Abstract
The population is aging and the fastest growing group of older adults in the United States and the world are centenarians. This chapter reviews studies of centenarians in many regions of the world to find commonalities among this category of exceptionally long-lived individuals. Centenarians share many intersectional lifestyle characteristics that may contribute to their longevity. While it is difficult to prove causality for each lifestyle factor’s influence on centenarians’ extremely long life, many of the behaviors and social-environmental health determinants of centenarians can stand on their own as evidence-based complementary and alternative lifestyle practices. A growing body of evidence is showing that many of the same health behaviors of centenarians reduce the stress response, decrease incidence of chronic disease and contribute to longevity. Health care professionals can learn about the aging process and lifestyle factors that may contribute to longevity by studying centenarians.
The ideas contained in this article are for informational purpose only and not a substitute for consulting with your physician or other healthcare professionals and obtaining medical supervision as to any activity, procedure, or suggestions that might affect your health.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Almenas-Velasco A, Ortiz-Marín J. Submitted to the 20th IAGG International Congress 2013.
Andersen SL, Sun JX, Sebastiani P, Huntly J, Gass JD, et al. Personality factors in the long life family study. J Gerontol. 2013;68(5):739–49. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbs117.
Baek Y, Martin P, Siegler I, Davey A, Poon L. Personality traits and successful aging: findings from the Georgia centenarian study. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2016;83(3):207–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415016652404.
Benedict M, Heller L. The enduring elements of traditional chinese medicine. Total Health. 1999;21:54–7. Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/210224097?accountid=14749
Butcher L. Social determinants of health: stretching health care’s job description. Manag Care. 2018. Retrieved from https://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/2018/4/social-determinants-health-stretching-health-care-s-job-description
Chodzko-Zajko WJ. Exercise and physical activity for older adults. Kinesiol Rev. 2014;3(1):101.
De Mol van Otterloo N, Yun J, Arora A, Nair MD. Healing power of the environment: traditional dimensions. Int Res J Environ Sci. 2018;7(9):39–47. ISSN 2319-1414.
Deveza ACRS. Ayurveda – the classical indian medicine. J Med. 2013;92(3):156.
Dugarova E. Ageing, older persons and the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. New York: United Nations Development Programme; 2017. Retrieved from https://www-un-org.libproxy2.usc.edu/development/desa/ageing/news/2017/07/ageing-older-persons-and-the-2030-agenda-for-sustainable-development/
Fair CE, Delaplane E. “It is good to spend time with older adults. You can teach them, they can teach you”: second grade students reflect on intergenerational service learning. Early Childhood Educ J. 2015;43(1):19–26.
Frates B, Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: lessons from the world’s longest lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;10(5):318–21.
Freeman S, Garcia J, Marston HR. Centenarian self-perceptions of factors responsible for attainment of extended health and longevity. Educ Gerontol. 2013;39(10):717–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2012.750981.
Garcia H, Miralles F. Ikigai: the Japanese secret to a long and happy life. New York: Penguin Books; 2017.
Gu D, Feng Q. Psychological resilience of Chinese centenarians and its associations with survival and health: a fuzzy set analysis. J Gerontol. 2018;73(5):880–9.
Hutnik N, Smith P, Koch T. What does it feel like to be 100? Socio-emotional aspects of well-being in the stories of 16 Centenarians living in the United Kingdom. Aging Ment Health. 2012;16(7):811–8.
Jenkins JA. CEO, AARP. “Real possibilities: where we stand” June 2017. AARP Bulletin. p. 38.
Jopp D, Park M, Lehrfeld J, Paggi M, Jopp D. Physical, cognitive, social and mental health in near-centenarians and centenarians living in New York City: findings from the Fordham centenarian study. BMC Geriatr. 2016;16:1.
Kato K, Zweig R, Schechter CB, Barzilai N, Atzmon G. Positive attitude toward life, emotional expression, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms among centenarians and near-centenarians. Aging Ment Health. 2016;20(9):930–9.
