More Secrets To A Longer Life

A couple of related stories caught my attention recently. The impression I got from them is that people continue to look for easy answers, tips and secrets. With all the new technology and scientific breakthroughs, they tend to abandon common sense, expecting something better and easier. This attitude drives a lot of wasteful behavior indicative of a lack of discipline and critical thinking.

 

The first was from a website called Outside with the title: “8 Simple Tips to Live Longer and Healthier.” These tips, it explains, are easy and based on scientific time-tested methods. The tips are merely to develop healthy daily living habits. This idea has been around for ages and the evidence to support it “has mounted, even as more people try to find the elixir of youth.”  A 2016 British study “found a healthy lifestyle reduces one’s chance of all-cause mortality by a whopping 61 percent.”

 

To make such a list, as the line from Casablanca goes, “round up the usual suspects.” They are easy to understand, but not so easy to adopt.

1. Exercise is good for you.
2. Watch what you eat.
3. Socialize – loneliness has surprisingly bad effects.
4. Avoid nearly all supplements – “the vast majority don’t work and may even cause harm.”
5. Get enough sleep.
6. Get outside and enjoy nature.
7. Don’t smoke.
8. Drink alcohol in moderation.

This kind of information is republished frequently by the news media and in public service announcements. By now it’s not really news! Some might add a few more such as: sunscreen, brushing and flossing, drink when you are thirsty, wash your hands and get a flu shot.  But most of this is common knowledge.

 

The one about the supplements is certainly right but not often mentioned. For example, Harvard School of Health calls claims about antioxidants “mostly hype” adding, “mostly disappointing [study] results haven’t stopped food companies and supplement sellers from banking on antioxidants.” The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) says, “Many studies have shown antioxidants do not add health benefits nor do they play a key role in preventing cancer or heart disease.” I have covered the dangers and waste associated with dietary supplements many times in the past.

 

The related idea of looking for the easy answer came from a story early in the pandemic. Americans were hoarding not only toilet paper but also another product that made little sense. Last May a Forbes article reported, “retail sales of orange juice increased 46% in the United States in a four-week period ending on April 11.” 

They apparently believed in the power of Vitamin C to cure colds and other viruses. That this is not true should also have been common knowledge. Back in 2006 NPR ran a story, “The Vitamin C Myth.” By then there had been “at least twenty well controlled studies on the use of mega doses of vitamin C in the prevention of colds, treating the duration of colds, and in treatment of the severity of colds;” none of them showed any evidence that “vitamin C in mega doses does anything.” 

 

This vitamin C myth is just another example of what I referred to recently in “Flashback – Fear of Power Lines” on September 11: when people get an idea stuck in their heads, it takes a great deal of persuasion to get them to change their minds, even if the science is definitive.

 

Problems in discipline cause us to ignore the simple but not easy-to-follow lifestyle instead hoping for a pill or magic medical device. Problems in critical thinking cause the brain latch on to one of those ideas and never again wonder if it’s accurate.

Essential Oils and Climate Change

To try to win an informal debate, I remember hearing a woman once say, “I don’t care what the scientists say; I just feel better when I eat gluten free.” I also happened to know that this same person took the opposite view on climate change. She was convinced that climate change was a real, impending disaster based on information that the vast majority of climate scientists agreed on the premise.

Furthermore anyone who held a different view on climate change would be condemned, labeled a “denier,” someone whose opinion on that or any other subject should be disregarded because they were stupid. But it was not enough to ignore them. Anyone who disagrees in the least must be branded, cast out, unfriended or otherwise ostracized for the good of the world.

Using the opposite arguments in defense of two strongly held points of view did not faze her or the people she associated with at all. On one hand, science was good; on the other, science was too skeptical of the ancient wisdom or the latest fad.

Speaking of the latest fad, one that has been going strong for the last few years is a belief in the power of essential oils.

Although the name might imply it, there is nothing particularly essential about an essential oil, in the sense of it being necessary for life. The name comes from the fact that the oils extracted, usually by fermentation, contain the essence of a plant’s fragrance.

As this article written by a scientist, professor at McGill University with a PhD in Chemistry, explains, most of the claims about the powers of essential oils are unproven, untrue, misrepresented or exaggerated. For example, promoters claim that “either sniffing the right essential oil or rubbing it on the skin can support the immune system, enhance mood, promote sleep, cleanse the body’s organs, boost the libido, ease breathing, foster alertness, treat kidney stones, oxygenate the blood, relieve pain, reduce anger, prevent constipation and, of course, eliminate toxins, … readjust chakras, harmonize bio-electrical frequencies, cleanse negative energies, drive out evil spirits and promote sexual stimulation.”

