By Mark Stibich

Claims of longer life have always captivated people. While no one knows for sure what might extend life, these ten concepts are currently the most-discussed methods. Some are scientifically and medically proven and others are pure theory.

1. Lifestyle Change

· Method: Increase physical activities, eat a low fat diet with lots of vegetables, be relaxed, be social, and be engaged in the world.

· Claim: Making changes in your daily life can extend your healthy years greatly by reducing your chance of getting a chronic illness.

· Proof: Excellent. Lifestyle change is your best bet to increase your life span and give yourself healthy, energetic years into old age.

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2. Calorie Restriction

· Method: Reduce daily calorie intake to below 1500.

· Claim: Calorie restriction can extend human life span to 120 years.

· Proof: Gaining. Studies in mice and other lab animals have shown that restricted caloric intake can extend life and prevent chronic illness. Given the huge amount of calories the average American eats, calorie restriction could certainly help prevent diabetes and heart disease.

3. Stem Cells

· Method: Stem cells are special cells that can grow into a number of specialized tissues in the body, including organs and nerve cells..

· Claim: Stem cells will be used to treat illness, repair organs and extend life.

· Proof: Gaining. Research into stem cells is just beginning and ethical obstacles are slowing progress, but stem cell-based treatments for illnesses are expected to begin over the next decade.

4. Cryonics

· Method: Freeze a living person so that they can be revived at a later time when anti-aging treatments are more effective.

· Claim: If you could wait some decades or centuries, human life span will be greatly increased.

· Proof: None.

5. NanoMedicine

· Method: Deliver treatments at the cellular level to mark and destroy cancer cells, perform cellular surgery and deliver medications.

· Claim: Nanotechnology will be able to treat many diseases through nanosurgery, nanobots, nanoshells, and other marvelous nanoinventions.

· Proof: Shows promise. Research is currently being done on a large scale. Expect new developments soon.

6. Genetic Modification

· Method: Modify the genetic code to create individuals who generate increased antioxidants, reduced inflammation, improved cardiovascular heath, etc.

· Claim:Genetic modification could add an unknown number of years onto the human life span.

· Proof:Beginning. Genetic modification in fruit flies and other simple laboratory models have been shown effective. However, experiments in humans may be decades away.

7. Environmental Change

· Method: Create environments that help us live longer.

· Claim: Increase life expectancy by reducing the number of premature deaths caused by dangers in the environment.

· Proof: Excellent. Seat belts, air pollution control, enriched food products, and removal of lead from gas have all contributed greatly to the increase in life expectancy.

8. Telomeres

· Method: Telomeres are the physical ends of certain types of chromosomes. They shorten as a cell replicates. When all the telomeres are gone, the cell dies. They are important in the replication and protection of DNA.

· Claim:Telomeres are how cells are programmed to die. Modification of telomeres may impact how cells age.

· Proof: Research is just beginning. Cancer cells have an enzyme that prevents the telomeres from getting shorter, creating a cell that does not naturally die.

9. Supplements

· Method: Take supplements to increase the body's ability to fight aging.

· Claim: Supplements containing antioxidants, green tea extract, selenium and other substances will reduce and repair damage caused by aging.

· Proof: Moderate. Antioxidants and other food substances have been shown to improve heart disease and reduce inflammation. Drug companies are trying now to create medications that will concentrate the effects of foods like red wine and green tea. Many supplements are unproven and could be dangerous. Studies of people taking more than one supplement are rare.

10. Hormones

· Method: Maintain hormones at the level of a 20-year-old to slow aging

· Claim: Human growth hormone, testosterone, melatonin and other hormone supplements can slow or even reverse aging.

· Proof: Moderate. Individual hormones have been shown to impact aging in experiments with rats and mice. The combined effect of being on multiple hormone substitution is unknown. There are a lot of wild theories out there about hormones, stick to what is covered in established medical journals and consult your doctor.

有关长寿的种种观念一直是人们关注的焦点.然而却没人确切知道看样才能延长人的寿命,下面10种观点是目前最被人广泛认同的.

其中有些方法已经过了科学与医学的验证,其余都是纯理论上的提法.