Keniger LE, Gaston KJ, Irvine KN, Fuller RA. What are the benefits of interacting with nature? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013;10(3):913–35.
Kenney LW, Chiu L, Percy. Influence of age on thirst and fluid intake. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33(9):1524–32.
Lavretsky H. Complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine use is rising among aging baby boomers. Am J Geriatr Psychiatr. 2017;25(12):1402–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2017.08.004.
Li Y, Bai Y, Tao Q, Zeng H, Han L, Luo M, … Zhao Y. Lifestyle of Chinese centenarians and their key beneficial factors in Chongqing, China. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2014;23(2):309–14. https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.2014.23.2.05
Lorenzo-López L, Maseda A, de Labra C, Regueiro-Folgueira L, Rodríguez-Villamil J, Millán-Calenti J. Nutritional determinants of frailty in older adults: a systematic review. BMC Geriatr. 2017;17(1):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-017-0496-2.
Mackowicz J, Wnek-Gozdek J. The process of (non) ageing in the perception of Polish centenarians. Educ Gerontol. 2017;43(2):101–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2016.1263926.
Martin P, Rosa G, Siegler I, Davey A, MacDonald M, Poon L. Personality and longevity: findings from the Georgia centenarian study. Age. 2006;28(4):343–352.
Mattoo SK, Punia V, Malik L, Khurana H. Spirituality and aging. In: Prasad B, Akbar S, editors. Handbook of research on geriatric health, treatment, and care. Hershey: IGI Global; 2018. p. 17–47. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-3480-8.ch002.
Myles A. 13 Life changing quotes from Tao Porchon-Lynch, 96 year old yoga teacher. Elephant J. 2015. [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/02/13-life-changing-quotes-from-tao-porchon-lynch-96-year-old-yoga-teacher/
Nair M. Centenarians in India: secrets to long life. In: Grobman L, Bourassa D, editors. Chapter in days in the lives of gerontology. Harrisburg: White Hat Communications; 2007. p. 281–7.
Nair M. Field studies on centenarian experiences in South Asia. Asian J Gerontol Geriatr. 2012;7:64.
Nair M. Los Angeles times festival of books invited Murali Nair as a panel member for a presentation on April 23, 2017 on “Living long or living well: can we do both?” 2017.
Nair M. Life style factors of centenarians: mindful activities at the international conference of mindfulness (ICM), July, Amsterdam. 2018a.
Nair M. Invited address at the 2018 UCLA conference on the healing power of sound, April 7–8, Los Angeles, Topic: Centenarians utilization of the healing power of sound. 2018b.
Nair M. Key note address at the Sarnath symposium on aging, hosted by Los Angeles Jewish Home. October 16, 2018. Los Angeles. Topic: Mindfulness and Heart fullness factors for healthy longevity. 2018c.
Nair M. Mini documentaries on the “Life style factors of healthy centenarians – field studies in Costa Rica, China, India, Sri Lanka, Hawaii”. 2020. www.muralinair.com
Nair M, Sudan N. Traditional medicine. In: Cousins LH, Golson JG, editors. Encyclopedia of human services and diversity. Thousand Oaks: SAGE; 2014.
Nair M, Pesek T, Reminick R. Secrets of long life: cross-cultural explorations in sustainably enhancing and promoting longevity via elders’ practice wisdom. Explore. 2010;6(6):352–8.
Nyahunda L, Tirivangasi HM, Makhubele JC. Impact of traditional food and medicine on healthy aging and high life expectancy: implications for practice. Afr J Phys Activ Health Sci (AJPHES). 2017;23(3):431–43.
Oberg E, Thomas M, Mccarty M, Berg J, Burlingham B, Bradley R. Older adults’ perspectives on naturopathic medicine’s impact on healthy aging. Explore. 2014;10(1):34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2013.10.003.
Panda S. The circadian code: lose weight, supercharge your energy, and transform your health from morning to midnight. New York: Penguin Random House; 2018.
Pinker S. The secret to living longer may be your social life [Video file]. 2017. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_pinker_the_secret_to_living_longer_may_be_your_socal_life/details
Polidori M, et al. (2007). Different antioxidant profiles in Italian centenarians: the Sardinian peculiarity. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61(7):922–924.
