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by: Clark HowardUpdated: Aug 10, 2017 - 4:15 PM

Worried about living a life of poverty during your golden years? Heres an insurance policy that could prevent that!

Read more: 2 kinds of annuities that actually make sense for your wallet

The number of people living past their 100th birthday is growing. So when you stop working, the great anxiety inherent in retirement planning is not knowing how much to save for later in life vs. how much you can afford to live on and spend in the early years of your retirement.

Enter the longevity insurance policy. It is a simple insurance product you buy that most people will never get the benefit of. Thats because it doesnt start paying a living benefit until you hit 85!

The idea is that with a longevity policy in place, you could plan to blow through all the cash in your retirement plan through age 84. Because the minute you turn 85, you get a check every month for as long as you live.

Insurers offer a great benefit on longevity policies. Why? Because they know from actuarial tables that most people who buy the policy wont live to receive any money. But if you do live to age 85, you get that nice monthly check.

You wont hear a lot of insurance agents talk about longevity policies because the commissions on them are so small. But they can be a great idea for so many situations where people might otherwise outlive their money.

If you want to explore the idea of buying a policy, ask the agent for the insurance policy that doesnt pay any money until age 85. Theyll know what you mean; different people call it different things, but theyll know what you mean based on that description.

A longevity insurance policy is kind of like a life annuity. People tend to buy either of them in $100,000 increments. The money you put down generates far more income each month than you could on your own.

The optimum time to buy longevity insurance is at the time of retirement. It could prevent you from living a life in poverty if you dont have to. Of course, when you do buy longevity insurance, the money you use is no longer available for your heirs.

Read more: 5 scary facts about nursing home costs (and what to do about them)

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Longevity insurance is a smart buy at retirement | WSB-TV - WSB Atlanta

Dancing is the secret to longevity carehome.co.uk News An inspirational lady who celebrated her 103rd birthday at a Sanctuary Care home in Redditch this week says dancing has been her secret to her longevity. Ivy Flaherty marked her milestone birthday yesterday (Monday 14 August) with a tea party at ... and more »

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Dancing is the secret to longevity - carehome.co.uk News

She's 96 years young and she still drives, and she's still working.

Helen Kenney is a source of inspiration for people of all ages. Helen loves working at Joe's K-Ranch in Cudahy.

We surprised Helen with a visit and all three of her adult children showed up.

Helen's youngest daughter Pat Mueller told us about her mom. She called Helen "Milwaukee's Betty White."

The adoring grandmother and great-grandmother enjoys working. K-Ranch owner Jerry Kotarak refuses to let her retire.

"I won't let her go, he said.

K-Ranch has been a dining hot spot since 1958. It's famous for its homey atmosphere and good food. Patrons come back year after year. Many say it's great food, good prices and friendly faces like Helen's. Helen usually works the kitchen but helps out where needed.

Even Chef Larry Burss admits she keeps him in line.

"She says, Larry if I can't work for you I don't know what I'll do. I'll probably die. So it's a blessing," he said.Helen has worked in food service most of her life. She retired from Ladish after 34 years. When her husband died in 1995 she returned to work three weeks later at the age of 75.

"When he was alive we used to travel and do things. That all ended. I thought I'd just keep working," she said.As for diet? Helen eats what she wants, and stopped drinking alcohol in her 80s. Her advice to the golden crowd?"You have to keep moving and keep all your muscles going." she said.And though Helen, perhaps we can see the secret of longevity. Stay active, work hard, and make cherished memories with family and friends. Helen turns 97 Aug. 15.

See more here:
96-year-old Cudahy woman shares her secret to longevity - WTMJ-TV (press release) (registration) (blog)

JC Parets, the author of AllStarCharts, stopped by PreMarket Prep Thursday to discuss, among other things, S&P futures and crude oil futures. Here are the highlights.

"We broke out of that 2450 level in July, and that was a big deal. That 2450 in the S&P 500 is a big one. If we start to fall below that, then we are no longer making higher highs and higher lows. But we haven't broken anything of that yet."

"It's a hot mess," Parets said. "That lack of trend is trend recognition in and of itself. Here we are looking at crude oil right at a flat 200-day moving average. If you guys want headaches, buy and short stocks that are trading near flat 200-day moving averages.

"This one lesson is one I had to learn the hard way because I kept having to get beat over the head with it until I finally realized stop trading damn stocks near flat 200-day moving averages. And it goes the same way for futures. Literally the crude oil is at a flat 200-day.

"I do think we can potentially get back up into the $70$80s in oil, there's no question. The problem is where do we enter? Let's say hypothetically we buy it today. Where are we wrong? Where's the out? Are we wrong before $40? I don't have a pivot point to trade off of where I can say "If it falls below this, all bets are off." Crude oil's not giving us that right now and the fact that there's no trend is evidence that we shouldn't be looking at this in the first place."

He added, "If I never trade another crude oil future for the rest of my life I will most likely live a longer life. So, I'm cool with not being in this market."

Catch the full interview with Parets at 32:50 in the clip below.

PreMarket Prep is a daily trading show that airs every morning from 89 a.m. ET here and on our YouTube Channel. You can also listen to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

Posted-In: Long Ideas Short Ideas Futures Technicals Commodities Top Stories Markets Media Best of Benzinga

2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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One Key To Extending Your Longevity? Avoid Crude Oil Future Trades - Benzinga

As someone who writes a lot about the medical and social issues of aging, I am constantly faced with a problem: What am I supposed to call old people these days?

I know. Some of you are mad at me already, but it gets really tiresome to have to alternate among the hazy euphemisms that are supposed to stand in for the hated word old. Older, as in older adults or older people, seems to be the most acceptable term, but it offends the part of me that prefers words with some precision. Older than what? Everybodys older than somebody. Senior citizen has fallen out of fashion, but seniors is OK in some quarters. (Definitely not all.) Some writers use mature. Do we really have to wait till were 65 to be mature? I rather like elders, but when does that start?

I am old enough to remember when it was OK to call people not much older than I am now (62) old. I get that ageism is a serious problem, especially if you feel good and want to or have to keep working after 65 in a setting that prizes youth. In some quarters, 30 is over the hill. So, I see why advocates dislike the word old and all its pejorative implications. We live in an era when both our recent presidential candidates were past traditional retirement age, when rock stars tour in their 70s, when Tony Bennett is beloved and charismatic at 90, when doctors, lawyers and professors routinely work well into what used to be old age. We need to rethink what old means.

But I personally think that some of my baby boomer peers the oldest are now 71 are ridiculously sensitive about words that imply theyve lived a while. I also think its crazy to use the same word to describe me that youd use for my frail, almost 88-year-old mother. I asked her how she thinks people should describe her and she said ancient. She wasnt joking. I am clearly beyond middle-aged, from a math perspective, unless I got every possible good gene in my family. It would make my life as a writer who sometimes has to write about age groups easier if we had more than one word for the huge swath of the population over that arbitrary line: age 65.

I asked some experts for help with my terminology problem and found that theyve been struggling with it too. For years.

We need a word or words to describe this period, and we just dont have them yet, said Tracey Gendron, a gerontologist at Virginia Commonwealth University. She prefers not to categorize people, but says referring to older adults and the aging population is acceptable.

As she and others pointed out, one source of the problem is that were dealing with something new. I think were in an unprecedented time, this longevity revolution, she said.

