Coffee’s Surprising Perk
Coffee drinkers expect a quick, short-term boost from their cup of joe, but a new study suggests that drinking coffee may have long-term health benefits as well. Researchers tracked the diets of more than 47,000 female nurses for multiple decades beginning in the early ‘70s. A positive correlation was found between the amount of caffeine the women consumed (typically from coffee) between the ages of 45 and 60 years, and the probability of aging well. Read more in the New York Times.
Read the Script
Become a Citizen Archivist! If you’re of a generation that can read cursive (a vanishing skill as penmanship is no longer taught in many schools), the National Archives Catalog needs your help. Millions of documents written in longhand—ranging from JFK assassination records to case files on UFO sightings—need to be transcribed and tagged. Learn more, and how to get started at the link below.
Maybe, Don’t Come In From the Cold
New research found that cold-water immersion (14°C/57.2°F) has positive effects on cellular repair and resistance. Subjects, exposed for one hour daily, showed an increase in a critical biological protective mechanism after just one week. Read more about the (limited) study, and the link between cold exposure and longevity at SciTechDaily.
Going Deep
The documentary, “The Last of the Sea Women” explores the lives of haenyeos, the mostly older women (typically in their 70s), who sustain the ancient, yet dying, practice of gathering seafood from the reefs and sea floor surrounding their home off the coast of South Korea. They make between 100 and 300 dives per day, often in cold and challenging conditions. While the work is tough, the women are well respected and admired, and enjoy a position of distinction in local society—an anomaly in our #ageist world. Streaming on Apple TV+.
Nature vs Nurture
A healthy lifestyle can take you only so far. Research shows that eating right, exercising often, and otherwise adopting healthy habits can extend the lifespan—to about 80, or even 90 years of age. After that, genetics are likely the most significant factor. Do you have any centenarians in your family? Read the NYT article to find out more about longevity influences.
Debbie Harry: Still a Badass Rock and Roller
Blondie frontperson Debbie Harry, the iconic rock and roller of the 1970s and 80s (and beyond) doesn’t seem too different these days from the person she was back then: bold, brash, and full of vitality. She is currently the focus of Gucci’s Cruise 2025 collection, which was shot by photographer Nan Goldin for the We Will Always Have London campaign. To catch up on more of what she’s up to, follow the link below to The Times.
The Vitalizing Effects of Volunteering
In addition to serving your community, new research found that volunteering can serve you, as well! Even giving your time for just one hour a week can contribute to a longer, healthier life. Experts noted that volunteering supports physical, social, and psychological benefits, resulting in a positive impact on biological aging. Follow the link below to Health.com to read more about the benefits of helping others.
The Science and Impact of Aging Ovaries
Join the Buck Institute–in person or via Zoom–on February 5th as Dr. Jennifer Garrison, PhD delves into the how and why of human ovaries, which age faster than other organs in women’s bodies and are key to lifelong health. Follow the link below to register for the event at the Buck Institute.
Can Driving a Taxi Tax Your Brain?
In a word: Yes! It turns out driving a taxi can tax your brain—but in a good way. Recent research found that U.S. taxi (and ambulance) drivers had the lowest incidence of death due to Alzheimer’s disease among the more than 400 occupations included in the study. Researchers attributed this to drivers’ use of complex cognitive skills to navigate trips (most participants worked prior to today’s ubiquitous reliance on GPS). Whether solving spatial challenges, or engaging in other decision-based activities such as chess, stimulating your brain can be key to brain health.
Follow the link below to The Wall Street Journal to learn more.
Older Actors and Creators Win Big at Golden Globes
More than a third of the awards given out at the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5, went to individuals over the age of 50.
The oldest to bring home an award: Jean Smart, 73, known as the sassy and savvy Deborah Vance in Hacks, won for Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy.
Demi Moore, 62, who spoke of the double challenge of aging as female, won for Best Actress, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, for her role in The Substance. In her acceptance speech, Moore talked of having been “doing this” for more than 45 years without winning anything. She also talked about a producer telling her 30 years ago that she was “a popcorn actress,” a comment that she says corroded her over time, leading to a crisis in confidence that nearly convinced her to put herself out to pasture a few years ago. Until a certain script found her. Follow the link below to hear her acceptance speech.
