Comments on: Centenarian Immune Systems Remember How to Fight the 1918 Flu http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/ 80beats is DISCOVER\'s news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:32:07 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: MICHELE JONES http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-34613 MICHELE JONES Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:51:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-34613 UNABLE TO GET INTO THE OTHER SITE, IT APPEARS BLACK UNABLE TO GET INTO THE OTHER SITE, IT APPEARS BLACK

]]> By: valeria http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-18422 valeria Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:15:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-18422 I believe your mind controls all of one's illness now and in the 20th century. And modern medicine is only a means to make money from ordinary people. I believe your mind controls all of one’s illness now and in the 20th century. And modern medicine is only a means to make money from ordinary people.

]]> By: B http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-6933 B Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:18:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-6933 Woah, Kendra, those are some great genes you probably have hah. Perhaps your grandmother had a natural genetic immune system resistance to the drug already if the whole family avoided sickness. But I would agree that it's not simply that they did not have stress, but had strong ways of dealing with it. Hard physical labour is one. But one thing they did not have is as much sensory stress. Unconscious effect of T.V, advertisements, lights, motion, noise. I would say, its our fault for some of these you can probably minimize it to the more natural levels (because agrarian life of course had its own sensory stimulation). Woah, Kendra, those are some great genes you probably have hah. Perhaps your grandmother had a natural genetic immune system resistance to the drug already if the whole family avoided sickness.

But I would agree that it’s not simply that they did not have stress, but had strong ways of dealing with it. Hard physical labour is one. But one thing they did not have is as much sensory stress. Unconscious effect of T.V, advertisements, lights, motion, noise. I would say, its our fault for some of these you can probably minimize it to the more natural levels (because agrarian life of course had its own sensory stimulation).

]]> By: Kendra Park http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-3397 Kendra Park Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:27:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-3397 I almost said that people 100 years ago did not have the stress that we do today, but then I stopped myself. My agrarian ancestors had life-and-death stress every day with planting crops, true concern and worry about weather, harvesting crops, illness without medicine and antibiotics, high-mortality rate among women giving birth and of infants, etc. But they also did hard, physical labor. They worked hard, ate well, and slept well. I think this lifestyle contributed to their strong bodies and peace of mind. And in those days, it was truly survival of the fittest. If you were strong, you lived; if you were weak, you died. But nowadays, modern medicine has enabled even the weak to survive, and that, in turn, has weakened the human race as a whole. Medicine is truly a double-edged sword. I almost said that people 100 years ago did not have the stress that we do today, but then I stopped myself. My agrarian ancestors had life-and-death stress every day with planting crops, true concern and worry about weather, harvesting crops, illness without medicine and antibiotics, high-mortality rate among women giving birth and of infants, etc. But they also did hard, physical labor. They worked hard, ate well, and slept well. I think this lifestyle contributed to their strong bodies and peace of mind. And in those days, it was truly survival of the fittest. If you were strong, you lived; if you were weak, you died. But nowadays, modern medicine has enabled even the weak to survive, and that, in turn, has weakened the human race as a whole. Medicine is truly a double-edged sword.

]]> By: Shirley Smith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-3303 Shirley Smith Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:20:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-3303 I think another large factor to consider is how stress plays a factor in the lifestyle of turn of the centry farmers and people living in today's world. The stressors of life are very different between the two. It's been proven that large amounts of constant stress weakens the immune system and promotes illness. I think that farmers at the turn of the century also had different and much less stress then the constant stressors our modern civilization goes through. I think another large factor to consider is how stress plays a factor in the lifestyle of turn of the centry farmers and people living in today’s world. The stressors of life are very different between the two. It’s been proven that large amounts of constant stress weakens the immune system and promotes illness. I think that farmers at the turn of the century also had different and much less stress then the constant stressors our modern civilization goes through.

]]> By: Kendra Park http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-3243 Kendra Park Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:14:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-3243 It is absolutely fascinating that the immunity of the survivors of the epidemic is still active. My grandmother is 94 and lived through the 1918 flu epidemic. While her neighbors became ill, and some died, no one in her immediate family became ill, though they cared for their sick neighbors. I wonder if she has antibodies for the H1N1 flu, since she was never sick with it. These people were farmers. While they did not have a fast-food diet, it was often very high in fat and cholesterol, with the consumption of lots of eggs and pork. Not only did they not get the flu, but, almost without exception, they lived into their 90s and 100s. What else is at work here? It is absolutely fascinating that the immunity of the survivors of the epidemic is still active. My grandmother is 94 and lived through the 1918 flu epidemic. While her neighbors became ill, and some died, no one in her immediate family became ill, though they cared for their sick neighbors. I wonder if she has antibodies for the H1N1 flu, since she was never sick with it. These people were farmers. While they did not have a fast-food diet, it was often very high in fat and cholesterol, with the consumption of lots of eggs and pork. Not only did they not get the flu, but, almost without exception, they lived into their 90s and 100s. What else is at work here?

]]> By: Shirley Hill http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/comment-page-1/#comment-3208 Shirley Hill Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:56:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/08/18/centenarian-immune-systems-remember-how-to-fight-the-1918-flu/#comment-3208 People who are in this age group have something that other generations do not have, that is a sound nutritional foundation. There were no McDonalds etc. on every corner when they were children. They sat down to home cooked meals, which helped to establish a healthy immune system that would protect them through a lifetime. I am almost 60 and I know that today?s seniors 60-70 as a whole live on canned, frozen and microwaved foods. Despite reports to the contrary these foods do not give the body what it needs to defend itself against such an enemy as the bird flu. Our western diet is why we have an obesity epidemic, and why there is a new medication on TV promising to do something that our bodies should do normally. Shirley Hill,NFH Wellness Administrator Sakal the Center for Success and Kingdom Advancement Living mophethns@yahoo.com SakalGlobalMinistries.org People who are in this age group have something that other generations do not have, that is a sound nutritional foundation. There were no McDonalds etc. on every corner when they were children. They sat down to home cooked meals, which helped to establish a healthy immune system that would protect them through a lifetime. I am almost 60 and I know that today?s seniors 60-70 as a whole live on canned, frozen and microwaved foods. Despite reports to the contrary these foods do not give the body what it needs to defend itself against such an enemy as the bird flu. Our western diet is why we have an obesity epidemic, and why there is a new medication on TV promising to do something that our bodies should do normally.

Shirley Hill,NFH
Wellness Administrator
Sakal the Center for Success
and Kingdom Advancement Living
mophethns@yahoo.com
SakalGlobalMinistries.org

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