Aging experts, she said, have tried calling people young old (65 to 74), old old (75-84) and oldest old (85+). Age-based categories at this stage of life often arent helpful, she said, because there is so much variability in how people age.

The variation in aging is vast, said Christine Arenson, a geriatrician at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Most geriatricians think of their target patient group as starting around 70, she said, but a 40-year-old who has had diabetes for 20 years might have much in common with older patients. Most 65-year-olds in America are quite healthy still, she said.

John Shoven, a Stanford University economics professor, said you could define the end of middle age as the point at which people have a one percent chance of dying in the next year. The age at which men and women have reached that milestone has climbed impressively since 1930.

Shoven looked at three groups: those who had a 1 percent, 2 percent and 4 percent chance of dying in the next year. Shoven thinks achieving 1 percent risk roughly corresponds with the end of what most of us think of as middle age. Shoven himself hes 70 likes to think of middle age as the middle of our adult years, not the middle of our whole life. He thinks if your chances of dying are less than 1 in 100, youre still young. He doesnt think were old until our risk climbs to 4 percent. The striking thing is that the age at which people reached those milestones has climbed impressively. In 1930, an average man reached the 1 percent threshold at 44. Men now hit that mark around 60, women at 65. The age at which men have a 4 percent risk of dying in a year rose from 65 in 1930 to 76. Women now get there around 80.

That jibes with Jerry Johnsons experience. He is chief of geriatric medicine at Penn Medicine and is himself 69. He says that many 70-year-olds have more in common medically with 50-year-olds than with 80-year-olds. Between 70 and 80, a lot happens in terms of endurance and energy conservation and exposure to new diseases and co-morbidities, he said. Between 80 and 85, many people begin to think and act differently.

He hasnt found a word that pleases everybody. Some patients dont want any word for the older age group. He thinks a label helps with succinct communication but added that labeling is always flawed. Theres no way to get around it.

There seems to be general agreement among experts that elderly and senior citizen and aged are on the outs. Elders has fans because it connotes respect, but, apparently, some critics think its too much like elderly.

Kirsten Jacobs, associate director, dementia and wellness, for LeadingAge, a senior housing group, said people should also steer clear of silver tsunami, a term often used to describe the coming increase in need for senior services as boomers age. Equating aging to a natural disaster, she said, sends the wrong message.

The FrameWorks Institute, which helps advocates and scientists communicate more effectively about their social issues, recently studied attitudes and messages around aging and concluded this year that aging has a major image problem. People almost always see it as negative. The way we talk about aging is littered with othering language that sees older people as them and not us. As Allen Glicksman, 63, director of research and evaluation for Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, joked, Old is 10 years older than you are.

Pope Francis, center, is greeted by South Korean children upon his arrival at Seoul Air Base in 2014. The pope is 80 years old an age that doesnt seem as old as it once did.

Singer Tony Bennett, right, who turned 91 on Aug. 3, has recorded music with Lady Gaga in recent years.

Actress Olivia de Havilland, a star of such films as the classic Gone With the Wind, turned 101 in July.

Stacey Burling

Old hard to categorize in age of longevity

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Breaking age groups into categories is challenging in era of longevity - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara died last month at age 105. Over his long life, he helped many others achieve long lives by popularizing annual medical checkups and by sharing what he knew, which was one of his tips for longer living:

He also wrote a musical for children when he was 88 and a best-selling book when he was 101. He recently took up golf. Until a few months ago he was still treating patients and kept a date book with space for five more years of appointments.

Here's the short and sweet version based on this list:

He also suggested finding a job where you never want to retire, and taking the time to enjoy music and animals.

10 Longevity Tips from Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, Japans 105-Year-Old Longevity Expert (Open Culture via NYT)

Oriental Rat Flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) SIZE: Up to 1/6 in (4 mm) FAMILY: Pulicidae HABITAT: Near rats, their primary food source DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide, particularly tropical and subtropical climates, but some temperate zones as well MEET THE RELATIVES: The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is a relative, as is the dog flea C. can isbut in the []

The establishment wing of the Democratic Party has spent decades receiving dump-trucks full of money from the insurance industry and then, totally coincidentally, explaining that the time isnt right for single-payer for completely unrelated reasons.

Once big data systems agglomerate enough data about you to predict whether you are likely to get sick or badly injured, insurers will be able to deny coverage (or charge so much for it that it amounts to the same thing) to anyone who is likely to get sick, forcing everyone who might ever need []

You dont always have to pay out the nose for household items, everyday accessories, or memorable gifts. If youre searching for something unexpected that can be had for less than two sawbucks, take a look at the following goods:20oz Insulated Water Bottle ($18.99)This stainless steel water bottle is double-walled with vacuum-sealed insulation to keep drinks []

For anyone thats always travelling between their home, office, storage unit, art studio, or any other location thats behind a locked door, you probably have more keys than you know what to do with. Fortunately, the Extended KeySmart keeps them all in a single, compact place that mitigates the need for a huge janitor key []

Working remotely often means using a full-size laptop, or forcing a tablet to do things it was never intended to do. Depending on your job, each may be a reasonable, if somewhat compromising solution, or an impossibly frustrating one. Either way, youll be stuck with a tiny screen and a form factor that will destroy []

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Lifehacks from a longevity expert who just died at age 105 / Boing ... - Boing Boing

New study finds that the exceptionally long lifespan of the Greenland shark may provide clues to extending human lifespan.

About Greenland Sharks

Greenland sharks are considered the longest living vertebrates. A team of scientists led by Julius Nielson, a marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen, used radiocarbon dating on 28 Greenland sharks. They established that one of the female sharks was approximately 392 years.

Research Surrounding the Greenland Sharks

The longevity of the Greenland sharks has stirred interest in the research world. Scientists have worked towards identifying the genes responsible for this unique trait.

Could these genes be used to extend the lifespan of human beings? Scientists believe that a successful identification and extraction of the genes could be a major milestone in achieving longevity among human beings.

Researchers at the University of Exeter have studied almost 100 Greenland sharks. They have sequenced their mitochondrial genome. The achievement set an excellent stage for researchers to scrutinize the sequence and understand the reason behind the shark's longevity.

Prof Kim Praebel, the lead scientist of the research, explained why the research is vital. He noted that unraveling the secrets behind the Green shark's longevity may tremendously boost the efforts on the improvement of humans' lifespan.

Why is the Study of Greenland Sharks Important?

Discovery of the genes responsible for longevity in Greenland sharks would be a vital achievement in the research world. It would explain the limited life spans in almost all the vertebrates. Additionally, the discovery would allow the scientists to study whether the genes can be used to prolong the life of the human beings.

The research at the University of Exeter found out that the Greenland sharks swim long distances across the Atlantic Ocean. They discovered that they mate in the deeply hidden fjords of the Arctic. This realization is instrumental in uncovering the negative effects of the activities of human beings on aquatic life. The study of the tissues and the bones of the animal forms genetic data that is crucial in determining when contaminants and chemicals from industries started affecting the marine. The findings would be of considerable benefit to the environment and marine life protection.

The findings of this research have been presented in various forums including the Fisheries Society of the British Isles symposium. The scientists hope that the findings will boost the conservation efforts of the Greenland shark species and other wildlife in the ecosystem.

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Do Sharks Hold the Secret to Longevity? - Anti Aging News

The police departments number one priorityreducing gun violenceis being achieved and the crime stats prove it: Five homicides compared to seven last year, and a shining achievement compared to the states comparable big cities, where to date Hartford has 19 homicides and Bridgeport 18.

