How Do People Survive Being Malnourished?

[paka]

This person, Hiroo Onoda (WW2 soldier), apparently lived off of nothing but bananas and coconuts for 29 years.

WWII Japanese Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for 29 Years

he lived to the old age of 92, then died of heart failure.

Just an example.

 

[InChristAlone]

This person, Hiroo Onoda (WW2 soldier), apparently lived off of nothing but bananas and coconuts for 29 years.

WWII Japanese Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for 29 Years

he lived to the old age of 92, then died of heart failure.

Just an example.

He had a purpose! He felt he was doing his job. And living out in the jungle I imagine is the best place to live in the wilderness. Tropical fruit and sun.

 

[ATP]

I have pondered that very question as my grandmother is 90 years old and she has always eaten barely any food. She is so frugal she only eats cheap, processed discounted food, which is usually out of date. Absolutely nothing wrong with her. She never goes outside in the sun or gets any fresh air. Hardly ever socializes and completely lacks empathy.

So here we have someone who is malnourished, never gets any sun, has no environmental stimulation and barely has any human interaction and is the healthiest old person I know. I doubt anyone can explain this....

 

[Atman]

I have pondered that very question as my grandmother is 90 years old and she has always eaten barely any food. She is so frugal she only eats cheap, processed discounted food, which is usually out of date. Absolutely nothing wrong with her. She never goes outside in the sun or gets any fresh air. Hardly ever socializes and completely lacks empathy.

So here we have someone who is malnourished, never gets any sun, has no environmental stimulation and barely has any human interaction and is the healthiest old person I know. I doubt anyone can explain this....

I just can't imagine a misanthropic grandma, sounds like a very peculiar person.

Was her character/lifestyle always like that or did it come to this more recently?

Does she appear happy and self-sufficient?

 

[shepherdgirl]

she has always eaten barely any food.

Just a guess...

Calorie-restricted animals (on a diet of normal composition) have a lower degree of fat unsaturation in their mitochondria as they age, preserving the relatively more saturated fats of youth.

-RP, from
"Unsaturated fatty acids: Nutritionally essential, or toxic?"

 

[ATP]

I just can't imagine a misanthropic grandma, sounds like a very peculiar person.

Was her character/lifestyle always like that or did it come to this more recently?

Does she appear happy and self-sufficient?

Without going into exact details of her life, she is a very bitter, nasty person who was an orphan as a child. As far as I can remember she has always been like that. Why this is relevant is because the most common thing I hear when it comes to health, especially on this forum is how without having a quality life such as good relationships, purpose, positive experiences, environmental stimulus, etc food can't really do much especially when malnourished.

 

[ATP]

Just a guess...
-RP, from
"Unsaturated fatty acids: Nutritionally essential, or toxic?"

I can assure you that if you read that whole article he wasn't implying caloric restriction should be practiced just that by restricting calories as a whole that certain bad elements are restricted as a consequence. Such as Pufas and certain amino acids. Caloric restrictions also increases stress hormones and free fatty acids.

 

[Mito]

I can assure you that if you read that whole article he wasn't implying caloric restriction should be practiced just that by restricting calories as a whole that certain bad elements are restricted as a consequence. Such as Pufas and certain amino acids. Caloric restrictions also increases stress hormones and free fatty acids.

But if she doesn't eat a lot, she probably has very low fat stores so relatively low free fatty acids (and maybe low PUFA's in the free fatty acids) even with stress hormones.

 

[ATP]

But if she doesn't eat a lot, she probably has very low fat stores so relatively low free fatty acids (and maybe low PUFA's in the free fatty acids) even with stress hormones.

Yeah you're probably correct but what about the complete lack of micro nutrients, along with all the other things I mentioned? How is that conducive to longevity?

 

[Mito]

Yeah you're probably correct but what about the complete lack of micro nutrients, along with all the other things I mentioned? How is that conducive to longevity?

I'm not sure. Maybe the lack of micro nutrients is what is contributing to her bitter mental state (and/or other health problems that you don't know about?) rather than the typical degenerative diseases that kill you like cancer, CVD, and autoimmune. Could be luck more than anything? But it would be interesting to know her 23andme single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Maybe she has fewer of the SNP's that can slow down (without compensatory micronutrients) the energy metabolism and/or antioxidant defense systems.

 

[Dessert_All_Day]

I have pondered that very question as my grandmother is 90 years old and she has always eaten barely any food. She is so frugal she only eats cheap, processed discounted food, which is usually out of date. Absolutely nothing wrong with her. She never goes outside in the sun or gets any fresh air. Hardly ever socializes and completely lacks empathy.

So here we have someone who is malnourished, never gets any sun, has no environmental stimulation and barely has any human interaction and is the healthiest old person I know. I doubt anyone can explain this....

Sounds like your grandmother simply DGAF

But hey, that's a surefire way to reduce stress!

 

[Vinny]

This person, Hiroo Onoda (WW2 soldier), apparently lived off of nothing but bananas and coconuts for 29 years.

WWII Japanese Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for 29 Years

he lived to the old age of 92, then died of heart failure.

Just an example.

A friend`s grandmother is now 95 yo. Russian.
She`s a Second World War survivor. Never had any health issues.
Had been married 3 times, outlived all of them.
Recently, she got blind. That was the only reason they took her and she`s very unhappy that someone has to take care about her. She tried to stay in her flat, but one day she climbed shelves to take something (being already with severely impaired vision) the construction dis attached from the wall and smashed her.
She got away with a broken hand only (which healed completely and very soon) and some bruises. That is why she moved to live with her daughter.
She never followed a specific diet. Not sure about her teeth, but no big issues I think (or any at all).
She eats about everything, loves white bread and raw whole cow`s milk/cream (VERY fatty). Regular bowel movements. No pains whatsoever.
Mentally she`s absolutely fine, except, she sees sometimes pictures from the other world (yes, folks, we continue....) I guess, that her age and blindness contribute that she`s a bit there, and some windows open accidentally...
She gave birth very healthy people too.

So, IMO, the answer is in the nervous system.
If it stayed intact till certain moment, then you are Terminator for life. If not, then you become like ... us.
My 2 pesos