What’s the Secret to Reaching 111? ‘Avoid Dying,’ but ‘Porridge Is Helpful’

LONDON — When Alfred Smith and Bob Weighton were born, Edward VII was king of Britain. They have lived through two world wars, more than 20 prime ministers and the entire rule of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. They also saw Britain join the predecessor of the European Union — a bloc it was supposed to leave on Friday, the day both men turned 111.

By Palko Karasz  30 March 2019

Bob Weighton turned 111 on Friday, the day Britain was supposed to leave the European Union. He called the political deadlock over the process “a total mess.”CreditCreditSteve Parsons/Press Association, via Associated Press

As it became clear that the withdrawal known as Brexit wouldn’t happen on his birthday after all, Mr. Weighton, who lives in southern England, echoed a growing frustration with the current political deadlock, calling it “a total mess.”

“My own feeling is that if there were defects — and there were quite obviously defects — we can negotiate on the inside rather than walking off the field with the cricket ball and saying ‘I’m not playing,’” Mr. Weighton told the BBC.

But the most common question he has been asked does not concern politics. He said most people wanted to know the secret to his longevity — something to which he could not respond.

“I have no answer, except to avoid dying,” he said.

The oldest person on record living in Britain is a woman: Grace Jones turned 112 in September. But men are increasingly living past the age of 90, and more than 14,000 centenarians were living in Britain in 2017, the most recent year such statistics are available, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Government population estimates see the number of centenarians passing 65,000 by 2031.

Most British citizens receive a personal greeting from Queen Elizabeth II on their 100th and 105th birthdays, and one for each year past the age of 110. Mr. Weighton told the BBC that he would ask the monarch to stop sending him cards in order to save public funds.

Mr. Weighton and Mr. Smith, who lives in Scotland, were both born on March 29, 1908. In recent years, their photographs have appeared in the news side by side, sitting in armchairs 500 miles apart. Though they have never met in person, the two men have exchanged birthday cards.

“I feel he’s a twin brother, although technically he’s not,” Mr. Smith said of Mr. Weighton in an interview last year with the Scottish network STV.

Both men have led an adventurous life spanning continents and different jobs. In the 1930s, Mr. Weighton taught at a missionary school in Taiwan, and moved to the United States by way of Canada.

He and his wife, Agnes, were in the United States during the attack on Pearl Harbor that drew the country into World War II. He has a son who married a Swede and a daughter who married a German.

“I flatly refuse to regard my grandchildren as foreigners,” he told The Guardian last year. “I’m an internationalist, but I’ve not lost my pride in being a Yorkshireman or British.”

Mr. Smith immigrated to Canada in 1927 and worked on a farm there. But he returned to Scotland after five years to drive trucks for his brother. He was a farmer until his retirement at the age of 70.

“I like to think I’ve lived a decent life,” he told The Scotsman newspaper this past week. “I do ask myself — why me? Why have I lived so long when others haven’t?” he asked. His wife died more than 15 years ago at 97, and one of his sons died in 2016.

As to longevity, Mr. Smith had no definitive answer, either.

“Porridge is helpful,” he said, “and having a job you enjoy.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/world/europe/uk-britain-oldest-man.html

Porridge may protect against cancer, Harvard study suggests

A large bowl of porridge each day may protect against death from ... Oats have long been considered a super-food, staving off illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. ... Prof Tim Key, Cancer Research UK scientist, University of Oxford ... " This study suggests that a diet high in whole grains could reduce ...



Eating whole grains lowers the risk of death by 22 per cent  CREDIT: ANDREW CROWLEY 

•  Sarah Knapton, science editor 

13 JUNE 2016 • 9:00PM

AA large bowl of porridge each day may protect gainst death from cancer, the biggest ever analysis of the benefits of whole grains has shown.

Oats have long been considered a super-food, staving off illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

But now a major review by Harvard University has found that whole grains also seem to prevent early death and lower the chance of dying from cancer.

If whole grains do reduce the risk of dying from cancer it’s most likely linked to bowel cancer.Prof Tim Key, Cancer Research UK scientist, University of Oxford

A meta-analysis of 12 studies involving nearly 800,000 people found that eating 70 grams of whole grains a day – the equivalent of a large bowl of porridge – lowers the risk of all-cause death by 22 per cent and death from cancer by 20 per cent.

It also reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 20 per cent.

Scientists believe that whole grains help lower cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar, as well as keeping people full for longer, meaning they don't snack on unhealthy foods. The same effect could be gained eating bran, quinoa or a mix of grains.

“Based on the solid evidence from this meta-analysis and numerous previous studies that collectively document beneficial effects of whole grains, I think healthcare providers should unanimously recommend whole grain consumption to the general population as well as to patients with certain diseases to help achieve better health and perhaps reduce death,” said Dr Qi Sun, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.

Whole grains, where the bran and germ remain, contain 25 per cent more protein than refined grains, such as those that make white flour, pasta and white rice.

Previous studies have shown that whole grains can boost bone mineral density, lower blood pressure, promote healthy gut bacteria and reduce the risk of diabetes.

