" Why Do Ashkenazi Jews Live So Long ?"

**megimoo** · 05-24-2011, 02:45 PM

Stem cell study aims to find out why New York Jews with East European roots live for so long

" Chicken Schmaltz and Goldwasser .."

Years of intermarriage may have helped strengthen genetic traits

Scientists will study stem cells of New York Jews with East European roots in a bid to work out what is the secret to their longevity - many live to 100.

Many of the close-knit group reach a ton in age despite the fact that many drink, smoke and eat fatty food - and now experts are hoping to crack their amazing code.

Scientists at Cornell Medical College in New York are due to begin to study the stem cells of almost a dozen Ashkenazi Jews from a heavily persecuted group which originated from Russia.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...-live-100.html

**Gingersnap** · 05-24-2011, 03:21 PM

I am amazed that they always want to look at the genetics instead of looking at the social factors. Elderly Ashkenazi Jews have tight bonds with very large extended families, they have a high demand faith that they take seriously, and they tend to remain in the same social circles their entire lives. These are all factors associated with successful aging. Beyond that, many had no cars so they walked a great deal, fatness was discouraged since it was believed to be a sign of greed, and the lifestyle pretty much forbid drunkenness, drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity.

That's going to add up to a pretty healthy lifestyle for anybody. The few "vices" involving smoking and fatty foods obviously didn't matter much for this particular elderly group.

**Arroyo_Doble** · 05-24-2011, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Gingersnap

I am amazed that they always want to look at the genetics instead of looking at the social factors. Elderly Ashkenazi Jews have tight bonds with very large extended families, they have a high demand faith that they take seriously, and they tend to remain in the same social circles their entire lives. These are all factors associated with successful aging. Beyond that, many had no cars so they walked a great deal, fatness was discouraged since it was believed to be a sign of greed, and the lifestyle pretty much forbid drunkenness, drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity.

That's going to add up to a pretty healthy lifestyle for anybody. The few "vices" involving smoking and fatty foods obviously didn't matter much for this particular elderly group.

**megimoo** · 05-24-2011, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by Gingersnap

I am amazed that they always want to look at the genetics instead of looking at the social factors. Elderly Ashkenazi Jews have tight bonds with very large extended families, they have a high demand faith that they take seriously, and they tend to remain in the same social circles their entire lives. These are all factors associated with successful aging. Beyond that, many had no cars so they walked a great deal, fatness was discouraged since it was believed to be a sign of greed, and the lifestyle pretty much forbid drunkenness, drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity.

That's going to add up to a pretty healthy lifestyle for anybody. The few "vices" involving smoking and fatty foods obviously didn't matter much for this particular elderly group.

The towns where people live the longest

Okinawa has a population of one million and of those 900 are centenarians, four times higher than the average in Britain or America. Even more remarkably, Ovodda is the only region in the world where as many men as women live to be 100 years of age, bucking the global trend.
snip
The Okinawan's most significant cultural tradition is known as hara hachi bu, which translated means eat until you're only 80% full.
In a typical day they only consume around 1,200 calories, about 20% less than most people in the UK. Culturally it is a million miles from attitudes in a lot of Western societies, where all-you-can-eat
snip
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7250675.stm

**Gingersnap** · 05-24-2011, 03:56 PM

There are many, many cultural communities with a reputation for longevity and although they all have different foods, different customs, different environmental stressors, and different social expectations they all do seem to have the family, faith, friends triad in common.

Whether it's a bunch of ancient nuns, a bunch of withered animists, or a bunch of geriatric Tibetan Buddhists, they all have strong interpersonal relationships, daily faith expectations, and deep family/community ties.

**Articulate_Ape** · 05-24-2011, 04:01 PM

Maybe they are making up for the ones who stayed in Europe too long back the 1930's and early 1940's and suffered something of a longevity crisis.

**megimoo** · 05-24-2011, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Gingersnap

There are many, many cultural communities with a reputation for longevity and although they all have different foods, different customs, different environmental stressors, and different social expectations they all do seem to have the family, faith, friends triad in common.

Whether it's a bunch of ancient nuns, a bunch of withered animists, or a bunch of geriatric Tibetan Buddhists, they all have strong interpersonal relationships, daily faith expectations, and deep family/community ties.

So your thesis is that men or woman live longer in close Spiritual/Social bonds and not so much depending on any type of diet ? I agree to some extent but a very simple diet also seems to play some significent part .

Animal flesh while it does play an important role in providing quick and lasting protein that Western man needed to hunt and survive, also poisons the body if consumed in large quantitys.

Triglyceride levels go through the roof whenever a man dines of beef,especially Wagyu beef .The beef is so heavily marbled that it's connective tissue melts when it is grilled providing a very tender bite but loads of plasma lipids.

It is amazing how quickly the body processes
food to break down the proteins,carbohydrates, and fats into molecules small enough to seep into the bloodstream.Depending on the protien, amino acids enter circulation within 10mins or so upwards to 8+hrs.

A simple diet, although lacking in quick evergy, seems to be a key componant to longevity .

Most Western men eventually end up with clogged arteries of both the heart, lower Femoral and external iliac artery and the internal carotid .

All death is the result of cesession of blood flow to the brain be it a failure of the heart pumping blood or the vascular systems, internal carotid being clogged causing brain death or strokes.

**Hawkgirl** · 05-24-2011, 07:00 PM

I also watched a show on the Travel network that claims a small island in Greece has the highest rate of mortality. They mainly dine on vegetablle, legumes, fish and Ouzo. They drink Ouzo every day.
Now that is a diet I could see myself adapting.

**djones520** · 05-24-2011, 07:04 PM

Not to long ago, the local rock station here in St. Louis was talking about how a company in the city was testing Ozzy Osbournes DNA to find out how the hell he was still alive.

I wonder if they ever got results.

**Rockntractor** · 05-24-2011, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by djones520

Not to long ago, the local rock station here in St. Louis was talking about how a company in the city was testing Ozzy Osbournes DNA to find out how the hell he was still alive.

I wonder if they ever got results.

With the amount of drug residue still in his system, you could be arrested for possession if you were caught with his DNA!