How Bad Would Low Altitude Be For Health?

[Ben]

I consider moving to New York City since it's a big city (I've been bored for years in my small town, sensory deprivation isn't good) and it's not too far from where I live currently. The problem is that the altitude is low there, and I live on a decent altitude at the moment. So how bad would this effect my health? Or how well would moving to a high altitude location like Colorado effect my health? I don't know if NYC should be a last resort, or if it's fine to stay there. There is also the issue that New Yorkers are often said to be uptight and mean, while people in the West are said to be kinder, more laid back. I can see why RP chose Oregon, it has a good culture from what I've heard. So how significant are altitude and personality differences, would it be worth traveling many miles to the west?

 

[paper_clips43]

I am interested in this as well. I remember reading somewhere that Peat says at higher altitudes the thyroid functions better. This may be a safety mechanism that helps to keep our metabolism up when we move to colder environments and have access to less fruit.

Some of the healthiest and longest living people live in Georgia Russia at high elevation and climb mountains to even higher elevation every day.

I always assumed that the healthiest place to live was near the ocean and around lots of fruit. Although maybe that's biased because I enjoy that environment over others. Anyway I am interested to know more about how elevation effects our thyroid and health

 

[Blossom]

My current understanding is that since the body retains CO2 at high altitude we benefit from its protective factors by living in such an environment. It seems that in athletes that train at high altitude the problems with excessive lactic acid production from anaerobic glycolosis just doesn't happen because of the abundance of CO2 enabling proper oxygen utilisation. I'm basing this on my interpretation of Peat's work and I've only been reading on the topic for 6 months. Ideally it seems best to live at a high altitude but a lot more goes into a decisions about where to live. I'm at about 700 ft above sea level so I've been using other measures to increase my CO2. That's always an option. It's ideal but not always practical and luckily you know of the ways to adapt to your environment though Peat's work no matter where you choose to live.

 

[paper_clips43]

Thanks for that info Blossom!

Does he say anything about going up and down elevation every day?

I live at 4500 ft and usually end up driving down to sea level every day.

 

[Blossom]

Thanks for that info Blossom!

Does he say anything about going up and down elevation every day?

I live at 4500 ft and usually end up driving down to sea level every day.

Not that I'm aware of but I will definitely post the answer if I stumble upon it! I would think that you would be adapted to the high altitude even if you spend some time each day at a lower one. It has to be better than low altitude all the time. Maybe someone who communicates with him could ask?

 

[iLoveSugar]

Thanks for that info Blossom!

Does he say anything about going up and down elevation every day?

I live at 4500 ft and usually end up driving down to sea level every day.

Why do you drive down to sea level every day? Work? Or you just choose to to get down from being up so high? Where do you feel better?

 

[Mauritio]

Bump

How was intermittent changes of altidute for you @paper_clips43 ?

 

[not_James_Bond]

I wonder what it would be like living in Death Valley, which is well below sea level. I have been lucky enough to visit here from the UK at Furnace Creek. I just remember it being incredibly hot, like nowhere else actually

 

[rei]

It would be like dying

It's absurd to think that such a large place can exist below sea level. Just imagine one person digging a dike there from the nearest sea, and all of death valley would be under water.

 

[Mauritio]

I wonder what it would be like living in Death Valley, which is well below sea level. I have been lucky enough to visit here from the UK at Furnace Creek. I just remember it being incredibly hot, like nowhere else actually

I Think rp talked about it somewhere that below sea level is is unhealthy.

 

[not_James_Bond]

I Think rp talked about it somewhere that below sea level is is unhealthy.

Yeah, I'm just reminded what a starkly beautiful place it is, that was in my Photography days when I visited most of the NPs in America.

 

[Mauritio]

Yeah, I'm just reminded what a starkly beautiful place it is, that was in my Photography days when I visited most of the NPs in America.

Yeah would be interesting to read about the illness statistics in such a place and compare it to higher places like Colorado.