Humans are living longer than ever before, and Caleb Finch, professor of gerontology and biological sciences at the University of Southern California, has spent his scientific career trying to explain why. Finch, a leading researcher on aging and longevity, studies the forces that cause people to grow old, get sick, and die. Finch's new book, The Biology of Human Longevity: Inflammation, Nutrition, and Aging in the Evolution of Lifespans, synthesizes 10 years of research, defining new connections among inflammation, nutrition, and the diseases that come with advanced age.

How has the human life span changed over time?

In the last 200 years, one year of extra lifespan has been added for about every four years of historical time. Life expectancy has doubled since the industrial revolution, from about 40 years to near 80 years.

The same factors that increased lifespan in modern times were also responsible for increasing human lifespans in evolution. Life expectancy doubled from 20 years in our great ape ancestors, to 40 years, which was the general human life expectancy before the modern era.

Why are humans living so much longer now than ever before?

Aging processes in humans are directly related to the nutritional and inflammatory aspects of the environment. One example is Alzheimer's disease: Research from our lab has shown that the senile plaques that build up in that disease are related to inflammatory processes in the brain. And we now know that inflammation intensifies atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries that can contribute to stroke and heart attack.

Longer life spans have been a worldwide phenomenon associated with improvements in hygiene and medical care and reductions in infectious disease. Some have explained this through the reduction of infant mortality. But we're also living longer because we're staying healthier—kids have fewer infectious diseases to fight with. This reduction of inflammation and infection, along with the improvement of nutrition, has contributed to longevity by slowing many of the diseases of aging.

What is inflammation, and how does it impact health?

Inflammation comes from two major sources. The first is chronic infections, which have been reduced for most of us by advances in medical treatment. And of course, some infections we can't avoid. The second source of inflammation is the environment—what we breathe and what we eat. Obesity, for example, is a pro-inflammatory state. Fat tissues secrete inflammatory molecules called cytokines, which contribute to chronic inflammation and conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoking and air pollution are linked to vascular and lung diseases. The point is that the environment governs the progress of a number of the diseases of aging, such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and Alzheimer's.

What can people do to stay healthy and live longer?

Exercise and maintaining a healthy weight—both of which have anti-inflammatory effects—are remarkably preventive for all the diseases of aging. This cuts across all the systems. What's good for your heart is good for your brain and is good for preventing cancer. The separate diseases of adult life are much more related to each other and to overall health than we previously recognized.

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Increasing Your Alkalinity

• We have discussed how the body’s natural metabolic processes create acidic waste products, and, for optimal health, you need to restore your alkaline reserves. 
• An effective way to do this is by drinking alkaline water, produced by a water alkalinizing machine 
• This device, which looks like a coffee percolator, contains an electrical ionization system to split water into its acidic and alkaline portions. 
• The alkaline water should be used for drinking and food preparation. 
• The water’s alkalinity can be adjusted, and you should increase the level gradually to a pH between 9.5 and 10, which will provide a powerful detoxification treatment. 
• We recommend that you drink 8 to 10 glasses per day of this alkaline water. 
• It is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do to combat a wide range of disease processes. 
• The acidic water produced by the alkaline water machine from a separate outlet need not go to waste—it’s perfect for cleansing your skin. It’s also ideal to use for watering plants, which thrive in an acidic environment.
  Certain teas have alkalinizing effects on the body too. 
  
• Excellent water alkalinizing devices (as well as a line of far infrared saunas, excellent for detoxification) are available through 
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Alternative Sweetener -Stevia

• While most sweeteners have negative features, stevia is a natural sweetener that is even good for you. 
• Stevia is a plant indigenous to South America and is a natural food supplement that is 30 to 100 times sweeter than table sugar. 
• It has been valued for its medicinal effects and natural sweetness in Paraguay for 1,500 years. 
• It has been used similarly in Japan for the last 2 decades and has recently become popular in the United States as an all-natural, healthy sweetener.
  
  We are not aware of any adverse reactions reported from the use of stevia. 
• Numerous studies have been performed in Japan and in the United States on stevia's effects on cell membranes, enzymes systems and cancer, and no negative effects have ever been discovered. 
• In fact, many significant health benefits of stevia have been observed:
  
  * Highly nutritious
  * Can lower blood sugar in diabetics, but also regulates blood sugar in non-diabetics
  * Kills bacteria that cause tooth decay
  * Can lower elevated blood pressure
  * Helps reduce cravings for alcohol and tobacco
  * Can increase energy levels and mental activity
  
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