But would a diminishing of resources due to the ongoing state budget crisis put the brakes on that positive momentum?

No, and, yes. Possibly.

Those achievements, combined with a touch of low-grade anxiety about the resources to continue to advance them, emerged in a candid discussion at Tuesday nights regular meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners.

Commissioner Donald Walker asked about the departments plans for the continuing [state] fiscal crisis.

Mayor Harp is committed to not cutting public safety, Chief Anthony Campbell replied. He said the department is not anticipating the need to cut any officers.

However, if things dont change soon, I can see our going to zero overtime. Were not there yet and we hope and pray we dont, and we have a plan [in place] for that, he added.

That zero overtime plan would affect the configuration of the shifts and other deployments, but it should not affect public safety.

One area, where the states fiscal woes are already being felt: Project Longevity.

That project launched here in November 2012 by the city, the U.S. attorney, and the governor, identifies the small number of gang-related young men most involved in violence. It brings them to carefully choreographed call-ins to hear from law enforcement officials and community leaders. They hear a plea to stop the violence. Then they get a choice: Take advantage of immediate help in finding jobs, housing, medical care or earning degrees to straighten out their lives. Or go back to shooting in which case local, state and federal agents will come down on their entire groups to put them behind bars for decades under federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws. (Click here for a story on how the project helped fell one deadly gang.)

New Havens project has been successful. (An example was announced on Wednesday, with the arrests of six alleged New Haven gang members, affiliated with the Goodrich Street Boys gang, on federal attempted murder, firearms, narcotics, and racketeering charges.)

Assistant Chief Archie Generoso, who also presented at the commissioners meeting, attributed much of the reduction in gun violence to the project: Between 2003 and 2012 there were 126 shootings. However, since the advent of Project Longevity in November 2012, only 64 shootings have been logged in. We cut it in half, said Generoso.

That was one reason why already eight cities have come to study New Havens approach, including, Generoso added, officials from Honduras arriving in town next week for that purpose.

The anxiety centered on the paycheck of the exceptional former police officer who runs Project Longevity, Stacy Spell. Only he and an assistant are paid all the other officers who participate do it on their own time and they are paid by the cash-strapped and budget-stalled state. The state faces a $5-plus billion two-year deficit and is already more than a month late in trying to pass a new budget.

He hasnt received a pay check in a month, due to the state budget stalemate, Generoso reported.

Commissioner Stephen Garcia asked how the department is supporting Spell.

Stacy is doing an unbelievable job, said Genoroso.

Despite not being paid, Chief Campbell added.

Commission Chair Anthony Dawson said he has some ideas to address the situation, which will be discussed at another time.

The chiefs also reported that 29 new officers recently completed their field training and are ready to be deployed. They will reduce our overtime by $15,000 a day, said Campbell.

After presenting the crime stats, Generoso concluded: Well not be satisfied until zero [homicides]. We are bucking national trends. Our numbers are going down, while nationally the numbers are going up. Were making it happen. Its due to the support from you, the alders, the mayor. They have not cut back on money and resources. This city invests in the safety of its citizens.

Following the tragic shooting of 14-year-old Tyriek Keyes on July 16, not only are more police patrolling Newhallville. There are more crews of tree-trimmers at work there as well.

That news emerged in a report by Assistant Chief Generoso at Tuesday nights commissioners meeting.

For the last eight days two of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees four contract tree-trimming crews have been assigned to the streets around the Lincoln-Bassett School, the neighborhood where Tyriek was killed.

While tree-trimming is part of an ongoing citywide program, the Department Director Rebecca Bombero said that for the first time we did a ride-along with the police to scope some of their requested safety trim, which resulted in a larger scope of work. The focus was in Newhallville around Lincoln Bassett.

That scope includes raising trees to improve site lines for cameras, traffic signals, and lighting, she added.

At Tuesday nights meeting, Assistant Chief Generoso reported to the commissioners that the stepped up police patrolling was being accompanied by this important arboreal work, with an aim to cut some of the trees around some of our cameras and lights.

The city is in the process of putting up more cameras in Newhallville and elsewhere, he added. Cutting trees that obscure lights and camera views is work Generoso described as essential to enhance safety and crime-solving.

He said that officers indicated areas where the branch trimming is a priority and that the parks and rec crews should be finishing up in Newhallville this week.

Bombero wrote in an email that her department has over 2,000 open issues, or trimming requests, at any given time. The staff to respond to all that consists of two internal crews, along with contract crews funded through a capital allocation centered around hurricane season.

This year the funding has allowed for four crew, with the priorities being immediate hazards, safety trimming as requested by police, engineering or [the department of] Transportation, Traffic & Parking for site lines and secruity and then by level of hazard by date reported, she wrote.

Call your state legislators. They are doing nothing but waiting to be told how to vote. They demand more and higher taxes. They dont cut costs. They are bankrupt of ideas and they are hiding from this entire budget issue. This issue has been around since fxxking February - It is not August. The budget is late, the excuses are lame and plentiful. Meanwhile, they all pose for selfies, go live and one even went to Boston for a conference on Being Ready from the Inside. lol - you just cant make this stuff up. Meanwhile, this program suffers; schools are laying off teachers and others; not one community can do anything. Even well run East Haven has a hiring and spending freeze on except for the basic stuff.

The stupidity of not having a budget this late in the yar; of operating on a day to day basis by executive order, causing non-profits to close, of homeless shelters for women and kids to close - these nitwits couldnt even pass a mini-budget while they traveled and played golf. Oh, and collected their nice paychecks, perks and accumulated their retirement benefits. Amazing.

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State Budget Woes Threaten Project Longevity - New Haven Independent

First-half operating profits at Legal & General climbed 27% year-on-year to 988m ($1.28bn), with more than half of the increase arising from a review of longevity assumptions in its annuity book.

Decades of sustained improvement in longevity in the UK appears to have reversed in recent years, in particular among older age groups. Commentators have attributed this to a variety of causes, such as less government spending on health and old-age care, and virulent winter flu outbreaks.

The trend towards lower longevity improvements means that annuity underwriters may have to set aside fewer reserves, and has led some analysts to consider how much reserve could be released and returned to shareholders.

In todays half-year results announcement, L&G revealed it had released 126m of reserves. But this was based on a review of its base mortality assumptions the current levels of mortality being experienced by pensioners not the mortality trends.

In preparing the half-year results, we have not adjusted our assumptions for the rate of future longevity improvement; they remain consistent with those disclosed last year.

L&G said it will review its longevity improvement assumptions at the year end, including the appropriateness of using theContinuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) 2015 model.

There is increasing evidence that the higher than expected level of recent mortality is in part due to medium or long-term influences rather than short-term events. In performing this review, consideration will be given as to whether, and over what period, to move to newer versions of the CMI model.

L&Gs Retirement division responsible for writing individual and bulk annuities, longevity insurance and equity-release mortgages has a gross longevity exposure of 61.4bn across its annuity and longevity insurance business. The firm has reinsured 15.9bn of longevity risk with 11 reinsurance counterparties, leaving a net exposure of 45.5bn. Going forward, the firm plans to reinsure 80-90% of longevity risk from new bulk annuity business.

L&Gs Solvency II ratio climbed by 15 percentage points over the six months to 30 June, to reach 180%. The figure incorporates an estimated impact from recalculating the transitional measures for technical provisions (TMTP) as at 30 June.

