ElderWeb

A recent issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) included an interesting history of the theories about longevity. The Journal, in an article which is easily understandable by both professionals and consumers, discusses the way that theories on "how to live forever" have changed over time. For instance, BMJ points out that people have known for years that eating roasted meats is unhealthy. Now we avoid roasted meats because of the artery clogging effects of cholesterol and the carcinogenic qualities of nitrosamines in the charred parts, but the theory some time back was that consuming roasted food used up too much body energy in the way that a gas burner uses up gas more quickly when the flame is turned up high. The article talks about ways that "fountain of youth" qualities have been attributed to a wide variety of food, drink, and lifestyle issues, like maintaining body heat and moisture, avoiding wine, sleeping on your right side, and taking rhubarb pills.