Improving male life expectancy (Ouch!)

[Ad Orientem]

Reuters) - A study of eunuchs in Korea's royal court has found men without testicles live longer.

Researchers looking at the court of the Chosun Dynasty found eunuchs lived to 70 on average, or 14 to 19 years longer than "intact" men of similar socio-economic status.

Three of the 81 eunuchs studied lived to 100 or more, giving the group a centenarian rate some 130 times that in developed nations today.

During the dynasty, which ran from 1392 to 1910, boys in Korea sometimes underwent castration in order to serve as eunuchs and gain access to the privileged life of the palace.

Read the rest here...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/ ... NJ20120924

This should fit in well with the recent thread on circumcision.  :o

[dualstow]

I've seen this on other forums in the past and wondered, how does this jibe with studies that say that married men live longer? Oh well, either way you have to give up your balls.

[Gumby]

As with any study, correlation does not equal causation. Those Eunuchs led a very different life from other individuals. They had greater access to sanitation, medicine and nourishing food than most members of the population. Yes, the study compared data to men of similar socio-economic status, but the study doesn't prove that male hormones contribute to shorter lifespans. Perhaps Eunuch are just less likely to fight in the army.. or catch Syphilis... or have prostate cancer.

It's also worth pointing out that out of the records of 385 Eunuchs, the lifespans of only 81 eunuchs could be identified. For all we know, the 81 Eunuchs who lived the longest were more likely to have their lifespans recorded.

[Ad Orientem]

As with any study, correlation does not equal causation. Those Eunuchs led a very different life from other individuals. They had greater access to sanitation, medicine and nourishing food than most members of the population. Yes, the study compared data to men of similar socio-economic status, but the study doesn't prove that male hormones contribute to shorter lifespans. Perhaps Eunuch are just less likely to fight in the army.. or catch Syphilis... or have prostate cancer.

It's also worth pointing out that out of the records of 385 Eunuchs, the lifespans of only 81 eunuchs could be identified. For all we know, the 81 Eunuchs who lived the longest were more likely to have their lifespans recorded.

So your telling me to stop sharpening it?

[Pointedstick]

Wow, that's a near identical copy of my straight razor.

[MachineGhost]

I've seen this on other forums in the past and wondered, how does this jibe with studies that say that married men live longer? Oh well, either way you have to give up your balls.

Because married men produce more estrogen and less testosterone from sympthetic proximity of living with a woman?  It's so unnatural!

[MachineGhost]

It's also worth pointing out that out of the records of 385 Eunuchs, the lifespans of only 81 eunuchs could be identified. For all we know, the 81 Eunuchs who lived the longest were more likely to have their lifespans recorded.

Its been empirically observed over the centuries that eunuchs > celebates > virgins > sexually active in terms of living longer.  Nature seems to have age onset hormonal drops as part of its plan for producing grandparents.

Given that long-term calorie restriction was recently shown not to work in primates in two separate studies, I think living longer will come down to three things: not heating food past 250F (caged lab animals eat highly heat processed chow), hormone imbalance or mitohormesis imbalance.

I'm really unclear how hormonal replacement therapy is not in contradiction to living longer.  Calorie restriction produces dramatic hormonal drops, often severe enough to kill the libido completely.

My money is currently on mitohormesis because when it is in the Goldilocks Zone, the process produces increased amounts of the body's superpowerful internal antioxidants, SOD and catalase, which exists in high levels in the very longest lived mammals.

[WildAboutHarry]

As with any study, correlation does not equal causation. Those Eunuchs led a very different life from other individuals. They had greater access to sanitation, medicine and nourishing food than most members of the population. Yes, the study compared data to men of similar socio-economic status, but the study doesn't prove that male hormones contribute to shorter lifespans. Perhaps Eunuch are just less likely to fight in the army.. or catch Syphilis... or have prostate cancer.

Exactly.

[Pointedstick]

Given that long-term calorie restriction was recently shown not to work in primates in two separate studies, I think living longer will come down to three things: not heating food past 250F (caged lab animals eat highly heat processed chow)

Just curious; what's the basis for this?

[dualstow]

Probably to kill germs and make it last longer, right?

[WildAboutHarry]

If you are into "cat" videos there is a YouTube series on Henri, the existentialist, French-speaking (with subtitles) cat.  Very funny.

The latest one has Henri discussing politics.

One of his issues is "castration without representation"

[MachineGhost]

If you are into "cat" videos there is a YouTube series on Henri, the existentialist, French-speaking (with subtitles) cat.  Very funny.

The latest one has Henri discussing politics.

One of his issues is "castration without representation"

Funny stuff!  It is here: http://youtu.be/0M7ibPk37_U