Natural Life Extension And Disease Prevention

I have created my idea of a simple natural life extending formula. The two ingredients that may be left out are vitamin D and omega 3 if the person is regularly in the sun and eating oily fish (every day), this is preferable to supplementation.

-Diet

Natural plant based Paleolithic diet. No refined sugars, no processed foods, no or little breads (only whole grain), no or little dairy, include rice, include legumes (chickpeas and lentils). Do not over eat, consume adequate water. Good quality meat is a good idea, especially wild seafood with omega3. Avoid a lot of caffeine.

-Lifestyle

Daily mindfulness meditation
Daily yoga, or qi-gong, or equivilant relaxing exercise
Daily walking, at least 30 minutes, preferably longer. Exercise within your capacity.

- Herbal formula

This is based on the following (quite preliminary) findings in scientific journals:

1. Reishi extracts increase the lifespan of mice.

Wu, Zimei, et al. “ReishiMax extends the lifespan of mice: A preliminary report.” The FASEB Journal 25.1 Supplement (2011): 601-2.

2. Ginkgo extract extends the lifespan of rats.

Winter, J. C. “The effects of an extract of Ginkgo biloba, EGb 761, on cognitive behavior and longevity in the rat.” Physiology & behavior 63.3 (1998): 425-433.

3. Rhodiola rosea extends the lifespan of flies.

Gospodaryov, Dmytro V., et al. “Lifespan extension and delay of age-related functional decline caused by Rhodiola rosea depends on dietary macronutrient balance.” Longevity & healthspan 2.1 (2013): 5.

It is also based on the fact that all three of these herbs traditionally were thought of as anti-aging by the ancient societies that used them (Castleman, 2001).

The only problem with using these herbs for this purpose is if the individual has a sensitive nervous system they cause excess energy. In this case reishi may be replaced with gotu kola and rhodiola with ashwagandha. Omega3 may also be too stimulating in combination with the adaptogens for some people. I suspect that 3 herbs, a good lifestyle and diet may be all that is needed for considerable life extension. Note, that other candidate herbs for longevity include: panax ginseng and fo-ti.

Best wishes,

Chris

References:

Castleman, Michael. "The new healing herbs." Bantam Book, New York (2001): 465-471.