Christopher Cundy

Continue reading here:
Longevity review boosts L&G's half year profits - insuranceERM

A shot of klotho, a hormone associated with longevity, seems to make mice smarter. Klotho is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. More than two decades ago, Japanese researchers discovered that this hormone plays a role in aging. People with more klotho in their body, tend to live longer and to retain more of their facultiesthat is to stay sharpwell into old age.

Researchers injected three types of mice with a portion of the protein. They injected young mice, aged mice, and mice genetically altered to have brains similar to that which we would see in Alzheimers or Parkinsons patients in humans.

Within hours they showed better cognitive function, says Dubal.

Since you cant exactly administer a mouse an IQ test, they assessed brain power based on the mices ability to navigate a series of water mazes, in an experiment that sounds on par with human a trip to Wisconsins famed waterslide park, The Dells.

They found that mice that had daily injections and were better able to navigate the maze (as measured by the distance traveled to find a hidden platform) than their control group peers. In a classic example of work smarter, not harder, the klotho mice were just much more efficient seekers.

We tested them two weeks later in a different cognitive test and they were still smarter, says Dubal, which suggested that getting the klotho protein into their bodies combined with brain training and stimulation had a long-lasting effect in their brain. Because the half-life of the protein is only seven and a half hours long, any of the protein should have been long out of their system.

Cell Reports Peripheral Elevation of a Klotho Fragment Enhances Brain Function and Resilience in Young, Aging, and -Synuclein Transgenic Mice

Highlights

A klotho fragment (KL-F) enhances cognition in young and aging mice KL-F counters deficits in -synuclein mice without altering pathogenic protein levels KL-F induces GluN2B cleavage and increases NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity Selective NMDAR blockade of GluN2B subunits abolishes acute KL-F effects

Summary

Cognitive dysfunction and decreased mobility from aging and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases, are major biomedical challenges in need of more effective therapies. Increasing brain resilience may represent a new treatment strategy. Klotho, a longevity factor, enhances cognition when genetically and broadly overexpressed in its full, wild-type form over the mouse lifespan. Whether acute klotho treatment can rapidly enhance cognitive and motor functions or induce resilience is a gap in our knowledge of its therapeutic potential. Here, we show that an -klotho protein fragment (KL-F), administered peripherally, surprisingly induced cognitive enhancement and neural resilience despite impermeability to the blood-brain barrier in young, aging, and transgenic -synuclein mice. KL-F treatment induced cleavage of the NMDAR subunit GluN2B and also enhanced NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity. GluN2B blockade abolished KL-F-mediated effects. Peripheral KL-F treatment is sufficient to induce neural enhancement and resilience in mice and may prove therapeutic in humans.

Introduction

Cognitive dysfunction and decreased mobility from aging and age-related neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD) are major biomedical challenges. Because more effective treatments are needed, and clinical trials targeting putative pathogenic proteins have failed, it is critical to develop alternate or complimentary therapeutic strategies. In light of this urgent medical need for our rapidly aging populations, delaying aging itself or increasing the function and resilience of the brain (Bennett, 2017, McEwen and Morrison, 2013) may represent new treatment strategies.

Original post:
Klotho longevity hormone helped make mice smarter - Next Big Future

Wayne Gretzky knows a thing or two about being the best in his discipline, and it comes as no surprise to the hockey legend that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are currently battling for No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, more than a decade after the pair first dominated the ATP World Tour.

Oh yeah, when youre that good and that dedicated, anything is possible, Gretzky exclusively told ATPWorldTour.com in Montreal on the opening day of main draw action at the Coupe Rogers.

Gretzky hung up his skates at the age of 38, finishing his career with four Stanley Cups, an all-time best 894 goals and countless records in 20 NHL seasons. Federer, a five-time year-end World No. 1, celebrates his 36th birthday on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Nadal finished World No. 1 in 2008, 10 and 13 and this week has a chance to return to the top spot for the first time since July 2014.

Together this season, the rivals and friends have swept three Grand Slam titles and four of the five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments. They have faced off three times, including a memorable five-set win for Federer at the Australian Open.

As a sports fan, I admire when a player can be at an elite level, said Gretzky. To get to an elite level is really hard, but to stay there for a long period of time obviously Roger has been there a little bit longer, is a little bit older than Nadal but it really is incredible for sports and its really fascinating to see two players of that caliber compete as hard as they do against each other, yet have so much respect for each other.

If you have a passion for what youre doing, you go to another level, he added. I think the thing that separates stars from superstars is that superstars want to be under pressure. They want to be under the microscope. They want to play in the finals. They want to be 2-2 going into the fifth set. Thats where theyre comfortable. You see players like Nadal and players like Djokovic and obviously Federer, and going back to guys like Bjorn and McEnroe, they want to be under the gun. It makes them play that much better, the bigger the game the more relaxed they seem to be and the more inspired they are and the better they play.

On Monday, The Great One strolled around the Stade Uniprix grounds, making his rounds of the practice courts to show his support for the home favourites. After greeting top Canadian Milos Raonic, Gretzky headed over to Court 8 to watch up-and-coming Canadian Denis Shapovalov during a practice session with another #NextGenATP star, Korean Hyeon Chung. Gretzkys 14-year-old daughter Emma, who has been playing tennis for a year, also had an opportunity to hit with the Bryans as they wrapped up practice on the adjacent court.

Thats the great thing with sports, theres always the next person that comes along Guys like Milos and Daniel Nestor have opened doors for the young guys to come along, and years from now hopefully theyll open doors for the new generation of kids that come along 10-15 years from now, said Gretzky.

The Brantford, Ontario native, who also frequents the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, said he enjoyed the level of competition at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments and planned to be back on site throughout the week to watch some matches.

Its always fun to have a big event like this in Canada, he said. Everyone enjoys seeing the best players compete against each other. In our country, we rally around supporting our local favourites, whether its Milos, Denis this year now, Genie Bouchard in Toronto. Were very proud of our kids who compete against the best in the world and thats what makes it fun for Canadians to watch.

View original post here:
Gretzky Calls Federer & Nadal's Longevity On Top 'Incredible' - ATP World Tour

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara,credited withbuilding the foundations of Japanese medicine and helping make Japan the world leader in longevity, often practised what he preached.

The physician, chairman emeritus of St. Luke's International University, and honorary president of St. Luke's International Hospital recommended several basic guidelines for living a long, healthy lifein an interview with Japan Times journalist Judit Kawaguchi. Among them:Don't retire. And if you must, retire much later than age 65.

In the interview he explained that the retirement age in Japan was set at 65 years old back when the average life expectancy was 68. Now, people are living much longer the average life expectancy in Japan as of 2015 was almost 84 years and so they should be retiring much later in life too.

Until a few months before his death on 18 July in Tokyo,The New York Times reports, Hinohara continued to treat patients, kept an appointment book with space for five more years, and worked up to 18 hours a day. He was 105 years old.

"He believed that life is all about contribution, so he had this incredible drive to help people, to wake up early in the morning and do something wonderful for other people," Kawaguchi, who considered Hinohara her mentor,told the BBC. "This is what was driving him and what kept him living."

"He always had today's goals, tomorrow's, and the next five years'," she said.

Hinohara'sother guidelines for living wellincluded:

Worry less about eating well or getting more sleep, and have fun.

