The Medical Advisor

Human lifespan has a limit and we might have reached it. S. Jay Olshansky, who studies the upper bounds of human longevity at the University of Illinois Chicago, believes people shouldn’t expect to live to 100. Most, he contends, will reach between 65-90. Biology is holding us back, Olshansky said. Human evolution favors growth and reproduction, not living to excessive ages. As people grow older, their cells and tissues accumulate damage. Breakdowns of one kind or another happen more frequently and get increasingly difficult to repair. Scientists believe there are likely many genes that affect lifespan. Aging is a complex process that isn’t well-understood. Olshansky knows his viewpoint isn’t popular. The longevity business is booming. People are flocking to longevity meetings and taking compounds they hope will extend their lives. Investors are backing scientists researching techniques to reprogram cells to a younger state with the goal of restoring functions that diminish with age. L...

Dr. Jason Fung, is a nephrologist and author of three books, "The Obesity Code," "The Complete Guide to Fasting," and " The Longevity Solution ," which is the topic of this interview. This book was also co-written with James DiNicolantonio, Pharm. D, who also happens to be the co-author of my book, "Superfuel." The motivation for "The Longevity Solution" came from a discussion with DiNicolantonio. "He'd already talked about salt in his book, 'The Salt Fix,'" Fung says. "In 'Superfuel,' he talked about good fats, bad fats and super fuel. We thought it would be great to tie everything together in terms of the real dietary determinants of longevity." Fung added: "I spend a good section of the book talking about protein — the different types of protein, animal versus plant protein, for example, and how much protein [you need]. These are really important questions because there's so much [info...