1.改变生活方式

方法:加强体育运动,饮食应少脂肪多蔬菜,放松身心,不脱离社会,保持天天有事做.

结论:生活方式的改变能大大延缓衰老进程,保持健康,少患慢性病.

依据:最可靠.

改变生活方式是延年益寿,保持晚年健康与精力充沛最好的方法.

相关参考资料的链接:(略)

2. 热量限制.

方法:减少热卡摄入量,每人每天不超过1500大卡.

结论:限制热量摄入可以使人类的寿命延长到120岁.

依据:可信.

一些厂家的研究结果已经表明:减少老鼠与其它动物的热卡摄入量可以延长它们的寿命,防止发生慢性疾病.鉴于美国人饮食摄入热量过多,限制他们的热卡摄入量无疑会有利于预防糖尿病与心脏病.

3.干细胞疗法

干细胞是能在人体中再生长出许多组织的特殊细胞,包括长出人体器官与神经细胞.

结论:干细胞疗法将被用于治疗疾病,修复人体组织与延长人类寿命.

依据:可信. 就干细胞的研究来说仅仅是开始,由于伦理道德方面的障碍所以进展缓慢,该技术预计在20年后就会用于疾病的治疗.

4. 人体冷冻技术

方法:把活人冷冻起来待以后防衰老治疗技术奏效时使人再生.

结论 :再过几十年或者几百年,人类生命长度将会大大的延长.

依据:无

5. 纳米医疗学

方法 :细胞级的纳米治疗技术实现后,就会通过细胞级的外科手术与纳米药物消灭癌细胞,

结论:随着纳米技术的发展完善,超微型纳米机器人装置,纳米炮弹及其它一些不可思议的纳米发明的出现,纳米治疗技术将会用于治疗各种疾病.

依据:很有希望.目前正在进行大规模的研究.预计不久就会诞生新的发明.

6.基因修复术

方法:修复基因遗传密码,可以创造出特殊的人类,他们抗氧化能力更强,免疫力更强,心血管更健康.

结论:基因修复术再过若干年后就会应用于延长人类寿命.

依据: 刚刚开始.基因修复技术正处于孵化阶段.有些实验室的试验已经显示出它的有效性,然而用于人类的实验可能要在几十年以后才能实现.

7. 改变环境

方法: 创造出使人类更长寿的环境.

结论:通过减少因环境因素危及许多人过早死亡的现象,可以增加人类的预期寿命.

依据:最可靠.

座椅安全带,空气污染的控制,强化的食品,无铅汽油的使用,都能极大地提高人类的预期寿命.

8.端粒

方法: 端粒是某些染色体的物理结尾.随着细胞不断的复制它们变得越来越短.当所有的端粒都老化得过短时,细胞就死亡了.它们在基因复制与防止基因受损方面都很重要.

结论: 端粒是程序性死亡的细胞.端粒的修复可以影响细胞寿命.

依据: 研究刚刚开始.研究表明癌细胞有一种生化酶,能阻止端粒变短并生出一种不会自然死亡的细胞.

9. 补品

方法: 吃一些补品能提高人体抗老龄化的能力.

结论: 补品具有抗氧化功能,如:绿茶提取物,硒和其它一些物质,会减少与修复由老龄化引起的损害.

依据:中等.

抗氧化食品与其它一些食品已经证明了可以促进心脏病的康复,减少炎症的发病率.目前制药企业正在研制具有良好疗效的红酒与绿茶提取物食品.有许多补品是未经验证而且可能是有害的.研究人员已经提取出不只一种具有很好疗效的补品.

10. 激素

方法:人类的激素保持在20岁的水平就能延缓衰老.

结论:人类的生长激素,睾丸激素,褪黑激素,与其它激素类补品都延缓衰老甚至使人返老还童.

依据: 中等.

通过对老鼠进行的试验表明一些特殊的激素对延缓动物老龄化有效.目前推出的多种激素类代替药物的疗效还不明确.,目前积极推崇激素作用的许多论述在医学期刊上随处可见,咨询过的大夫多数都支持这种观点.