Rizzuto D, Fratiglioni L. Lifestyle factors related to mortality and survival: a mini-review. Gerontology. 2014;60(4):327–35. https://doi.org/10.1159/000356771.
Robine J, Cubaynes S. Worldwide demography of centenarians. J Mechanisms Ageing Dev. 2017;165(Pt B):59–67.
Rowe J, Kahn R. Human aging: usual and successful. (Physiological changes associated with aging). Science. 1987;237:143–7.
Salk Institute. Panda Lab. 2019. Retrieved from https://panda.salk.edu/
Samuelsson SM, Alfredson BB, Hagberg B, Samuelsson G, Nordbeck B, Brun A, … Risberg J. The Swedish Centenarian Study: a multidisciplinary study of five consecutive cohorts at the age of 100. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 1997;45:223–253.
Scelzo A, Di Somma S, Antonini P, Montross L, Schork N, Brenner D, Jeste D. Mixed-methods quantitative–qualitative study of 29 nonagenarians and centenarians in rural Southern Italy: focus on positive psychological traits. Int Psychogeriatr. 2018;30(1):31–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610217002721.
Teater B. Intergenerational programs to promote active aging: the experiences and perspectives of older adults. Act Adapt Aging. 2016;40(1):1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/01924788.2016.1127041.
Toye F, Jenkins C, Barker K. The experience of living to an extreme age: a meta-ethnography. Qual Health Res. 2020;30(1):3–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732319880537.
Troutman-Jordan M, Staples J. Successful aging from the viewpoint of older adults. Res Theory Nurs Pract. 2014;28(1):87–104. https://doi.org/10.1891/1541-6577.28.1.87.
U.S. Census Bureau Projections. Living longer: historical and projected gains life expectancy, 1960–2060 by Medina L, Sabo S, Vespa J. 2019. https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/2019/demo/paa19_medina_sabo.html
WHO. What is health promotion? 2016. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/features/qa/health-promotion/en/
WHO Working Group Meeting on developing Standardized Terminologies in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Mena Report, 2019. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.libproxy1.usc.edu/apps/doc/A607602065/AONE?u=usocal_main&sid=AONE&xid=6d73113e
Windsor TD, Curtis RG, Luszcz MA. Sense of purpose as a psychological resource for aging well. Dev Psychol. 2015;51(7):975–86. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000023.
Zhao Y, Fu H, Guo A, Qiu L, Cheung K, Wu B, et al. A comparison of perceived uselessness between centenarians and non-centenarians in China. BMC Geriatr. 2018;18(1):251.
Zones B. 2019. [Website] Retrieved from https://www.bluezones.com/exploration/sardinia-italy/
Informative Websites Pertinent to Centenarians
The Okinawa Centenarian Study: Evidence based gerontology
Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Sciences: Evidence based gerontology. https://orcls.org/.
World’s longest life expectancy, health, successful aging due to lifestyle. www.okinawaprogram.com/study.
New England Centenarian Study
National Geographic: Five “Blue Zones” Where the World’s Healthiest People Live”. These cultures have uncovered the secrets of longevity. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/books/features/5-blue-zones-where-the-worlds-healthiest-people-live/
New England Centenarian Study: Why Study Centenarians? An overview A model of Aging Wel. https://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/overview/
The New England Centenarian Study’s mission is to study centenarians who we believe carry the secrets to successful aging and how to delay or even escape … www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Home.aspx?DepartmentID=361
The Georgia Centenarian Study
University of Georgia Gerontology Center research on the conditions and needs of those who reach the age of 100 and beyond. Publications: http://www.geron.uga.edu/research/Publications.php
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Nair, M.D., Collins, E.M. (2020). Centenarians: Life Style for a Long Healthy Life. In: Pitchumoni, C., Dharmarajan, T. (eds) Geriatric Gastroenterology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90761-1_101-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90761-1_101-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90761-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90761-1
eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine