Dr. Barzilai said:
One of the things I'm worried about is that my study will encourage people NOT to engage in healthy environmental practices such as diet and exercise, because they'll think it doesn't matter.
I don't think that changes the outlook for longevity being based 50% on environmental practices and 50% on genes. Could some Jews have a genetic mutation for longevity? I suppose it's possible. But we shouldn't rush to judgement based on one study.
One thing to remember about centenarians is that they almost never claim to have followed a special diet. If they were raised with strong family traditions they have gotten so used to it over a long lifetime, that they no longer think it's anything special.
As far as smoking: Some long lived Okinawans were also smokers and it was suggested that it didn't bother them because their diets were very high in antioxidants.
About drugs: It was said that this study points to the possibility of a drug. That sends up a red flag, in my opinion. Look out for promises of something magical that requires little effort on your part. It almost reminds me of the promise of cholesterol lowering drugs. Sure, just take this and everything will be alright.
A drug for longevity may never come, but in the mean time, the promise of it may serve well to raise money for genetic research. That's the name of the game. And if such a drug does come on the market, will it come with a guarantee? Ha!
