The secrets of superagers
Sep 17, 2024, 1:13 PM | Updated: Sep 18, 2024, 9:11 am
In this July 30, 2013, photo, 92-year-old superager Edith Stern walks through the cafeteria at her retirement home in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
SALT LAKE CITY — We saw President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turn 100 last week. And that’s more uncommon than you might think.
“There are, on average, only about 20 people who live to 100 out of every 100,000 people in the United States,” said Dr. Nicholas Noble with CommonSpirit Family Health in Kaysville.
Noble defined superagers as people who live longer, into their 80s and 90s, and have the brain capacity of someone in their 50s or 60s.
“There is a lot of research on blue zones,” Noble said. “These are identifiable areas where there are more than 4 times the regular number of centenarians.”
There are five cities around the world that are classified as blue zones: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California.
How much of it is genetic?
“There are some studies that show about 20% of how long we live is dictated by our genes, and 80% is up to us,” Noble explained.
So, what can we do to increase our chances of becoming a superager? Good old-fashioned diet and exercise.
“We have so many things telling us to exercise,” Noble said. “Our watches and phones tell us to get up and get moving. What we’ve learned from studying people living in blue zones is that those people seem to move naturally.
“They aren’t necessarily on a regimented exercise program, but part of their normal living is always moving. For example, people in blue zones walk to work and church as opposed to driving.”
What about sleep?
People in blue zones seem to love naps.
Noble said there are a lot of stats about how important sleep is to our mental and intellectual health, preventing dementia.
“Try to get more than seven hours of sleep,” he encouraged.
Having a strong social network is also a big deal.
“There are studies from the CDC that show social isolation puts us at 50% risk of developing dementia,” Noble said. “This is a theme in blue zone studies. They are connected to other people, both family and friends.”
Is there a magic pill to becoming a superager?
Sorry. There is no magic pill to give you a better chance of becoming a superager.
“In terms of our diet, the big common themes are eating more vegetables and less processed food,” Noble explained. “It’s also the 80% rule: eat until you feel 80% full.”
The importance of purpose
While there is no magic pill, there is magic in having a life purpose.
“There is a study from Canada that followed 6,000 people for 14 years,” Noble shared.
“Those that could articulate their sense of purpose in life had a 15% lower risk of dying. Other research said that people who attended regular faith-based service seemed to live 4-14 years longer than their counterparts.”
Amanda Dickson is the co-host of Utah’s Morning News and A Woman’s View on KSL NewsRadio. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
