Zero-carbers accelerated aging

[TylerDurden]

One myth that seems to crop up frequently is the claim that the Eskimos had shortened lifespans due to accelerated aging. Ray Peat, that dodgy guru, has made claims that this is all due to them eating too many PUFAs , with others claiming that diets very high in meats , raw or cooked, cause accelerated aging .Comments appreciated.

[invisible]

I think the only source for this myth is that last paragraph in the Steffanson "adventures in diet". Im yet to see any other source. Although Steffanson did say that some eskimo tribes did leave to over 90 years in other writings if I recall correctly. Maybe Steffanson was pressured into closing with something negative about the diet, as he had spent the entire writing talking about the benefits of zero carb and complete freedom from disease and then closes saying that there while you can live off meat "there is no reason why you would want to". It seemed a strange way to finish to me.

From the few pictures of traditional inuit they certainly don't look to have "accelerated aging".

If you consider this - regardless of what the actual lifespan of the eksimo was on zero carb diet, adding carbohydrates to their diet has without questions shortened their lifespan. From a scientific standpoint raw animal fat is the least aging food one can eat.

[Raw Kyle]

I would think Inuit would be a poor test group because their environment is one of, if the the, harshest any humans live in on earth. There is no control for that, no way to say "their accelerated aging (if it does exist) is due to diet and not due to harsh environment."

[lex_rooker]

After spending much time taking care of aging parents and friends I've come to believe that, for me, it's quality of life that is important, not duration.  I'd much rather die at 60 where I was physically and mentally able to do the things I want to do, rather than live to 90, bed ridden and suffering with dementia. 

I've been intimately involved with both these scenarios.  My mother died suddenly from a massive brain hemorage at age 51 and my father died suddenly from a blood clot at age 79.  Both were extremely active up to the hour that they died.

On the other hand, I had a dear friend whom I took care of for 20 years.  She suffered from dementia and was confined to a wheel chair or bed for over 15 years.  She often didn't recognize anyone, couldn't even follow an I LOVE LUCY episode on the TV and was constantly terrified because she couldn't recgonize her surroundings. It was really terrible.

My guess is that for the most part our paleo ancestors didn't live long lives, probably due to the harsh environment more than anything else, but there is no question that they had to be fully active to the very end, as there were no convalescent hospitals to take care of the sick and aging.  Few animals in the wild live their maximum lifespan for the same reasons.  I believe that length of life is probably not the best indicator of the appropriatness of our diet.  It is far more important for the diet to support robust activity through the child bearing years. Anything after that is wasteful from an evolutionary standpoint.

For me, quanity of life without quality of life is of little value.  It is OK if I die an hour from now becuase at this very moment I'm able to whatever I want.

Lex

[Raw Kyle]

I agree Lex. But when I read the term "accelerated aging" I think of both nearing death and also degeneration, loss of both quantity and quality of life.

[invisible]

I agree Lex. But when I read the term "accelerated aging" I think of both nearing death and also degeneration, loss of both quantity and quality of life.

True, since aging is the one true disease, all degenerative diseases are symptons of accelerated aging. It's impossible to be free from degenerative disease on a zero carb diet but suffer accelerated aging since aging biomarkers in the body such as insulin levels, blood sugar levels, leptin levels are also very responsible for degenerative disease. A zero carb diet typically lowers all aging biomakers.

[William]

One myth that seems to crop up frequently is the claim that the Eskimos had shortened lifespans due to accelerated aging.

The only Eskimos on record were necessarily post-contact, and they very quickly learned our bad habits, so we don't know how long they lived pre-contact.
One thing that could have caused aging was the polluted air in their igloos. (igloo mean dwelling place - snow house is a different word). This is from lighting with seal oil lamps, so that the inside walls were black. Their lungs would also have been black.

I don't think our paleo ancestors had hard lives, does not show on their bones.

[TylerDurden]

I would think Inuit would be a poor test group because their environment is one of, if the the, harshest any humans live in on earth. There is no control for that, no way to say "their accelerated aging (if it does exist) is due to diet and not due to harsh environment."

That's one of the arguments I used to counter the accelerated aging claim on the other forum. Also, the accelerated aging/meat link was derived from the rate of living theory which is now largely disproved(the theory that the faster the metabolism the faster you age).