Posted: 6:07 p.m. Monday, April 16, 2012
There is no supplement, no wine, no pill that will guarantee a long and healthy life.
But we can improve our odds of living longer, even if we have a family history of chronic illnesses.
“Genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger,” says Dr. George Blackburn, associate director of nutrition in the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School.
Blackburn, who was in Palm Beach to help celebrate the 102nd birthday of Palm Beacher Albert Schonbrunn, is — as are the rest of us — fascinated with longevity and centenarians.
In fact, he was a mentor to Dr. Thomas Perls, who is pursuing a study of those who live to a good, old age, as part of the New England Centenarian Study.
Schonbrunn seems a classic example.
Call his home and he answers in a clear voice. Does he have any idea why he’s lived so long? “I never give it a thought,” he responds. He says he hasn’t done anything special.
Schonbrunn’s uncle was the founder of the company that made Savarin coffee, where Schonbrunn served as president, and he is an avid coffee consumer. He drinks two to three cups a day. Could this be the secret of his longevity? He doesn’t know.
But there are a lot of pathways to get to 100, Blackburn says. First, be aware of what chronic diseases are in your family. Diseases such as diabetes and even cancers can have genetic components.
“Do regular checkups,” he advises. “You may be able to prevent it from progressing. You need a heads-up for your risks.”
Watch your diet and exercise, tried and true formulas for improving chances for a long and healthy life. “Walking is so valuable. I’m wearing a pedometer right now,” he noted. “Don’t sit when you can move.”
Incorporate fresh food into your diet. “We have it here all 12 months of the year.”
And if you need to take medicine, do it. “You need a schedule to remember when to take it. My wife sets my cell phone alarm to go off at 7 p.m. so it alerts me,” he said. Married men, by the way, tend to live longer lives and caring wives can be one reason.
Blackburn has a family risk of cardiovascular disease and, at 71, is careful to take blood-thinning medication, cholesterol pills and vitamin D. Some people can be prescribed low doses of prescription medications as a preventive, but there are nonprescription pills, such as red rice, that can be used to reduce cholesterol levels, for example.