"We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime."

If you want to live long, don't be overweight.

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk, and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat."

Don't blindly follow what your doctor says.

Picture: (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery? I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine."

To conquer pain, have fun.

"Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke's we have music and animal therapies, and art classes."

Always take the stairs and carry your own belongings.

"I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving."

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A Japanese doctor who studied longevity and lived to 105 said if you must retire, do it well after age 65 - The Independent

He also wrote a musical for children when he was 88 and a best-selling book when he was 101. He recently took up golf. Until a few months ago he was still treating patients and kept a date book with space for five more years of appointments.

In the early 1950s, Dr. Hinohara pioneered a system of complete annual physicals called human dry-dock that has been credited with helping to lengthen the average life span of Japanese people. Women born there today can expect to live to 87; men, to 80.

In the 1970s, he reclassified strokes and heart disorders commonly perceived as inevitable adult diseases that required treatment to lifestyle ailments that were often preventable.

Dr. Hinohara insisted that patients be treated as individuals that a doctor needed to understand the patient as a whole as thoroughly as the illness. He argued that palliative care should be a priority for the terminally ill.

He imposed few inviolable health rules, though he did recommend some basic guidelines: Avoid obesity, take the stairs (he did, two steps at a time) and carry your own packages and luggage. Remember that doctors cannot cure everything. Dont underestimate the beneficial effects of music and the company of animals; both can be therapeutic. Dont ever retire, but if you must, do so a lot later than age 65. And prevail over pain simply by enjoying yourself.

We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep, he often said. I believe we can keep that attitude as adults it is best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.

Dr. Hinohara maintained his weight at about 130 pounds. His diet was spartan: coffee, milk and orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil for breakfast; milk and a few biscuits for lunch; vegetables with a small portion of fish and rice for dinner. (He would consume three and a half ounces of lean meat twice a week.)

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara was born on Oct. 4, 1911, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in western Japan. He decided to study medicine after his mothers life was saved by the familys doctor. His father was a Methodist pastor who had studied at Duke University.

Have big visions and put such visions into reality with courage, his father had advised him, Dr. Hinohara told the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network. The visions may not be achieved while you are alive, but do not forget to be adventurous. Then you will be victorious.

Dr. Hinohara graduated in 1937 from Kyoto Imperial Universitys College of Medicine. (He later studied for a year at Emory University in Atlanta.) He began practicing at St. Lukes International Hospital in 1941. (It was founded by a missionary at the beginning of the 20th century.) He became its director in 1992.

In 1970, he was flying to a medical conference in Japan when his plane was hijacked by radical Communists armed with swords and pipe bombs. He was among 130 hostages who spent four days trapped in 100-degree heat until the hijackers released their captives and flew to North Korea, where they were offered asylum.

I believe that I was privileged to live, he later said, so my life must be dedicated to other people.

After spending his first six decades supporting his family, Dr. Hinohara devoted the remainder of his life largely to volunteer work.

In 2000, he conceived a musical version of Leo Buscaglias book The Fall of Freddie the Leaf, which was performed in Japan and played Off Off Broadway in New York. He wrote scores of books in Japanese, including Living Long, Living Good (2001), which sold more than a million copies.

Until the last few months, he would work up to 18 hours a day. Using a cane, he would exercise by taking 2,000 or more steps a day. In March, unable to eat, he was hospitalized. But he refused a feeding tube and was discharged. Months later, he died at home.

Dr. Hinohara said his outlook toward life had been inspired by Robert Brownings poem Abt Vogler, especially these lines:

There shall never be one lost good! What was, shall live as before;The evil is null, is nought, is silence implying sound;What was good shall be good, with, for evil, so much good more;On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.

What the poem evoked for him, he once explained, was a circle drawn so big that only the arch was visible. Seeing it in full, he said, could never be realized in his lifetime.

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Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, Longevity Expert, Dies at (or Lives to) 105 - New York Times

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, whose work has been credited with helping Japan become a world leader in longevity, died July 18 at his Tokyo home, reported The New York Times. The 105-year-old physician worked until a few months before his death, treating patients, putting in 18-hour days and keeping an appointment book with his schedule for the next five years.

Was that last part optimism? Not according to what Hinohara believed and practiced. In an interview with the Japan Times written by a mentee, Judit Kawaguchi, he offered this advice: Dont retire. And if you must, retire much later than age 65.

The key to his longevity, said the physician and chairman emeritus of St. Lukes International University, was being able to make a contribution and help people. Kawaguchi told the BBC that Hinohara had this incredible drive to help people, to wake up early in the morning and do something wonderful for other people.

In the Japan Times interview, Hinohara said that Japans retirement age of 65 was set decades ago when the average life expectancy was just 68 years. With Japans life expectancy of almost 84 years in 2015, he said, retirement neednt come so much earlier in life.

In March, unable to eat, Hinohara was hospitalized. But he refused a feeding tube and was discharged home, where he died several months later. He believed that palliative care should be a priority for the terminally ill.

In the early 1950s, he pioneered a nationally embraced system of complete annual physicals called human dry-dock that has been credited with helping to lengthen the average life span of Japanese people. The physical can last several days and is a multi-discipline testing regimen that looks for lifestyle issues that could impact future health. Women born in Japan today can expect to live to 87; men, to 80.

Hinohara also connected strokes and heart disease to lifestyle ailments that were often preventable. And he believed that patients should be treated as individuals and that knowing a patient was essential to understanding the best way to treat an illness.

In addition to maintaining vitality through work, Hinohara had several other guiding principles leading to greater longevity. They included:

Have fun.It was best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime, he said. He encouraged people to worry less about eating well or getting more sleep, and just go have fun.We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too.

Dont be overweight.His own diet was simple and he maintained a steady weight of 130 pounds. He said his breakfast was coffee, a glass of milk, and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy, he said. Lunch was milk and a few cookies, or skipped altogether when he was too busy at work to eat it. Dinner consisted of vegetables and small portions of fish and rice. Twice he week he ate 100 grams of lean meat.

Dont always listen to your doctor.Doctors cannot cure everything. It behooves patients to ask the doctor directly whether he would recommend a surgery or invasive test to their spouse or child. Why cause unnecessary pain with surgery? Hinohara asked.

Music and animals are good for you. I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.

Fun conquers pain.Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Lukes we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.

Always take the stairs and carry your own belongings.Hinohara took the steps two at a time just to get his muscles moving. With the aid of a cane, he would exercise by taking 2,000 or more steps a day.

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Doctor Who Lived To 105 And Studied Longevity Credited His Own To Working - HuffPost

REDLANDS >> What is Vernal McCalls secret to longevity?

Behaving yourself, said the local woman days before her 107th birthday on Monday.

McCall may be new to the Mission Commons family, but Saturday there will be a birthday celebration complete with cake and a visit from friends and family.

McCall, the third oldest of her 11 siblings, was born on July 31, 1910 in Kansas.

At 16, McCall and family made their way to California in a 1924 Ford Model T and remained.

Several of my family members still live (in Kansas), she said. They have a lot of respect for one another.

She married her husband Wesley on New Years Day in 1932. The couple were married for close to 51 years before his death on Christmas Eve in 1984.

The couple had one daughter, Sharyn Krauch of Cherry Valley, who cared for her mother for several years before McCall moved to the Redlands-based retirement facility.

