Longevity, vegans, meat, booze, and smoking

Linked is a report about apparent longevity in people who are vegans.

They apparently live @ 8 years longer than those of us who do not practice this dietary protocol.

Now personally, if you could increase a lifespan by 100 years just be changing your diet, I'd say, "Pass the sprouts!"

But 8 years? And that's 8 years max. There's no guarantee that you automatically live that much longer.

There have been a few threads recently on vegan diets, and for those that espouse that sort of thing, yay for you. If that's what you want, then you should do it.

We hear all the time of how bad smoking is for you (and it is)
About how bad drinking is for you (and it is)
About how eating meat, salt, fats, trans fats, sugars blahblahblah is bad for you (and it is)

So we can get another 8 years (maybe) of life?

There's no guarantee in life. Genetics, accidents, where you live all play factors as well.

______________________________________________________________________________

We're only on this little rock for such a short time. Shouldn't we just enjoy (in moderation) all that we can?

I don't endorse bingeing on anything. Binge oreo's and milk could probably kill you.

But live it up! Live your life. Enjoy your life. Worrying about salt content might kill you faster than the actual "salt content"!

(Eating pastrami tonight, had a steak for lunch, am now sipping on a scotch and smoking a cigarette)

reply to post by beezzer


It's hardly worth it, is it? And the 8 years extra at the end of life will be just you peeing yourself and going senile anyway.

I'd rather trade in those 8 years and enjoy life a bit

reply to post by beezzer


I could not stand always being that hungry.

Sorry Vegans, but I like meat and a healthy diet, regardless of what KIND of diet, be it vegetarian, Vegan or standard is a healthy diet and will work just the same as any other.



But, I do like vegan food.

~Tenth

reply to post by beezzer


I have a relative/had who was vegan all her life. Died at almost 100, her husband same thing. Meditated, prayer, etc.

Do what makes you happy. As long as someone is not hurting someone/thing i.e. children, animals, others.

What's the saying "Eat right, die anyway." It's true.

beezzer
Linked is a report about apparent longevity in people who are vegans.

The huffington post cites another article which goes into a little more depth, but states.

the National Institutes of Health gave Loma Linda a grant to continue the research on Seventh-day Adventists...
Vegetarian Adventist men live to an average of 83.3 years and vegetarian women 85.7 years — 9.5 and 6.1 years, respectively, longer than other Californians

So without going into more detail, its not comparing apples with apples.
Its comparing a specific group of people, with the general population of California.

What really needs to be compared is Adventists vegans with Adventist meateaters.
They may very well do this, but the news article doesnt say what that result is.

reply to post by beezzer


In regards to vegans specifically your premise is predicated on health being the important factor. It's my understanding vegans generally do so for moral reasons. As such, for them their diet is bringing them enjoyment (or what have you).

I myself am a vegetarian on moral grounds. Health is just a bonus. Doing what I personally believe is the right thing to do ethically speaking, brings fulfillment to my short stay on this tiny blue dot.

stumason
reply to post by beezzer

 

It's hardly worth it, is it? And the 8 years extra at the end of life will be just you peeing yourself and going senile anyway.

I'd rather trade in those 8 years and enjoy life a bit

Why not enjoy life, it's not like we get extra points if we live a year longer!

reply to post by beezzer

I have a sister who is Vegan & an awesome cook! She makes a Wild Mushroom dressing
that is to die for...as the whole family (non-vegan) crave all year. I eat steamed or
grilled veggie dishes through the week & allow me self to eat meat on the weekends
when I grill. I grill enough to eat meat on Sat & Sun nights (the healthier cuts not hot dogs
or hamburgers) & also grill extra veggies
so I have those veggies available through out the week.
It's nice to mix it up a we bit & can add those veggies to soups, salads & etc.

Cheers
Ektar

Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by beezzer

 

In regards to vegans specifically your premise is predicated on health being the important factor. It's my understanding vegans generally do so for moral reasons. As such, for them their diet is bringing them enjoyment (or what have you).

I myself am a vegetarian on moral grounds. Health is just a bonus. Doing what I personally believe is the right thing to do ethically speaking, brings fulfillment to my short stay on this tiny blue dot.

edit on 30-11-2013 by Lucid Lunacy because: (no reason given)

And if that's what you want to do, you should do it.

I've relatives who have lived into their far 90's. They smoked, drank, ate meat and enjoyed their lives as well.

To each his/her own.

reply to post by alfa1


I've read other reports where they state that there is no real difference in longevity.