One particular fibre found only in oats – called beta-glucan – has been found to lower cholesterol which can help to protect against heart disease. A bioactive compound called avenanthramide is also thought to stop fat forming in the arteries, preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Quinoa can also lower the risk against early death 

Whole grains are also widely recommended in many dietary guidelines because they contain high levels of nutrients like zinc, copper, manganese, iron and thiamine. They are also believed to boost levels of antioxidants which combat free-radicals which are linked to cancer.

The new research suggests that if more people switched to whole grains, thousands of lives could be saved each year. Cumulatively, cancer kills around 160,000 people a year while coronary heart disease is responsible for around 73,000 deaths in the UK each year.  

Health experts said the study proved that whole grains were essential for good health.

Grains are good for the heart and protect against cancer 

 Prof Tim Key, Cancer Research UK scientist at the University of Oxford, said: “We know that eating fibre, including whole grains, can reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer. 

"This study suggests that a diet high in whole grains could reduce death from cancer, but it’s difficult to tease apart other lifestyle factors that could be playing a role. If whole grains do reduce the risk of dying from cancer it’s most likely linked to bowel cancer. 

“Decades of evidence shows that eating a diet high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in processed and red meat, reduces the risk of developing bowel cancer.”

The researchers recommend that people choose foods that are high in whole grain ingredients—such as bran, oatmeal, and quinoa—that have at least 16 grams per serving, while reducing consumption of unhealthy refined carbohydrates. Each 16 gram serving lowered the risk of total death by seven per cent, and cancer by 5 per cent.

Swapping to wholemeal bread is advised  CREDIT: ALAMY 

Dr Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow said: “The simplest way to increase would be to alter cereal intakes to bran flakes or whole grain cereals – these are excellent ways to start the day but oatmeal would also be fine – and replacing white bread with whole wheat bread is also advisable

 “In general, though, I think many of us need to eat more fibre in one form of the other and this report seems to add more support for this notion.”

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation said: “Eating more whole grains is a simple change we can make to improve our diet and help lower our risk of heart and circulatory disease.

“Choosing brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, wholemeal or granary bread instead of white and swapping to whole grain breakfast cereals like porridge are all simple ways to help us up our fibre and wholegrain intake.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/13/porridge-may-protect-against-cancer-harvard-study-suggests/

Porridge could be key to a long and healthy life, says Harvard University

Eating porridge, brown rice or corn each day could protect the heart against disease, Harvard University has found

Youngsters who eat oats regularly are 50 per cent less likely to be overweight, one study of 10,000 children found Photo: Tim Hill/ Alamy

By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor

4:28PM GMT 05 Jan 2015

A small bowl of porridge each day could be the key to a long and healthy life, after a major study by Harvard University found that whole grains reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.

Although whole grains are widely believed to be beneficial for health it is the first research to look at whether they have a long-term impact on lifespan.

Researchers followed more than 100,000 people for more than 14 years monitoring their diets and health outcomes.

Everyone involved in the study was healthy in 1984 when they enrolled, but when they were followed up in 2010 more than 26,000 had died.

However those who ate the most whole grains, such as porridge, brown rice, corn and quinoa seemed protected from many illnesses and particularly heart disease.

Oats are already the breakfast of choice for many athletes and also for dieters, who find the high fibre levels give them energy for longer.

But scientists found that for each ounce (28g) of whole grains eaten a day – the equivalent of a small bowl of porridge – the risk of all death was reduced by five per cent and heart deaths by 9 per cent.

“These findings further support current dietary guidelines that recommend increasing whole-grain consumption,” said lead author Dr Hongyu Wu of Harvard School of Public Health.

“They also provide promising evidence that suggests a diet enriched with whole grains may confer benefits towards extended life expectancy.”

The findings remained even when allowing for different ages, smoking, body mass index and physical activity.

Whole grains, where the bran and germ remain, contain 25 per cent more protein than refined grains, such as those that make white flour, pasta and white rice.

Previous studies have shown that whole grains can boost bone mineral density, lower blood pressure, promote healthy gut bacteria and reduce the risk of diabetes. One particular fibre found only in oats – called beta-glucan – has been found to lower cholesterol which can help to protect against heart disease. A bioactive compound called avenanthramide is also thought to stop fat forming in the arteries, preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Whole grains are also widely recommended in many dietary guidelines because they contain high levels of nutrients like zinc, copper, manganese, iron and thiamine. They are also believed to boost levels of antioxidants which combat free-radicals.

The new research suggests that if more people switched to whole grains, thousands of lives could be saved each year. Coronary heart disease is Britain’s biggest killer, responsible for around 73,000 deaths in the UK each year. Around 2.3 million people are living with the condition and one in six men and one in 10 women will die from the disease.

Health experts said the study proved that whole grains were beneficial to health

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This is an interesting study and reinforces existing dietary recommendations to eat more foods high in fibre.

“People with a higher intake of whole grains also tended to have a healthier overall lifestyle and diet so it might not be the whole grains alone that are having the benefit in relation to cardiovascular disease.

“But at this time of year when we are all making resolutions to eat better, switching to whole-grain versions of bread, breakfast cereals, pasta and rice is a simple change to make.”

The research is published in the journal JAMA: Internal Medicine.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11325968/Porridge-could-be-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-says-Harvard-University.html