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Aging and senile degeneration of the body is a problem that every person in the world will eventually face. According to the Bible, Adam, the first man, lived for 930 years, and the average lifespan of the nine antediluvian generations was 912 years. After the Great Flood, however, lifespan began to decline. Noah lived for 950 years, Shem for 600, and Abraham for only 175. Despite this, many people believe it is possible to find a cure for aging and extend the maximum lifespan up to 1000 years.
Christ’s words, “Which of you, no matter how hard he tries, can extend his life even for an hour?” are often used as an objection to this opinion. However, these words are not about setting limits on lifespan. Instead, they are about the fact that what is impossible for humans is possible for God. Christians believe that eternal life is granted to those who believe in Jesus Christ.
While many Christians believe that the promise of eternal life relates to the second coming of Jesus, when the mortal bodies of the saved will be transformed, there is no physical limit to the lifespan of humans in our physical bodies. Experts believe that the maximum lifespan of humans is limited to 120–140 years due to the progressive stiffening of blood vessels, which leads to chronic hypoxia and a shift in energy metabolism in cells.
This shift leads to a reduction in energy generation, physical activity, and other cellular functions, forming a vicious cycle of sarcopenia and frailty development, heart failure, lethargy, respiratory diseases, and dementia. Another factor is the explosive increase in the number of senescent or “zombie” cells, which produce pro-inflammatory signaling molecules and lead to chronic tissue inflammation, tissue fibrosis, and eventually death. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also a factor, with less functional mitochondria found in hyperactive zombie cells.
Aging is a complex process with various hallmarks, including the accumulation of junk and debris in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and inside long-living cells, leading to the production of lipofuscin and amyloid. Additionally, oxalosis can cause calcium oxalate crystals to accumulate, causing issues such as muscle pain, heartburn, and even dementia. The degeneration of the immune system is another hallmark that leads to the uncontrollable increase of zombie cells, tissue degradation, and aging.
Although some therapies, such as Yamanaka factors or stem cell therapy, can slow down aging, they cannot significantly increase human longevity. Therefore, scientists have studied the naked mole rats, which live much longer than ordinary mice, and found that they can die from starvation or water shortage rather than aging. They also have dysfunctional senescent cells that die in conditions of intermittent hypoxia, and this could be a solution for humans.
Intermittent hypoxia can be simulated through intensive aerobic exercise, but it should be done under the supervision of specialists. Medications called senolytics can also be used to eliminate zombie cells. Moreover, low-carbohydrate diets like ketogenic and carnivore diets can starve zombie and cancer cells to death but should be balanced to avoid malnutrition. Still, these diets cannot make stiff ECM elastic again or remove the accumulated junk, which requires further investigation.
In conclusion, while there is no physical limit to the lifespan of humans, aging and senile degeneration of the body are problems that must be addressed. We can rectify our lives to have a long and productive life, and we may be able to find a cure for aging. However, even if we do not find a cure, we can still have eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ.
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