McCall wore many hats as a teacher, librarian for the Riverside school system, and an office clerk for Childrens Home, a nonprofit that provided care for boys and girls who didnt have anyone to take care of them, she said. When her husband was in the service, she stayed by his side, Krauch said.

She loved to travel with her husband. Some popular destinations were Italy and Russia, and traveling all over the U.S.

McCall often stays to herself, but she is a an active crocheter. Krauch said her mother has created dozens of gifts for family and friends through her craft.

And while quiet, she does have a sense of humor.

Shes quite observant, Krauch said.

McCall is also woman of God who reads the Bible each morning, her daughter said, and believes peace can help sustain our future.

Another tip obey your parents, she said.

As for turning 107, McCall finds humor in the thought.

What else could I do but be alive or be dead, she said.

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Redlands woman turning 107 talks key to longevity - Redlands Daily Facts

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Among them they have clocked up a combined age of 1,075 years, earning the 13 Donnelly siblings from Northern Ireland a place in the record books. Scientists are studying the brothers and sisters, whose ages range from 72 to 93, but they insist the secret of their remarkable longevity is a twice-daily diet of porridge at their farm in County Armagh. We reveal all about the hearty breakfast classic.

In the UK porridge is traditionally made from oats but youll find different versions in almost every culture around the world. In fact porridge is any grain simmered in liquid to become a hot meal. In the US grits is a version of porridge, while in China congee is made from boiling up rice and water. In Wales porridge is known as uwd, while in Ireland porridge mixed with whiskey was a remedy for the common cold. In Jamaica porridge is sold by street hawkers by the cup, using coconut milk combined with oats.

Porridge can be traced back to medieval times when it was also known as porage. One popular brand, Scotts, still uses the ancient term on its boxes which feature a kilted man. Historically Scottish households kept porridge drawers where the food could be stored and solidify, to be eaten later cold. In England a popular dish from the times of Richard II was pea porridge which included herbs and onions.

The recipe for porridge is much-debated. Scots will tell you that true porridge is made from only oats, water and a pinch of salt simmered gently for 10 minutes. Milk can be served on the side. However its also common to mix in a little milk to make the blend creamier. Unless youre a strict traditionalist almost anything goes try adding a handful of raisins or a spoonful of honey. Purists recommend soaking porridge oats overnight to improve consistency. However theres one thing on which everyone is agreed: lumpy porridge is a no-no.

The story of Goldilocks, who almost came to a sticky end after eating the bears porridge then falling asleep, was written by Poet Laureate Robert Southey. The fable first appeared in 1837 as The Story Of The Three Bears featuring the line: Whos been eating my porridge?

Because it is cheap to make and filling porridge became a staple prison food. Hence the term doing porridge which is thought to have originated in the 1950s. In 2006 there was an outcry among inmates when it was announced that porridge was being phased out in favour of packs of cereal to save money on cooking. The popular BBC sitcom Porridge, starring Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale and Fulton Mackay, ran from 1974 to 1977.

BBC

Ancient custom has it that porridge should only be stirred clockwise. Stirring anti-clockwise will invite the devil into your breakfast. Another old wives tale has it that porridge should be eaten while standing as that way it will fill you up more.

As the Donnellys will testify porridge is very healthy. Its high in fibre and protein, proven to lower bad cholesterol and is good for the heart. It takes a while for the body to digest so energy is released slowly making you feel fuller for longer. A 1984 study of 100,000 people by Harvard Universitys school of public health concluded that eating porridge and other whole grains can help you live longer.

A spurtle is a wooden implement dating from the 15th century thats specifically for stirring porridge. Its stick-like design means it doesnt drag the mixture, as a spoon would, and it can be used for breaking up lumps the enemy of porridge. Traditionally a thistle is carved at the top of a spurtle. The World Porridge-making Championships, held annually since 1994 in the village of Carrbridge in the Cairngorms national park in Scotland, feature a golden spurtle as the first prize.

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Celebrities who have sung the praises of porridge over the years include Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue and Bill Gates. Singer Marianne Faithfull once said: The food thats never let me down in life is porridge. Former PM David Cameron said that he choked on his porridge when he heard a US commentator describe Birmingham as a totally Muslim city.

Porridge was carried to the North and South poles respectively by explorers Richard Byrd and Roald Amundsen and has been taken into space by US astronauts. Archive footage of Buzz Aldrin joking with Mike Collins about his reliance on oatmeal during the Apollo 11 mission to the moon has been used by Quaker in a recent advertising campaign.

The average bowl of porridge contains only about 170 calories. Usually made from rolled oats the most common variety are Pinhead oats, giving the dish its slightly chewy texture. For a finer texture ground oats, also known as oatmeal, can be used.

Doctor Johnsons dictionary definition of porridge oats in the 18th century was: A grain which in England is given to horses but in Scotland supports the people. Robert Burns wrote in praise of porridge: The halesome parritch, chief o Scotias food. A travel writer visiting Scotland in the late 18th century was astonished to see that farm labourers ate the dish three times a day. George Orwell noted that Scotlands gifts to the world were whisky, golf and porridge, while more recently porridge appears in the Ian Dury song Reasons To Be Cheerful.

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The Gleneagles Hotel in the north of Scotland serves porridge laced with raspberries and Drambuie when it hosts dignitaries. Chefs have also added langoustines to sex up porridge but Heston Blumenthal went a step too far for some when he began serving his snail porridge. On the island of St Kilda, in the Outer Hebrides, puffins used to be added .

Devils Porridge was an explosive concoction, containing gun powder, used in the First World War. It was made by munitions girls and their dangerous work is commemorated at the Devils Porridge Museum in the Scottish borders. The term was coined by Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who visited the original factory near Gretna.

World Porridge Day is held every year on October 10 and raises funds for starving children throughout the world.

Market researcher Mintel says 49 per cent of the UK population eat porridge for breakfast at least sometimes, while one in five has it daily. It has been calculated that every year 47 million gallons of porridge are eaten in the UK.

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World's oldest family reveals that the secret behind their longevity: Porridge - Express.co.uk

A couple of things stood out last week when Kevin led our group through the entire process of receiving the pages from the editorial staff to the moments when it gets bundled up and heads out the door to carriers.

When Bonnie Banas arrived recently for her final meeting with our Reader Advisory Board, she did a little show and tell.

Banas, who lives in Canton, has a special history with The Canton Repository. She's not only a longtime subscriber to our print product, she also starred in a stage play that detailed the paper's 200 year history. Called "The Bicentennial Project," it featured several actors who each played numerous roles that depicted events covered by the Rep. One of Banas' roles was as Ida Saxton McKinley. Mrs. McKinley was the granddaughter of John Saxton, who was the founder and first publisher of The Canton Repository, which at the time of its birth on March 30, 1815, was called The Ohio Repository.

Banas showed me a book that the Rep had published Aug. 1, 1953. It showed off the different departments within the building, including advertising, classifieds, circulation, editorial and the press. As we paged through the pages showing off the old press, she said her neighbor had loaned her the book. He was a former pressman for the paper, and told her he worked in the days of "hot type," when the words on the newspaper pages were set by hand.

I told her to be sure to compare the photos in the book with what she was about to see during a tour of our press and production facilities. The tour always takes place during the last meeting for each Advisory Board. The next group is set to kick off at the end of August, and will run through January.

