SAN FRANCISCO — A reasonable goal for the average person's life span in the near future is 120 years, according to a 73-year-old expert on aging.
In a talk to a convention of surgeons, endocrinologist Estelle Ramey said the human heart, if receiving a normal supply of blood and nutrition, has a life expectancy of 150 years and the brain 200 years.
"We age because we have to eat, oxidize food and we need sunlight, three things that ultimately kill us," Ramey said in a symposium at the 74th annual gathering of the American Assn. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
However, she said researchers have found ways to slow down the aging process and revitalize the body, thus increasing longevity. Essential to the scenario, she said, is getting the right chemical balance with nutrition, vitamins and drugs.
"There is hope on the horizon," said the Bethesda, Md., expert on metabolism, enzymes and hormones. "The goal is to die young at a late age. I'd say 120 years looks like a good goal."
To help rid the body of "oxidizing radicals" or molecules released in the eating process that cause fat buildup and other problems, Ramey said the vitamins A (specifically beta-carotene, since vitamin A pills can be toxic), C and E are essential, especially for men. Women, she said, naturally get rid of oxidizing agents faster, and thus live longer, than males.
Natural Vitamin C
In studies of older men in Japan, she said, increased vitamin C, found naturally in fruits, reduced cataract problems and increased the effectiveness of the body's immune system. Vitamin E, she said, has shown the ability to slow the rate at which cells age.
She said four other substances are needed to slow aging, but are deficient in the average American diet:
* Chromium--An ideal scavenger for the "oxidizing radicals" released by eating. Found in oysters and beer.
* Magnesium--A compound lost in the processing of food. Supplements of 200 to 400 milligrams a day suggested.
* Boron--Needed particularly by women for strong bones. Found in apples, pears and grapes.
* Potassium--Reduces the chance of stroke. Found naturally in salt, which many people have eliminated from their diets.
In her talk, "Sex Hormones and Longevity," Ramey noted that women outlive men by an average of seven or eight years, and she blamed the earlier mortality rate on the male hormones.
