Longevity has been used as a health indicator. Diet is probably important for optimal health. Since we are consuming the healthiest diet there is we would expect rawfooders to outgrow people on the SAD diet. The question then becomes: How many really old rawfooders do you know? I talked to Fred Bisci at the recent Vibrant Living Expo. He is 78. That is respectable, but there are many SAD people in their 90s or 100s. If we are so healthy shouldn’t we expect to be 120?

As a mathematician I say that there does not exist any statistical analysis to support or reject any claim about the % of longevity amongst rawfoodists. Moreover, the population size is incredibly small. How many rawfoodists do we know that have been all-raw all their lifes? Another question is, do we think that we increase or decrease our longevity by going raw? The evidence (countless healing stories) of people getting healthier on raw seems to support the first alternative as the answer to this question. I look at myself in the mirror and have no doubts about my better chances of survival on raw. I have observed myself aging on cooked and rejuvenating on raw.


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This is an interesting question. I think there are a number of factors that account for longevity, and diet is only part of the equation. Taoists (who have an amazing and impressive track record for longevity) avoid grains and gravitate toward raw food and fasting, and they even go for long periods with little or no food at all. But I think the equally distinguishing factor here is that they do qigong and meditation practices that help them to live more and more off prana or qi. Also they stay active and strive for a very balanced, calm, virtuous sort of lifestyle, free of striving and cravings.

Sharrhan:


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I was thinking about those same things. Of course, the diet is only one factor to consider here, I'm glad you mentioned it, kwan.


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-Additionally, it is only now that large numbers of people are flowering in consciousness. Prior to that....it was just a few rare and radiant blooms.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Several factors determine longevity. John Robbins tries to give an account of these factors in the book “healthy at 100”. Excellent read! Again, according to 40 y rawfooder Fred Bisci, one becomes more sensitive on a rawfood diet. At the same time our exposure to environmental toxins continues to increase. New chemicals, electrosmog and micowaves are poured into public spaces every day. If you belong to those that take part in “normal” life you will be exposed to tons of harmful stuff all the time. I am wondering whether our increased sensitivity could put us at increased risk. Also rawfooders often eat by themselves because they are so special (orthorexic, makes other people less comfortable). The traditional family/friends dinner may add social qualities (=healthy interaction) that are less frequently experienced on a rawfood regime. Although rawfoods make sense biologically in many locations it sure does not make sense socially. Maybe these factors cancel each other out?

Normonkey

Someone born 90 to 100 years ago will have factors in the environment that they were raised in that would help their health as compared to people born 20 years ago. First of all, all food was organic (no pesticides or chemical fertilizers) before 1945. This means a 90 year old could have eaten non sprayed foods for the first 30 to 40 years of their life. Also back then, more babies where breast fed, as compared to the high occurence of formula usage today. This means that the immune system of those babies were stronger than a baby born 20 years ago that was raised on formula (which is dead and pasteurized).

The degenerative diseases that used to only occur in the very old (cancer, heart disease, etc) are very common place now and occur in children. This was not the case 100 years ago.

great point bryan!
patty

Remember the quality of life can be just as important. Why take chances, so I take the healthier route.

davidzanemason Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> -Additionally, it is only now that large numbers
> of people are flowering in consciousness. Prior to
> that....it was just a few rare and radiant blooms.



Not sure what you mean, but I think you're saying that this is a factor in length of life.

I agree, there are so many reasons we live or don't, and they're reflected by physical and material factors, but not necessarily determined by them.

That's correct Aquadecoco. I'm saying that eating well is a tool/function/result of more consciousness.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I think that food can make a difference.

Mice live longer on diets low in glycotoxins (toxins created from cooking food).

They'd live even longer if they got lots of cuddles, too. I read on one listserv that a researcher was complaining because one of his female grad students played with the control group mice and the "experiment" was ruined because they lived longer.

Cai W, He JC, Zhu L, Chen X, Wallenstein S, Striker GE, Vlassara H.
Reduced oxidant stress and extended lifespan in mice exposed to a low glycotoxin diet: association with increased AGER1 expression.
Am J Pathol. 2007 Jun;170(6):1893-902.
PMID: 17525257 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Cai W, He JC, Zhu L, Chen X, Wallenstein S, Striker GE, Vlassara H.
Reduced Oxidant Stress and Extended Lifespan in Mice Exposed to a Low Glycotoxin Diet. Association with Increased AGER1 Expression.
Am J Pathol. 2007 Apr 19; [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 17446314 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Thanks arugula,

I am a scientist, and I just love it when someone can back up their ideas with some references. Although we as rawdooders know instinctively that our path is the optimal in terms of nutrition there is still a lot left to document!

Having been raw in Norway for some years, I feel that the stress of being a rawooder is greater the farther you move away from the equator. Honestly, I dont think I could afford having 4-5 active teenage sons eating organic 811rv all year round in Norway. Luckily, I dont have this problem, but official guidelines have to take a bit of realism into account.

Normonkey where in Norway are you? (if you don't mind saying)

I have relatives there and they tell me the quality of food is better regulated than in Canada (and the US). They don't feel the need to buy organic.

What do you think?

Brian, you make me wish I was born 150-200 years ago. I love purity & simple things. I would love to have my own garden, drink pure water from brooks, ride a beautiful horse, breathing clean air, peaceful & quiet, no planes, traffic or cars... sigh! Before my kids were born, I made my new husband take me to Oregon & Montana. I wanted to be live self reliant. We lived in a log home with a well, and lived semi-independantly, cutting our own wood, and had a midwife deliver both of our children, home schooled.... it was nice, but just too darn cold for a Cali girl, and really, there is no pure place on earth anymore. I'm glad my kids had a chance to live the wholesome country life, before moving back to exciting, tho poluted, California.

... I still would have wore make-up 150-200 years ago, like Cleopatra, using herbs & natural makeups.

But, did people really live longer back then?....

Rawrrr

The grass is always greener .....

If you had been around 150 years ago you could have got caught up in the American civil war. You homestead may have been destroyed and you horse confiscated. You and your family may even have been killed.

Be glad your alive today!!

New_raw, yep, they had to be tough back then...and no emergency care, ect...