Can Bees Lead to a Longer Human Life Span?
Life goes on … and on, and on … for a small, but rapidly-growing number of us. Scientists have yet to discover a genuine fountain of youth. Still, they are learning some important clues while looking in some unlikely places. Our Cover Story is reported now by Barry Petersen:
What’s the secret to living a longer life?
Consider this: Scientists are now researching the way bees think. Yes, the way bees THINK, and altering the lifespan of microscopic worms in search of groundbreaking answers.
“What has happened in the last 20 years is really a dramatic breakthrough in our understanding that lifespan itself is quite changeable,” said Gordon Lithgow, a molecular biologist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Marin County, near San Francisco.
But before we get to the science, some essential life lessons from people who’ve already cruised into old age:
Ellsworth Wareham was born October 3, 1914. (That makes Dr. Wareham 97 years old.) He performed his last operation as a heart surgeon just three years ago. What’s his recipe for longevity?
“I think one of the important things is a plant-based diet, which is another way of saying that you are a vegetarian,” said Dr. Ellsworth.
Becky Beck’s another super-senior. She misses neither a beat nor a stitch. “I am 98 years old and I have been quilting for about 70 years,” she said.
What’s HER secret? “I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink tea,” she said.
And if you want to catch up with 101-year-old Herb Wile, meet him at the gym. “The body is the temple of the Spirit of God, and the scriptures says keep our bodies healthy and well,” Wile said. “If you have a healthy body you generally have a healthy mind and they go well together.