Centenarian In Chief
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th, was 100 years old–a milestone age not achieved by just anyone. To look at the lynchpins of his long and active life, Fortune spotlights Carter’s three strategies for longevity. Read on to see how fitness, love, and community factored in.
Brain Health: The Benefits of Learning How to Play Music
For many kids, learning how to play an instrument is a key part of their formative years. Not only does it help with brain development, it also helps elevate moods and reduce stress. For older adults who pick up an instrument, the list of benefits expands, including the possibility of reduced risk of dementia. Read more at The Atlantic.
Can Do at 102
We recently had the privilege of visiting Rancho La Puerta in Baja California, MX, and attended a Q&A with its 102-year-old founder, Deborah Szekely. What an amazing life she’s led, from founding the wellness retreat and spa in 1940, to establishing San Diego’s New Americans Museum and Immigration Learning Center at age 80. Her advice for staying healthy and engaged? Maintain an active social network, be positive, and just move (she still walks one mile every day)! Read more about Deborah’s remarkable story in this Fortune interview.
The Dick Van Dyke Show Lives On
To honor Dick Van Dyke’s 99th birthday, Coldplay’s Chris Martin invited the actor and comedian to join him in recording a music video of the band’s song, “All My Love.” In the 7-minute version, Van Dyke sings, dances, and shares poignant memories of his decades-long career. Happy Birthday Mr. Van Dyke, and congratulations on this cool, co-generational collaboration!
Follow the link below to watch.
The Long and Winding Road
Might we take a different route if we knew we’d live to be 100? According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half a million Americans are expected to live to at least 100 years of age by 2050—that’s quadruple the current number of centenarians. Laura Carstensen, founder of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, suggests we need to rethink our traditional pathways to optimize this new-found longevity. For example, she suggests making childhood longer, or working less while rearing children and more later in life instead of retiring. Read on for more innovative ideas.
Pragmatism + Optimism = 102 and Still Going Strong
Meet Hilda Jaffe, 102, who defies age and is the veritable embodiment of a ‘superager.’ As the Washington Post reports, at age 88, Jaffe decided to turn the page and start a new chapter, selling her home in New Jersey and moving to Manhattan, taking up residence in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. More than a decade later, she is still actively enjoying the easy walks to grocery stores, seeing opera, and living independently in the city that never sleeps. According to Sofiya Milman, director of human longevity studies at the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, superagers typically have a very positive outlook on life, with built-in resilience. Read on to learn more about Jaffe’s approach to life and what studies of other superagers reveal.
A More Resilient Brain and the Science of Longevity
It’s not too late to register for the Buck Institute’s December 11th Seminar on Aging. Tickets are still available for joining via Zoom. And, while you’re at their site, you can also get a leg up on January’s seminar.
First up, this Wednesday, Tara Tracy, PhD, will be highlighting how clearing a toxic protein in the brain can help promote the resilience of synapses, which send information between neurons. Already successful with restoring memory in mice, her focus offers great promise.
Kicking off the new year, Eric Verdin, MD, will lead a talk centered around the evolving science of longevity, parsing out what is fact versus fiction. That seminar will take place January 8, 2025.
Inside Ted Danson’s New Netflix Series
Cheers to Danson & Co. for creating a show that doesn't shy away from the topic of aging. “A Man on the Inside” is a comedy, but one that also highlights some weighty themes, including the fact that life doesn’t stop just because you get older. Streaming now.
What We’re Reading this Week: “The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond”
Author Debra Whitman, an economist and aging expert, offers a roadmap for living a healthier and more meaningful second half of life. Two key insights:
Mind Over Matter – Yes, healthy habits are critical to longevity, but mindset has a significant impact as well. Researchers found that those with positive attitudes of aging can live more than seven years longer than cohorts with negative outlooks.
Older Workers Are a Force – More older Americans are working than ever before, and contrary to what many believe, studies show they are a benefit to the economy and to their employers, activating both productivity and innovation.
The Keys to Aging Well? Self Care and Attitude
In a recent survey by the New York Times, more than 3,100 participants shared how their form of self care has evolved as they’ve aged. Focusing on six older Americans and their lifestyles, the Times delves into how aging impacts individual views on aging and staying vibrant.