The fountain of youth may simply be a healthy diet, exercise, reduced stress, and socializing. This new study, co-authored by a Nobel prize winning doctor, adds to the growing body of evidence that human aging can be reversed. Between social competitiveness, jealousy and anger, much of aging may be just a self-fulfilling curse. The study shows the reversal of human aging at the cellular level. Cell replacement is continuous, but is limited by the telomeres, which shorten each time the cell is replaced, thus limiting the number of times a cell can regenerate itself. "Our genes, and our telomeres, are a predisposition, but they are not necessarily our fate." "The more you change your lifestyle, the more you improve– at any age.” Positive Lifestyle changes prevent the chromosomes in our cells from unraveling. "The more people changed their lifestyle, the more their telomeres got longer." Lifestyle changes can "even reverse heart disease, early-stage prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, etc." "Our bodies often have a remarkable capacity to begin healing themselves, and much more quickly than we did once realize." Three months of changes produced measurable results. "That is a very empowering finding."

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Dr. Ader recognized the link between stress and illness. He showed how mental processes influence the body’s immune system. He discovered that meditation helps reduce arterial plaque; that social bonds improve cancer survival; that people under stress catch more colds; and that placebos work not only on the human mind but also on supposedly insentient cells. He demonstrated scientifically that stress worsens illness — sometimes even triggering it — and that reducing stress is essential to health care.

Robert Ader, Who Linked Stress and Illness, Dies at 79

Dr. Ader’s findings, now widely accepted, contradicted a previous principle of biochemistry that the immune system was autonomous.

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"While it is a painful truism that brutality and violence are at least as old as humanity, so, it seems, is caring for the sick and disabled." “Life 7,500 years ago included an ability and willingness to help and sustain the chronically ill and handicapped.” "Not only does care indicate tolerance and cooperation, but suggests that (the patient) had a sense of his own worth and a strong will to live." "The provision and receipt of health care may therefore reflect some of the most fundamental aspects of a culture.” "What care for the sick and injured says about the culture that provided it."

Ancient Bones That Tell a Story of Compassion

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Meditation or exercise was associated with reduced acute respiratory infections (ARIs) (Colds, Flu, etc). "We observed substantive reductions in ARI illness among those randomized to exercise training, and even greater benefits among those receiving mindfulness meditation training." "Severity was significantly lower for meditation." "Our findings are corroborated both by laboratory-measured biomarkers and by reductions in work absenteeism." "Given that apart from hand washing, no ARI prevention strategies have before been proven, these findings are especially noteworthy."

Meditation or Exercise for Preventing Acute Respiratory Infection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

CONCLUSIONS Training in meditation or exercise may be effective in reducing ARI illness burden.

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Chronic panic and phobias are associated with premature aging by shortening telomeres. "The magnitude of this difference was comparable to that for women 6 years apart in age." Previous studies of stress showed: "Women with the highest levels of perceived stress have telomeres shorter on average by the equivalent of at least one decade of additional aging compared to low stress women." The "findings may be partly explained by influences of phobic anxiety on risk of development of serious chronic diseases." But "phobic anxiety is treatable; thus, any potential impacts on telomere shortening may be amenable to prevention through early identification and treatment."

PLoS ONE: High Phobic Anxiety Is Related to Lower Leukocyte Telomere Length in Women

Furthermore, because phobic anxiety is usually the temporally primary condition in comorbidity involving other mental disorders (e.g., depression, substance abuse) [23], early intervention not only may mitigate detrimental impacts on aging and but also could avert additional downstream consequences

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Women with highly demanding jobs were 38% more likely to experience a heart disease event. "Women with high strain and active jobs potentially experience long-term vascular effects where high demand appears to be the critical factor." Earlier studies have demonstrated that psychosocial stress is associated with a doubled risk of heart disease. In this study, high strain and active jobs, but not job insecurity, were associated with increased risk among women. "Chronic stress results in repeated activation of the physiological stress response causing dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system." "Our findings suggest the need to develop interventions to improve psychosocial characteristics of the work environment since this may have long-term benefits for cardiovascular health in women."

PLoS ONE: Job Strain, Job Insecurity, and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in the Women’s Health Stud

High strain and active jobs, but not job insecurity, were related to increased CVD risk among women. Both job strain and job insecurity were significantly related to CVD risk factors. With the increase of women in the workforce, these data emphasize the importance of addressing job strain in CVD pre...

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This works. Men who were physically fit in their 40s and maintained that fitness level for a decade reduced their risk of all-cause death by 30% compared with men who were flabby. Those who gained fitness over the course of time had a greater reduction in mortality risk (40%). "[M]aintaining or improving fitness is associated with a lower risk of premature deaths from all-causes and CVD in men," wrote the authors. "Preventing fitness loss with age is important for mortality risk reduction."

Fitness Key to Longevity

Men who were physically fit in their 40s and maintained that fitness level for a decade reduced their risk of all-cause death by 30% compared with men who were flabby at 40, according to the results o

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This works. 40% of cancers may be caused by 4 common lifestyle factors — tobacco, diet, alcohol, and obesity. "We didn't expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer." "And among women we didn't expect being overweight to have a greater effect than alcohol." "This adds to the now overwhelmingly strong evidence that our cancer risk is affected by our lifestyles." "Following healthy lifestyle options will reduce the risk for other diseases in addition to cancer."

One Third of Cancers Caused by Lifestyle Factors

‎: Over one third of cancers are caused by common lifestyle factors -- namely, tobacco, alcohol, diet, and obesity -- and are therefore potentially preventable...................................................................................

