By Mark Stibich

    Claims of longer life have always captivated people. While no one knows for sure what might extend life, these ten concepts are currently the most-discussed methods. Some are scientifically and medically proven and others are pure theory.

    1. Lifestyle Change

    · Method: Increase physical activities, eat a low fat diet with lots of vegetables, be relaxed, be social, and be engaged in the world.

    · Claim: Making changes in your daily life can extend your healthy years greatly by reducing your chance of getting a chronic illness.

    · Proof: Excellent. Lifestyle change is your best bet to increase your life span and give yourself healthy, energetic years into old age.

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    2. Calorie Restriction

    · Method: Reduce daily calorie intake to below 1500.

    · Claim: Calorie restriction can extend human life span to 120 years.

    · Proof: Gaining. Studies in mice and other lab animals have shown that restricted caloric intake can extend life and prevent chronic illness. Given the huge amount of calories the average American eats, calorie restriction could certainly help prevent diabetes and heart disease.

    3. Stem Cells

    · Method: Stem cells are special cells that can grow into a number of specialized tissues in the body, including organs and nerve cells..

    · Claim: Stem cells will be used to treat illness, repair organs and extend life.

    · Proof: Gaining. Research into stem cells is just beginning and ethical obstacles are slowing progress, but stem cell-based treatments for illnesses are expected to begin over the next decade.

    4. Cryonics

    · Method: Freeze a living person so that they can be revived at a later time when anti-aging treatments are more effective.

    · Claim: If you could wait some decades or centuries, human life span will be greatly increased.

    · Proof: None.

    5. NanoMedicine

    · Method: Deliver treatments at the cellular level to mark and destroy cancer cells, perform cellular surgery and deliver medications.

    · Claim: Nanotechnology will be able to treat many diseases through nanosurgery, nanobots, nanoshells, and other marvelous nanoinventions.

    · Proof: Shows promise. Research is currently being done on a large scale. Expect new developments soon.

    6. Genetic Modification

    · Method: Modify the genetic code to create individuals who generate increased antioxidants, reduced inflammation, improved cardiovascular heath, etc.

    · Claim:Genetic modification could add an unknown number of years onto the human life span.

    · Proof:Beginning. Genetic modification in fruit flies and other simple laboratory models have been shown effective. However, experiments in humans may be decades away.

    7. Environmental Change

    · Method: Create environments that help us live longer.

    · Claim: Increase life expectancy by reducing the number of premature deaths caused by dangers in the environment.

    · Proof: Excellent. Seat belts, air pollution control, enriched food products, and removal of lead from gas have all contributed greatly to the increase in life expectancy.

    8. Telomeres

    · Method: Telomeres are the physical ends of certain types of chromosomes. They shorten as a cell replicates. When all the telomeres are gone, the cell dies. They are important in the replication and protection of DNA.

    · Claim:Telomeres are how cells are programmed to die. Modification of telomeres may impact how cells age.

    · Proof: Research is just beginning. Cancer cells have an enzyme that prevents the telomeres from getting shorter, creating a cell that does not naturally die.

    9. Supplements

    · Method: Take supplements to increase the body's ability to fight aging.

    · Claim: Supplements containing antioxidants, green tea extract, selenium and other substances will reduce and repair damage caused by aging.

    · Proof: Moderate. Antioxidants and other food substances have been shown to improve heart disease and reduce inflammation. Drug companies are trying now to create medications that will concentrate the effects of foods like red wine and green tea. Many supplements are unproven and could be dangerous. Studies of people taking more than one supplement are rare.

    10. Hormones

    · Method: Maintain hormones at the level of a 20-year-old to slow aging

    · Claim: Human growth hormone, testosterone, melatonin and other hormone supplements can slow or even reverse aging.

    · Proof: Moderate. Individual hormones have been shown to impact aging in experiments with rats and mice. The combined effect of being on multiple hormone substitution is unknown. There are a lot of wild theories out there about hormones, stick to what is covered in established medical journals and consult your doctor.

    有關長壽的種種觀念一直是人們關注的焦點.然而卻沒人確切知道看樣才能延長人的壽命,下面10種觀點是目前最被人廣泛認同的.

    其中有些方法已經過了科學與醫學的驗證,其余都是純理論上的提法.