Each tour is guided by a guy who easily takes a spot among the best tour guides or docents I've ever followed around. Kevin Ackerman is GateHouse Ohio's vice president of operations. In an age when titles don't come close to telling the job someone actually performs, I will need to list just some of Kevin's reponsibilities. He manages the press operations in Canton and at The Times Reporter in New Philadelphia; the production facilities, where the ads are inserted into the paper; the composing facilities, where each day's paper is output and many ads are designed; and, the buildings where we work. Much like most workers these days, there are at least 40 other jobs on his plate, too.

Kevin's given this tour to five Advisory Board groups so far, and every one is a little different than the others. I'm lucky, because I've taken in all the tours and learned so much.

A couple of things stood out last week when Kevin led our group through the entire process of receiving the pages from the editorial staff to the moments when it gets bundled up and heads out the door to carriers.

One of our group members asked what type of paper is used for our newsprint. Great question. I've been in this business for 25 years, and have been reading papers for about 20 years longer than that, and I never thought to ask that question!

Spruce.

Our paper comes from Canada, as most newsprint used in the United States does. Kevin said that it's grown on enormous forests that operate a rotation process. Once trees are cut for production of paper, more trees are planted and grown. It's a constant process.

Kevin is one of the hardest working guys I've met. He's here days, nights, weekends, early mornings and late at night. Turns out, the second thing I learned the other day, he learned that work ethic at a young age.

A native of East Canton, Kevin headed off to college at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He said he is very much a small-town guy, and because the Art Institute is in the city, he wasn't able to get comfortable. He called his dad a little bit into his first year and told him that he was coming home. He didn't quit, though.

No, Kevin drove every day to Pittsburgh for his classes, then headed home to East Canton. After a few years, he graduated, never missing a day of classes along the way. Oh, and he also worked during those days at the Rep in the circulation department.

Impressive.

Earlier, I mentioned Bonnie's lesson in how the method of printing the newspaper has changed. I think, too, about how Kevin's jobs have changed over that time.

All of our tasks have shifted so much over time. Most of the technical lessons I learned in school have become obsolete over my 25 years, while the newsgathering rules such as fairness and fact-checking are more important than ever. "M" and "W" are always going to be the widest letters in the alphabet, while "I" will always be the skinniest. We no longer use wax to affix our stories to pages that get photographed by an enormous camera before it heads off to about three other steps before it reaches the press.

Efficiency has helped to speed up our ability to get the news out there for our readers, and experienced staff members, like Kevin Ackerman, will always be the backbone of our product.

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Laura Kessel: Press tour a lesson in how longevity brings efficiency - Canton Repository

Updated 16 hours ago

Pastor Bob J. Lecocq said his parents, Bob G. and Rosetta Lecocq, thought that coffee had a divine quality to it.

They used to say that it's always a full cup of God's love, Lecocq said of his parents, who owned Lazarus Tomb Coffee House Ministries, now known as Sheep Inc. in Arnold.

Lecocq's parents may have been right about the special properties of coffee. Two recent studies published by the Annals of Internal Medicine found that there is a link between coffee and increased longevity.

One of the studies funded by the National Cancer Institute found that those who drank at least one cup of coffee a day had a 12 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease and kidney disease. The study also found that those who drank three cups a day decreased those risks by 18 percent. These findings were consistent among white people, black people, Latinos and Japanese Americans.

Both studies found that the longevity correlations existed whether the coffee was regular or decaf.

However, the studies don't prove that coffee is the cause of the increased longevity, only that there is a correlation or association between coffee drinkers and longevity.

Residents and cafe owners in the Alle-Kiski Valley and Greensburg areas had plenty to say about their own coffee drinking habits on Tuesday.

Coffee drinking habits

Every morning at 5 a.m., I have a shot in the dark' to get me going, said Lisa Hegedus, owner of Caffe Barista in Greensburg.

A shot in the dark for Hegedus is a two-and-a-half-cup pot of coffee with two shots of espresso and a little bit of cream and sugar. For her, it is what she needs to start her day.

Darnicka Koskey, owner of Koskey's Korner Ice Cream Cafe in Tarentum, said she needs her morning cup strong and with some cream and no sugar.

If I don't get that morning cup, I feel all discombobulated, Koskey said.

Naturally, growing up in a family that owned a coffee house, Lecocq started early around 12 years old.

Lecocq, with the Monroeville Assembly of God, said his father sometimes used to eat coffee soup, a bowl of coffee with bread broken up into it for breakfast, though he didn't make it for customers.

Health benefits

Hegedus, who has been drinking coffee most of her adult life, said she never thought coffee was bad for her health.

Obviously it makes you feel like you have more energy, but I'm 52 years old and I don't feel or look it, Hegedus said.

Jess McGovern, an employee at Sun Dawg Cafe in Greensburg, said she drinks coffee and tea. But she said she understood that tea may be a little more effective for promoting heart health than coffee.

However, not everyone agreed that coffee was as healthy as the studies made it out to be.

David Durcy of Brackenridge said he knows coffee is addictive.

Any time I try to stop, it takes two or three weeks to get it completely out of my system, Durcy said.

Mike Rametta of Allegheny Township said studies often contradict other studies.

It seems like everything that's good for you is also bad for you, Rametta said.

Effects of the studies

Koskey said she might add a cup or two to her day if it could decrease her chance of serious health issues.

Cancer runs in my family. If I can do something to dodge that bullet, I'll do it, Koskey said.

Durcy said he doesn't plan to drink more coffee, but he will smile a lot more when he's drinking his morning pot.

McGovern said she thinks coffee drinkers would stick with the beverage whether or not they believe it is good for them.

Leif Greiss is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4681, lgreiss@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Leif_Greiss.

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Longevity study a shot in the arm for Western Pa. coffee lovers - Tribune-Review

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Ever feel as if motherhood literally sucked the life out of you? Well, theres some science to back that up. A recent study in the journalPLOS One reported that the more children a woman gave birth to, the faster she aged.

Poke around in the literature and you will find as many articles describing the protective effects of childbearing as those that suggest it is utterly depleting.

Thestudy, which looked at DNA in 100 postmenopausal women, found that those whod experienced more pregnancies and births had increased levels of oxidative damage an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants that is an indication of accelerated cellular aging. The authors declared their findings the first evidence for oxidative stress as a possible cost of reproductive effort in humans.

But wait: Maybe having children revitalizes you, keeps you young. Because the week before that study was published, another had come out in the same journal showing that the more children a woman gave birth to, the more slowly she aged.

Thatstudy, on 94 women with an average age of about 40, found that over the course of 13 years, those who gave birth to more children had longer telomeres, the protective casings at the end of a DNA strand. Like a candle that burns down every time you light it, telomeres get shorter each time a cell divides. The authors suggest that elevated estrogen levels in pregnancy may protect DNA from the damaging effects of oxidative stress.

Individually, such studies make for irresistible headlines, but few news stories acknowledge the persistently contradictory nature of findings in this area. We want the answer to be simple, but it just isnt. Poke around in the literature and you will find as many articles describing the protective effects of childbearing as those that refer to it as utterly depleting.

How could having kids affect health and longevity in such disparate ways? Why cant we definitively say how pregnancy will affect any human body?

I dont think there is a simple answer, says Grazyna Jasienska, head of the Human Reproductive and Evolutionary Ecology group in Poland and a co-author of the study showing accelerated aging in mothers. Its interesting because its complicated.

Nearly 15 years ago, Jasienska established the Mogielica Human Ecology Study Site, which collects data on the inhabitants of five villages in the mountains of southern Poland. Its a rural population in which women still perform a lot of manual labor on small farms. She was attracted to the populations broad fertility rate: from zero to 16 children.

Were comparing women with five kids with women with 12 kids. This makes it possible to really look at the costs of reproduction, Jasienska says.

Life-history theory asserts that since the body has a finite amount of energy to work with, energy put toward reproduction is energy not spent on self-maintenance. Its maternal martyrdom at the cellular level. In most species, increased reproduction is linked to decreased lifespan. This is the theory researchers expect to confirm when studying how childbearing affects longevity in humans, but apparently, it isnt quite that cut and dried.

Although the relationship between womens fertility and their post-reproductive longevity has been extensively studied, the nature of this relationship remains unclear, the authors of yetanotherPLOS Onearticledeclared in December 2015. A meta-analysis of 31 studies on this topic did not show a consistent pattern. The relationship can be negative, positive, or absent.

I was very puzzled, said Pablo Nepomnaschy, about his findings on cellular health among Mayan women in Santa Cruz La Laguna, in the highlands of Guatemala.

Visual by David Samson

Childbearing comes with a vast array of variables: maternal nutrition, disease risk, time between pregnancies, breastfeeding duration, number of pregnancies, even the babys gender. Boys tend to grow faster in utero, to weigh more at birth, and to make higher lactational demands, so having sons may be more energetically expensive for mothers than having daughters, Jasienska explains in The Arc of Life.

And breastfeeding is even more energetically expensive than pregnancy. Women who exclusively breastfeed their babies need to eat an extra 640 calories a day; only 300 additional calories per day are needed during the last two trimesters of pregnancy. Its a factor that tends to be neglected by research into the relationship between fertility and longevity.

The [overall] costs are not the same for someone who eats well compared to someone whose food intake cant cover the excess energy needs of pregnancy and lactation, Jasienska says. [In] well-off women who have many children, we see increases in longevity. For someone in an economically developing country, for example, the costs of reproduction are much more intensely received by the organism.

Childbearing has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis, Jasienska noted. Conversely, the hormones involved in pregnancy and lactation can reduce the risk of pancreatic and reproductive cancers. So a womans lifestyle habits and baseline risks for these diseases will all play a part in the ultimate effects of childbearing. Did having kids end your drinking and smoking days, or do your children drive you to drink? According to Jasienska, this is why some studies see no effect: because everything evens out.

Moreover, she says, having a child every year is much different from having, say, one child every four years.The question is: is the damage reversible? For women who have children close together, is [the body] only repairing itself a little, but accumulating damage that leads to problems at an older age?

Not all studies account for all of these variables, but that doesnt mean their findings arent valid, just that we should understand the limits of their broader applicability. To study all of what reproduction does and how Im not sure if a perfect study is possible at all, Jasienska says.

Half a world away, in the highlands of Guatemala, Pablo Nepomnaschy found a population to study with similarly wide-ranging fertility rate: between one and 10 children. Nepomnaschy is the director of the Maternal and Child Health Lab at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and co-author of the study that linked childbearing with longer telomeres. He began collecting data on a group of indigenous Kaqchikel Mayan women in 2000, expecting his findings to support life-history theory. Instead, he found the opposite.

I was very puzzled, says Nepomnaschy, speaking from the field in Guatemala. So I had my team redo the results, but they kept coming out the same way I soon discovered we were not the only ones to find these results, but nobody had a good explanation of why.

He says he then happened upon a study in which researchers in Israel found that both mice and humans exhibited faster tissue rejuvenation after pregnancy. The fetal cells that mingle in the mothers organs and bloodstream, the authors suggested, may act like an injection of youth.

I was blown away by [these results] reproduction is costly, but maybe its associated with biological mechanisms that slow down aging, Nepomnaschy said. On average, women live longer than men. So there may be something built into female DNA, or into the process of reproduction, that helps maternal cells recover from being temporarily neglected.

Perhaps its that theres an optimum number of human offspring. A recentanalysis of 18 cohort studies, seven of which included men,uncovered a J-shaped association between number of children and risk of mortality from all causes: Parents of one to five children had a reduced risk of death compared with those who had either no children or at least six. For both men and women, the greatest reduction was for parents of three to four children. Other large studies cite the magic number as two.

Since youd have to start young and have relatively short periods between pregnancies to give birth to six kids, this assessment is in line with Jasienskas concern about the bodys ability to withstand such demands. Another possibility is that the genes linked to increased fertility are also associated with increased levels of oxidative stress, as well as increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Pregnancy is one thing: parenting is another. Do social support systems after birth or lack thereof affect a mothers recuperation? Surely decreased sleep and increased stress play roles here, too.

Pregnancy is one thing: parenting is another. Do social support systems affect a mothers recuperation? Surely decreased sleep and increased stress play roles, too.

Nepomnaschy says that as with childbearing, the biological costs and benefits of childrearing may vary by population and counteract each other. Jasienska explains that on one hand, if parents have limited resources and must share them with many kids, this is not going to be good for their health. On the other hand, children help their parents and also take care of aging parents. Our study showed that women with high fertility have shorter life span, but in men, number of daughters is related to longer life span.

Its likely that no study will ever separate out all of the factors to definitively say how pregnancy and parenting affect the body. Especially not if what were looking for is a simple answer an irresistible headline that purports to be applicable to anyone.

Olivia Campbell, a science journalist and essayist, is a regular contributor atNew YorkMagazine. Her work has also appeared in The WashingtonPost, Scientific American, Quartz, VICE,Pacific Standard,and STAT News.

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The Curious Case of Motherhood and Longevity - Undark Magazine

In Japan, Fukurokuju () (from Japanese fuku, "happiness"; roku, "wealth"; and ju, "longevity") is one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology. It has been theorized that he is a Japanese assimilation of the Chinese Three Star Gods (Fulushou) embodied in one deity. Most related in appearance to the Chinese star god Shou, he is the God of wisdom and longevity. According to some, before attaining divinity, he was a Chinese hermit of the Song Dynasty and a reincarnation of the Taoist god Xuanwu. It is said that during his human incarnation, he was a sennin; a philosopher who could exist without eating food.

Fukurokuju probably originated from an old Chinese tale about a mythical Chinese Taoist hermit sage renowned for performing miracles in the Northern Song period (9601127). In China, this hermit (also known as Jurjin) was thought to embody the celestial powers of the south polar star. Fukurokuju was not always included in the earliest representations of the Seven in Japan. He was instead replaced by Kichijten (goddess of fortune, beauty, and merit). He is now, however, an established member of the Seven Lucky Gods.

He is sometimes confused with Jurjin, another of the Several Gods of Fortune, who by some accounts is Fukurokuju's grandson and by other accounts inhabits the same body as Fukurokuju.[1] As such, the two are often confused.[2]

Usually portrayed as bald with long whiskers, he is said to be an incarnation of the Southern Polestar. In many depictions, Fukurokuju has an abnormally high forehead. The sacred book tied to his staff either contains the lifespan of every person on earth or a magical scripture. He is accompanied by a crane and a turtle, which are considered to be symbols of longevity. He is also sometimes accompanied by a black deer (ancient legends say a deer turns black if it is over 2000 years old).

He is the only member of the Seven Lucky Gods credited with the ability to revive the dead.

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Fukurokuju - Wikipedia