in
many other countries of the world. Fifty years
ago, in China, people on the average lived for
only about 35 years. Now, their average duration
of life is more than 71 years. Japanese are recognized
as the world’s longest living people, with
a life expectancy surpassing 78 years for man
and 85 years for women. The number of Japanese
older than 100 years is soon expected to exceed
28,000. Women, except in underdeveloped countries,
in general live longer than men.
Other developing countries have also benefited
from this general trend. In India, during the
past century, the average lifespan has gone up
from 32 years to more than 64 years. In Pakistan,
the comparable figure is 63 years. These statistics
are somewhat distorted by the fact that there
has been a remarkable reduction in the rate of
infant mortality in the developing world, which
had the effect of previously underestimating the
average lifespan of the people who lived past
childhood.
What factors are responsible for human longevity?
We still don’t know definitively; however,
some contours of the picture are slowly emerging.
Clearly, many infectious diseases have now been
largely eradicated, while there has been a phenomenal
advancement in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment
of diseases. These factors have had a powerful
influence.
Meanwhile, the quest continues to unravel the
secret of longevity, and determine whether any
combination of drugs, diet or lifestyle would
lengthen the lifespan, while preserving physical
and mental vitality. The problem is compounded
by the yet unsettled question of whether there
is a maximum upper limit to the human life, dictated
by our genes that still cannot be tampered with.
While the issue is being debated, medicine research
has identified some measures that can significantly
prolong life. Some of the findings are drawn from
animal experiments and their applicability to
humans remains unclear. Many studies in rats and
mice have shown, for example, that if placed on
a severely restricted diet, with lower calories,
they live appreciably longer than usual. Recently,
similar controlled studies on overweight human
volunteers whose diet and food consumption were
reduced by one-quarter, showed encouraging results.
After six months, volunteers on restricted calories
and an exercise regimen showed reduced wear and
tear of their body organs and their DNA structures.
The aging process is a complex physiological phenomenon
that is not fully understood. However, it is now
well recognized that our genes as well as lifestyle
-- the food we eat, whether we exercise, and whether
we live in a clean or polluted environment --
all powerfully influence our life expectancy.
Based on experiential evidence, children of long-living
parents are likely to live to a ripe old age,
provided they don’t fall victim to infectious
diseases or pursue an unhealthy lifestyle. While
there is little we can do to change our genes,
we exercise a much greater control over our lifestyle.
All available evidence indicates that exercise
is the most effective weapon against the aging
process. The manifold benefits of regular physical
activity are slowly unfolding. It is estimated
that people who are physically inactive have a
45 percent higher probability of suffering from
heart disease, 60 percent greater chance of developing
weakness of bones or osteoporosis and are 40 percent
more likely to have cancer of the colon. These
are sobering statistics, and they don’t
even capture all benefits of exercise.
Regular exercise can reduce the risk of premature
death by half, by lowering blood pressure, blood
sugar, slowing the progression of muscle loss
and preventing the onset of heart disease and
diabetes. No one needs to pursue a program of
exhausting exercise to reap these benefits. A
game of tennis, jogging, walking even gardening
can serve the purpose. More recent studies have
suggested that, in older people, moderate exercise,
a regular daily walk for a mile or so, can restore
some of the cognitive impairment associated with
old age by stimulating the growth of new brain
cells.
Obesity is another worldwide problem, menacing
the health of millions of people. However, only
a century ago it was largely unknown. It is not
uncommon to see people gain weight in later life,
since their eating habits remain unchanged. In
major cities of Pakistan, weddings and other celebrations
have become occasions for excessive consumption
of rich, fatty food. Unfortunately, the incidence
of diabetes and heart disease in the population
has risen sharply. In the olden days, obesity
in our culture was fallaciously associated with
good health, but we now know better. The celebrated
nurse’s health study initiated in 1976,
in which 116,000 women participated for 24 years,
revealed that even a modest gain in weight increased
the risk of death by 15 percent.
To combat obesity and heart disease, a number
of diet plans have been promoted. In recent years,
much interest has been focused on the so-called
Mediterranean diet, based on the empirical evidence
that people in these countries suffer from cardiovascular
problems far less than in other countries. The
diet emphasizes the intake of a variety of seasonal
fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish.
Consumption of meats, saturated fats, and especially
trans fats is to be avoided. Mono and polyunsaturated
fats, such as olive, canola, mustard and corn
oils are considered healthy and their use is encouraged.
It is not only tangible measures that promote
our health and well-being. Factors such as emotional
sustenance provided by family members and friends
also play a crucial role. Patients recuperating
from hear attack, for example, who are supported
by family and friends have a much better chance
of survival than those who lack these resources.
Thus, while the human lifespan may be short and
finite, there is much we can do to make it healthy
and enjoyable.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