    1.改變生活方式

    方法:加強體育運動,飲食應少脂肪多蔬菜,放松身心,不脫離社會,保持天天有事做.

    結論:生活方式的改變能大大延緩衰老進程,保持健康,少患慢性病.

    依據:最可靠.

    改變生活方式是延年益壽,保持晚年健康與精力充沛最好的方法.

    相關參考資料的鏈接:(略)
    
    2. 熱量限制.

    方法:減少熱卡攝入量,每人每天不超過1500大卡.

    結論:限制熱量攝入可以使人類的壽命延長到120歲.

    依據:可信.

    一些廠家的研究結果已經表明:減少老鼠與其它動物的熱卡攝入量可以延長它們的壽命,防止發生慢性疾病.鑒于美國人飲食攝入熱量過多,限制他們的熱卡攝入量無疑會有利于預防糖尿病與心臟病.

    3.干細胞療法

    干細胞是能在人體中再生長出許多組織的特殊細胞,包括長出人體器官與神經細胞.

    結論:干細胞療法將被用于治療疾病,修復人體組織與延長人類壽命.

    依據:可信. 就干細胞的研究來說僅僅是開始,由于倫理道德方面的障礙所以進展緩慢,該技術預計在20年后就會用于疾病的治療.

    4. 人體冷凍技術

    方法:把活人冷凍起來待以后防衰老治療技術奏效時使人再生.

    結論 :再過幾十年或者幾百年,人類生命長度將會大大的延長.

    依據:無

    5. 納米醫療學

    方法 :細胞級的納米治療技術實現后,就會通過細胞級的外科手術與納米藥物消滅癌細胞,

    結論:隨著納米技術的發展完善,超微型納米機器人裝置,納米炮彈及其它一些不可思議的納米發明的出現,納米治療技術將會用于治療各種疾病.

    依據:很有希望.目前正在進行大規模的研究.預計不久就會誕生新的發明.

    6.基因修復術

    方法:修復基因遺傳密碼,可以創造出特殊的人類,他們抗氧化能力更強,免疫力更強,心血管更健康.

    結論:基因修復術再過若干年后就會應用于延長人類壽命. 

    依據: 剛剛開始.基因修復技術正處于孵化階段.有些實驗室的試驗已經顯示出它的有效性,然而用于人類的實驗可能要在幾十年以后才能實現.

    7. 改變環境

    方法: 創造出使人類更長壽的環境.

    結論:通過減少因環境因素危及許多人過早死亡的現象,可以增加人類的預期壽命.

    依據:最可靠.

    座椅安全帶,空氣污染的控制,強化的食品,無鉛汽油的使用,都能極大地提高人類的預期壽命. 

    8.端粒

    方法: 端粒是某些染色體的物理結尾.隨著細胞不斷的復制它們變得越來越短.當所有的端粒都老化得過短時,細胞就死亡了.它們在基因復制與防止基因受損方面都很重要.

    結論: 端粒是程序性死亡的細胞.端粒的修復可以影響細胞壽命.

    依據: 研究剛剛開始.研究表明癌細胞有一種生化酶,能阻止端粒變短并生出一種不會自然死亡的細胞.

    9. 補品

    方法: 吃一些補品能提高人體抗老齡化的能力. 

    結論: 補品具有抗氧化功能,如:綠茶提取物,硒和其它一些物質,會減少與修復由老齡化引起的損害.

    依據:中等.

    抗氧化食品與其它一些食品已經證明了可以促進心臟病的康復,減少炎癥的發病率.目前制藥企業正在研制具有良好療效的紅酒與綠茶提取物食品.有許多補品是未經驗證而且可能是有害的.研究人員已經提取出不只一種具有很好療效的補品.

    10. 激素

    方法:人類的激素保持在20歲的水平就能延緩衰老.

    結論:人類的生長激素,睪丸激素,褪黑激素,與其它激素類補品都延緩衰老甚至使人返老還童.

    依據: 中等. 

    通過對老鼠進行的試驗表明一些特殊的激素對延緩動物老齡化有效.目前推出的多種激素類代替藥物的療效還不明確.,目前積極推崇激素作用的許多論述在醫學期刊上隨處可見,咨詢過的大夫多數都支持這種觀點.