He explains that a few of these are backed by evidence, such as using lavender aroma as a sleep aid. Many of the other claims have resulted in warnings to companies by the FDA, but that can’t control all the outrageous claims. “Sales of essential oils are dominated by multi-level marketing (MLM) companies,” who sell to independent distributors relying on commissions. No one can monitor what every one of these sellers promises in private conversations. 

Once again it is so easy to ignore the science, or simply not ask what studies have confirmed the seemingly magical powers. Take it on faith.

Interesting how, in one particular realm, scientific consensus is considered a strong argument in favor, with any minor expression of doubt leading to the accusation of being a denier. Meanwhile, in so many others areas, from psychic powers to performance bracelets to the healing power of magnets to detox cleanses to super foods to essential oils, taking the opposite stance is the favored response. No deniers there! No critical thinking either.

Critical Thinking and The Mail

Yesterday was my birthday, but I wasn’t born yesterday. Nor am I naïve enough to fall for all the advertising tricks that come my way. This must come as a disappointment to many companies. I got many examples in a single day last week when I picked up the snail mail.

First, let me repeat the assumption that a large percentage of the ads we see must be working to some extent. If consumers didn’t respond to the ads and buy the product, the company would either change their approach to advertising or go out of business. So let’s go to the mail.

The first envelope contains a typical auto insurance ad. It tells me I can save 15% or more on my insurance simply by switching to their company. (The number of discounts they can offer will make my head spin!) But didn’t I just receive a mailing the week before from another company telling me how much I would save with them? Theoretically, someone could keep switching back and forth between companies, saving with each switch, eventually paying almost nothing. That is certainly too good to be true. So this one gets recycled.

The next one is supposedly from my bank offering me a credit card with a 5.99% APR rate fixed for life. I don’t get too excited, because the fine print gives away some additional information. It’s not really from my bank; all my bank did was sell a mailing list with my name on it. The rate shown boldly at the top of the letter applies only to balance transfers during the first 3 months. After that it’s 15% to 24%. They are no doubt counting on the fact that people who already have a balance to transfer will also carry a balance with them and end up pay the higher rate (for life) – along with the possibility of some $37 late payment fees. This great deal follows the insurance offer into the recycling bin.

But wait – there’s more! This one according to the return address comes from “Your Local Office” in a city I am not familiar with. A gentleman working there is saving my free copy of the Medicare Guide. All I have to do is tear off the stub and mail it back telling my age, phone and email – so he can haunt me for the next year? No, thank you! (The actual name of the company is in the fine print at the bottom of the letter where I am informed that it is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.) Out it goes.

Finally, the letter offering me wonderful, affordable health insurance joins the rest.

This is not the first time I have seen these or similar letters. So what could be the reason that these mailings continue? Someone must be responding. Perhaps it is the people who relieve stress by cow cuddling.

That’s right, for only $300 for a 90-minute session, the latest health trend, according to this source, is “snuggling up with a 1,000 lb farm animal to help with your mental health.” One farm in New York “has a program offering the ‘Horse & Cow Experience’ where individuals can spend time connecting with the large barnyard animals.” When it comes to mental health, paying $300 to spend time snuggling with a cow seems more diagnostic than therapeutic!

I wasn’t born yesterday, but based on the mail I receive and the latest health trend, yesterday must have seen a figurative baby boom. If we get drawn in by these, how will we ever start using critical thinking to solve real problems?

Testing Our Critical Thinking

At least once a day, though we may not even realize it, our critical thinking is tested.  I received this in an email from a friend who participates in a weekly walking group at a local nature center.  It’s good exercise and a pleasant time, but one of the participants wanted to let us know about additional benefits.

The article attached to the email was about something called forest bathing, and it tells how walking in the woods can be healthy, in fact, healthier than walking down a city sidewalk.  The headline tells us:  “A Retreat To Nature Can Boost Immunity And Mood.”

But forest bathing is more than just walking in the woods and enjoying the natural surroundings.  The outing in the article was led by a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.  It is the guide’s job to encourage participants to “slow down and become immersed in the natural environment” and to help them “tune in to the smells, textures, tastes and sights of the forest.”  The guide leads them through exercises to help them isolate each of these senses to take in the unique sights, sounds and smells.

It’s clearly not like hiking, because the forest bathers have no particular destination.  It’s a slow, mindful walk, akin to walking meditation practiced at some yoga retreats.  The emphasis is on the present moment, rather than on plans or worries.

