# How can I avoid getting old? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 21, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820 "2009-04-21T07:33:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vladimirnabokov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@vladimirnabokov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vladimirnabokov)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/1 "2009-04-21T07:33:04Z")
I have to interject a couple of points regarding the answer to this question, which I found a little misleading. 1. Stop thinking While not thinking may slow the aging process down so far as superficial attributes (wrinkles, hair loss) are concerned, it would not help us live to be 100. The key to that kind of longevity is a healthy mind as well as a healthy body, and a healthy brain requires constant mental stimulation. Lack of it is why the majority of people pass away in their sleep. So read, travel, learn new things, have interesting conversations, think hard, and never stop thinking. 1. Drink I hate to sound like a party pooper, but while research does show the antioxidants and resveratrol in red wine may have certain health benefits, the dominant ingredient in wine is still alcohol, and alcohol is bad for you, plain and simple. The negative effects of the alcohol will always outweigh the positive effects of the other ingredients. The whole wine-is-good-for-you craze in the US is ridiculous. Drink it because you like it, not because of some fantasy that you’re being a health nut when you reach for the pinot noir. It is the same with pot smokers. You’re not fighting the threat of future Alzheimer’s by lighting up a spliff, you’re jusy inhaling unhealthy plant matter into your lungs. It’s perfectly healthy to have some pressure behind your eyeballs. Just because some Indian woman has lived to be 120 and attributes her longevity to smoking weed everyday doesn’t mean you’re going to outlive her as long as you keep filling your bong with fresh water everyday after polishing off your $5 foot long and barbecue chips. Well, anyway, end of criticism/rant. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/2 "2009-04-21T08:46:42Z")
There’s only one way to avoid getting old and that is to die young. Not much of an option, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/3 "2009-04-21T11:54:20Z")
> [@vladimirnabokov](#): > > The key to that kind of longevity is a healthy mind as well as a healthy body, and a healthy brain requires constant mental stimulation. Lack of it is why the majority of people pass away in their sleep. Can you provide some medical evidence for this? I find it hard to believe. > [@](#): > > I hate to sound like a party pooper, but while research does show the antioxidants and resveratrol in red wine may have certain health benefits, the dominant ingredient in wine is still alcohol, and alcohol is bad for you, plain and simple. The negative effects of the alcohol will always outweigh the positive effects of the other ingredients. I would also ask for evidence that alcohol is bad in all amounts, but I don’t believe there is any, plain and simple. And I say that as a recovering alcoholic. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/4 "2009-04-21T12:03:01Z")
Is there a particular Straight Dope column that this is relevant to? ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/5 "2009-04-21T14:32:55Z")
[This one](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2857/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old)I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/6 "2009-04-21T18:02:06Z")
> [@conway](#): > > [This one](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2857/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old)I guess… Thanks; somehow I missed that one on the front page. > [@vladimirnabokov](#): > > The negative effects of the alcohol will always outweigh the positive effects of the other ingredients. I’d also like to see a cite to back up this statement. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/7 "2009-04-21T21:51:15Z")
> [@vladimirnabokov](#): > > I hate to sound like a party pooper, but while research does show the antioxidants and resveratrol in red wine may have certain health benefits, the dominant ingredient in wine is still alcohol, and alcohol is bad for you, plain and simple. The negative effects of the alcohol will always outweigh the positive effects of the other ingredients. The whole wine-is-good-for-you craze in the US is ridiculous. Drink it because you like it, not because of some fantasy that you’re being a health nut when you reach for the pinot noir. You really need to read up on the reduction in mortality and relative risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke at low levels of alcohol consumption. While for some there may be an increase in the risk of liver disease or cancers, the net effect AFAIK is that at the 1-2 drinks per diem level, there is nonetheless a net decrease in relative risk. Here’s a sample cite of one: [http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/11/3023](http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/11/3023) > [@](#): > > A large number of observational studies have consistently demonstrated a J-shaped relation between alcohol consumption and total mortality. This relation appears to hold in men and women who are middle aged or older. The lowest mortality occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day. In teetotalers or occasional drinkers, the rates are higher than in those consuming one or two drinks per day. In persons who consume three or more drinks per day, total mortality climbs rapidly with increasing numbers of drinks per day. > > A number of studies have dissected the J-shaped curve into specific diseases. It is clear that a stepwise decline in CHD death occurs with increasing drinks per day. Because CHD accounts for one third or more of total deaths, those with no alcohol consumption have higher total mortality than those drinking one to two drinks per day. On the other hand, mortality due to a large number of other diseases increases with an increasing number of drinks consumed per day. Diseases related to heavy consumption of alcohol and alcoholism include stroke, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, several kinds of cancer, cirrhosis, and pancreatitis, as well as accidents, suicide, and homicide. It should be noted that heavy consumption of alcohol is a major cause of hypertension, so that the diseases related to hypertension, such as stroke, are generally related to alcohol consumption. Heavy consumption of alcohol also appears to affect heart muscle and possibly arterial tissues directly. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a common diagnosis in long-term alcoholics. While the relative and absolute risks of these diseases are negligible at one or two drinks per day, the mortality rates rise sharply. The J-shaped distribution for total mortality is then the sum of the protective effect on CHD mortality and the detrimental effect of high levels of consumption on these other causes of death. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/8 "2009-04-22T13:39:38Z")
I wonder if Vladimir was maybe thinking of all risk factors associated with alcohol consumption, like maybe traffic deaths, deaths by violence, and such. I don’t know how those might figure in, though. RR ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/9 "2009-04-26T21:54:50Z")
> [@vladimirnabokov](#): > > The negative effects of the alcohol will always outweigh the positive effects of the other ingredients. If that really is true, then you should make sure you drink a lot, because it’ll definately keep you from getting old. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-avoid-getting-old/493820/10 "2009-04-27T04:21:07Z")
The fountain of youth perhaps lies in understanding the secrets of “negligible senescene,” and figuring out if there is a way to apply it to humans. Some scientific groups are working on such projects. > **[Shopping Online at Shopping.com | Price Comparison Site](https://www.shopping.com/)** > > Shopping.com is a leading price comparison site that allows you shop online for the best deals and lowest prices. You can read unbiased product reviews and compare prices online. Online shopping has never been as easy! > **[Strategies for engineered negligible senescence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategies_for_Engineered_Negligible_Senescence)** > > Strategies for engineered negligible senescence (SENS) is a range of proposed regenerative medical therapies, either planned or currently in development, for the periodic repair of all age-related damage to human tissue. These therapies have the ultimate aim of maintaining a state of negligible senescence in patients and postponing age-associated disease. SENS was first defined by British biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey. Many mainstream scientists believe that it is a fringe theory. > While some b...