Dr. Jim Withers has been caring exclusively for the homeless since 1992. "When they're shown that they matter, then hope grows. And amazing things happen. That's why we've been able to house well over 700 people." "You know, if I could I'd write a prescription for a house for all the street people because it is immensely important for health," Withers said.

Doctor's street medicine helps cure homelessness - CBS News

CBS Evening News: Doctor's street medicine helps cure homelessness - Dr. Jim Withers and his Operation Safety Net staff have been remarkably successful at getting those he treats off the street

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This works. "A healthy lifestyle can actually turn off the gene" for heart disease. "Other studies have also shown that those who eat healthier diets tend to offset the risk that same chromosome places on them," Risk is reduced by "targeting smoking, cholesterol and diet." A good diet is "rich in fruits, raw vegetables and nuts." "Lifestyle factors can actually change the genes."

Diet Counters Bad Gene: Scientific American Podcast

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This works. "Not smoking, having a normal weight, getting at least a moderate amount of exercise, and eating vegetables at least three times a week" will reduce heart failure. 45.6% of new heart failure cases can be prevented by adoption of three of the four healthy behaviors. "More efforts should be put into promoting healthy lifestyles and their associated health benefits."

Medical News: Healthy Choices Cut Back on Risk of Heart Failure - in Cardiovascular, CHF from MedPag

A healthy lifestyle, including more veggies and no smoking, was linked with a lower risk of developing heart failure, researchers found.

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This works. Good diet and exercise improve sex. Cardiovascular interventions significantly relieve ED. "Physicians need to stress diet and exercise." "Adoption of lifestyle modifications will benefit" regardless of sildenafil (Viagra) use. One study of atorvastatin (Lipitor) found a significant improvement in ED scores, whereas another did not.

Medical News: Statins Aid Male Sexual Function - in Urology, Erectile Dysfunction from MedPage Today

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a cardiovascular risk factor independent of others, even as interventions leading to improvements in such risk factors also appear to alleviate ED, according to two separa

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This works. Better sex is another reason for Healthy Lifestyles. "The results add to and strengthen existing knowledge that healthy dietary habits and increased physical activity are important components of health to improve quality of life in men by improving sexual health."

Reducing Cardiovascular Risks Lessens Erectile Dysfunction : Internal Medicine News

Lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease can also improve sexual function in men who have erectile dysfunction, according to findings from a meta-analysis first posted online Sept. 12 in Archives of Internal Medicine. Erectile dysfunction (ED), with a...

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This works. "Our brain comes to associate food with (an) environment and make us keep eating as long as those environmental cues are present." "Dieters (may) disrupt the established patterns of how they eat through simple techniques, such as switching the hand they use to eat."

Why We Mindlessly Eat Junk Food — and How to Stop | Junk Food, Habitual Eating Patterns & Mindless E

People who usually eat junk food at the movies ate just as much stale popcorn as freshly-popped popcorn, a new study about automatic eating triggers shows. Those who rarely ate popcorn at the movies consumed much less of the stale popcorn.

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This works. Strokes are on the rise among teens and young people. Diabetes, cholesterol and tobacco use "has also increased in adolescents and young adults experiencing stroke." "Stroke is largely preventable and eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, (and) avoiding tobacco and alcohol abuse can go a long way to prevent stroke."

Stroke Incidence Increasing Among Children And Young Adults, USA

A large study has revealed that the rate of stroke among children, adolescents and young adults in the USA has been increasing at an alarming rate. The rate at which ischemic stroke patients are b

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This works. "Lifestyle factors, when considered in combination, are associated with a substantial reduction in risk for diabetes." Individuals with good lifestyle factors, such as not over-consuming alcohol, eating a healthy diet, doing exercise, not smoking and being of normal weight, are 80% less likely to develop Diabetes Type 2.

Diabetes Risk 80% Lower For Those With Multiple Good Lifestyle Factors, Compared To Those With Worst

Individuals with good lifestyle factors, such as not over-consuming alcohol, eating a healthy diet, doing exercise, not smoking and being of normal weight, are 80% less likely to develop Diabetes

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This works. Over half of all Alzheimer’s disease cases could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes and treatment or prevention of chronic medical conditions. The biggest modifiable risk factors are physical inactivity, depression, smoking, mid-life hypertension, mid-life obesity, low education and diabetes.

Over half of Alzheimer’s cases may be preventable | ScienceBlog.com

Over half of all Alzheimer’s disease cases could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes and treatment or prevention of chronic medical conditions, according to a study led by Deborah Barnes, PhD, a mental health researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

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This works! Women who adhered to a healthy lifestyle have as much as a 90% reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death. 81% of the risk of death is related to smoking, inactivity, overweight, and poor diet. Widespread adoption of healthy lifestyles may make a substantial impact on death rates.

Medical News: Healthy Lifestyle Makes Women Less Likely to Die Suddenly - in Cardiovascular, Arrhyth

Women who adhered to a healthy lifestyle had as much as a 90% reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death as compared with those with a high-risk profile, data from the Nurses' Health Study showed.

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This works! Lifestyle changes help protect against cancer. Even for women over 65, reducing risk factors (alcohol, inactivity and obesity) will reduce the chance of breast cancer.

Medical News: Model May Predict Risk Reduction in Breast Cancer - in Oncology/Hematology, Breast Can

Risk-factor modification might achieve as much as a 4.1% absolute reduction in breast cancer risk among women ages 65 and older, depending on a woman's background, according to findings produced by an