But as some have already stated, it's not so much about healthy choices but based on moral issues.

reply to post by Ektar


I love salads and my veg also. But I am a definitive meat eater!

Here's where the conspiracy sets in. . . . . .

Government(s) are always trying to promote lifestyles by banning salts, soda sizes, trans fats, veg, eggs, whatever the lobbyist of the month is trying to push.


In the end though, as DaphneApollo stated, we still die.

It's not like eating mushrooms or cabbage will grant a person immortality.

I come from a long line of miserable, insufferable alcoholics blessed with long life. I am going to stick to genetics here and stay within our family's chosen parameters.

We all figure it's the alcohol keeping us alive.

Speaking of long life by the way, I hit up an old graveyard (one of my favourite hobbies), in a town of 300 some odd people, and took a gander.

I recommend you do the same.

Interesting findings.

While there was a ton of graves 1855-1860 (child deaths), there were also a ton 1802-1900, 1847-1923, 1804-1891)

Now, these guys lived up in the north, were avid meat eaters, and pissed in pots outside (the same ones they probably used as a still for before the copper wore out.)

Life expectancy in the past was tied to a lot of needless death. In fact, even back in Roman times there were a lot of men living into their 80s. Just so happened they were the richest of men.

In any case, FFT

reply to post by boncho


First off, I think Nigella is HOT!

Second, I smoke, drink, eat red meat, am 50 years old, have more metal in me than Robocop, but I can still keep up with kids half my age.

Moral reasons? Sure. Do what you want to do.

But health reasons? Not so much!

reply to post by beezzer


That is eight more years of torture.

beezzer
Linked is a report about apparent longevity in people who are vegans.

They apparently live @ 8 years longer than those of us who do not practice this dietary protocol.

Now personally, if you could increase a lifespan by 100 years just be changing your diet, I'd say, "Pass the sprouts!"

But 8 years? And that's 8 years max. There's no guarantee that you automatically live that much longer.

There have been a few threads recently on vegan diets, and for those that espouse that sort of thing, yay for you. If that's what you want, then you should do it.

We hear all the time of how bad smoking is for you (and it is)
About how bad drinking is for you (and it is)
About how eating meat, salt, fats, trans fats, sugars blahblahblah is bad for you (and it is)

So we can get another 8 years (maybe) of life?

There's no guarantee in life. Genetics, accidents, where you live all play factors as well.

______________________________________________________________________________

We're only on this little rock for such a short time. Shouldn't we just enjoy (in moderation) all that we can?

I don't endorse bingeing on anything. Binge oreo's and milk could probably kill you.

But live it up! Live your life. Enjoy your life. Worrying about salt content might kill you faster than the actual "salt content"!

(Eating pastrami tonight, had a steak for lunch, am now sipping on a scotch and smoking a cigarette)

My kind of guy/rabbit! WTG undercover Canadian Beezer; that darn scotch and cig will kill just about any bug you got during the day and the pastrami will make you sleep well... what a life huh? As long as sex works life is worth living... unfortunately only a shrinking number of us animals will agree!! Vegan started around the same time the undercover Peta Cows started convincing everyone to eat chicken, no?
When I arrive a deaths door I want it to look like I used my body and totally wore this shell out... I am on track and with luck I will die before I end up in some home for the feeble or go blind due to eyeballs falling out!

Salute great furry one..... raise a shot or bottle and blow a smoke ring to heaven for me.

Forget the extra (potential) 8 years of life, think about the suffering animals go through to provide that meat, think about the harm it does the planet to slash and burn forests to make room for grazing land.

Im a carnivore but I wish I wasnt, no willpower to change.

I have stopped buying leather though, try my best to get free range meat and poultry where possible.

The way we treat animals is disgusting, Im sure its been linked before but this is something people need to see, Its a documentary called Earthlings narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and its easily the most disturbing and upsetting thing Ive ever seen but in the interest of denying ignorance I think everyone should watch it.

Heres the full documentary
WARNING: Do not let children see this



For those who dont have the time or attention span for a 90 min doco check out this video of reactions and responses to it

reply to post by IkNOwSTuff

Heres the full documentary
WARNING: Do not let children see this
…
For those who dont have the time or attention span for a 90 min doco check out this video of reactions and responses to it

Boncho's Reaction:


Is it weird that I was eating pepperoni sticks while watching this?

reply to post by 727Sky


I'm not the type of person content just to live life, I am grabbing it by the testicles and squeezing!

If life was a beach, I'd be Captain Hero and storm Normandy like a madman gulping down handfuls of Viagra!

I'm not taking the beach, I'm taking it, then backing up, and taking it again!