After describing the experience, they list the health benefits.  The practice began in Japan where one study showed that walking in a forest environment “led to more significant reductions in blood pressure and certain stress hormones” than walking the same distance in the city.  I followed the link and found that this study had only 16 participants – was that 8 in each group (a test group and a control group)?  If so, that is an extremely small sample size; if not, it's not really an experiment. (And always remember that linked does not mean causes.)

They cite other “preliminary” studies as well.  One referred to as a “small study” and another with no mention of sample size or the experimental design, but both touting benefits of being in close proximity to trees or enjoying certain scents of the forest.

Now comes the worrisome part.  Apparently we are not able to get these benefits on our own.  The Association of Nature & Forest Therapy is training and certifying Forest Therapy guides to help.  Using this rather sparse scientific justification and an unsupported assertion that “work-related stress accounts for up to $190 billion in health care costs each [year],” their representative makes a leap of faith that forest bathing should be part of every doctor’s toolkit and covered by health insurance – "It's my hope that the health care system will include [forest therapy] into the range of services they reimburse for.”

Now I don’t doubt that taking a nice quiet leisurely walk in the woods, being sensitive to and appreciating the natural surroundings is surely healthier and more relaxing than walking down a crowded city sidewalk.  That’s a no-brainer.  But do you need a coach to benefit from it, do you need to pay and should insurance be involved?

The whole thing begins to sound like the case of therapeutic touch, which has no scientific basis, but for which insurance companies reimburse hospitals.  It reminds me of the company that sells scooters to the elderly with the sales pitch, “if Medicare doesn’t pay for yours, it’s free.”  The forest bathing business (and it is a business) wants to slide into that category enjoyed by some other health-related businesses – “your insurance will cover most or all of the cost.”  We’ve heard the sales pitches over and over and should know deep down that when no one is paying, no one is caring how much it cost and no one is concerned about abuse or true quality.  Patients get placebo benefits and the therapists get insurance money.  Our health costs rise and everyone wonders why.

Cat Yoga?

This should be a lesson to me:  Never ask what’s coming next?  

CNN featured this story on cat yoga, and they have the nerve to put it under the Health section of the website.  Now I have nothing against cats, and I certainly have nothing against yoga; but cat yoga is not about health, it’s just a gimmick.  But CNN hasn’t got a section called gimmicks on their website, although almost every news website these days probably ought to.  Such a section would give the so-called journalists more permission to bombard us, as they already do, with news from their professional investigation into what is trending on Facebook and other social sites.  They also get a chance to show how clever they can be with puns.  This is not news and cat yoga is not yoga.

The story tells that people receive on-line invitations to a cats-only animal shelter – this one in Marietta, GA – three times a month to do yoga as the shelter cats are allowed to wander around the floor.  They got the idea by watching cat videos on the Internet and thought it might be one more way to get people to visit the shelter and possibly adopt a cat.  (Can you say “Gimmick”?)

The excuse for having it on the health page comes later.  “Studies show that yoga can improve your balance, your breathing, your sense of self and your overall health. It can reduce anxiety and fight off depression. It strengthens your core and can help ease chronic pain.”  The endorsement for cat yoga comes from the teacher who says she sees a difference in her students and believes, "Cat yoga is good for your soul."  This is clearly where we move from scientific research into the land of the airy-fairies.  There is no research on cat yoga as such.

It is true that yoga is beneficial.  But that applies to yoga, not cat yoga or dog yoga or beer yoga or suspension yoga or rock & roll yoga or paddleboard yoga or naked yoga or yoga on horseback – Honest, I didn’t make any of these up!

The benefits from yoga come from the opportunity to focus inward, to stretch safely in an accepting environment, to sync the breath with movement and to practice a little guided meditation.  Do these quotes from the cat yoga story sound anything like that? 

“Cats love yoga mats and can't help but be the center of the action”

“If you've ever tried a hero's pose with your cat around, you know the challenge has nothing to do with your breathing or flexibility.”

“Cats may be distracting”

"There's not as much pressure to make my form perfect."

All these intentional distractions and need for reassurance from being judged by yourself or others sound nothing like traditional yoga, in fact, it’s quite the opposite.  So I’m not expecting studies of so-called cat yoga to show any benefits beyond what you might get just from hanging around with cats.  Of course if you are a cat person, cat yoga at the shelter is like being a grandparent: you can play with them, cuddle, and spoil them rotten, but you can also give them back when it’s time for the feeding, the litter box cleaning and the medicines.  Just stretching is optional – but it’s not yoga.

Just remind me from time to time not to ask, “What’s coming next?”