Another Study Links Shorter People To Longer Lifespan

[haidut]

I posted about a similar study before but it was just a correlation analysis. This study seems to go a step "further" and claim that this is related to genetic makeup and the (in)famous FOXO3 gene. I think Peat wrote that the lifespan benefits are likely due to the higher (on average) brain/body mass ratio in shorter people. He also wrote that shorter people have lower incidence of cancer and diabetes, which this study seems to agree with.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 110756.htm

"...Shorter men are also more likely to have lower blood insulin levels and less cancer."

 

[jyb]

Doesn't high calcium during childhood makes people grow taller? I often hear that. It would go a bit against the taller & shorter lifespan conclusion, as those kids fed dairy would be expected to have higher metabolism and thus longer lifespan.

 

[j.]

Doesn't high calcium during childhood makes people grow taller? I often hear that. It would go a bit against the taller & shorter lifespan conclusion, as those kids fed dairy would be expected to have higher metabolism and thus longer lifespan.

But maybe they also have higher nutritional requirements. They would be better than the short people if both have optimal diets, but the low nutrient density of foods harms them. Just a thought.

 

[Ben]

I wonder if RP's suggestions make kids grow taller or shorter. It reduces estrogen, which keeps the growth plates open for longer, and typically increases testosterone, which increases growth. However, the minimization of growth hormone would result in a shorter person. People who have a genetic problem with storage and usage of bodyfat are very tall and skinny, and eat a lot of food, because their growth hormone remains high. Normally when lipolysis is needed in its absence, growth hormone increases, and the resulting elevated fatty acid concentration in the bloodstream then suppress growth hormone.