Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, attended the Youth Life Symposium 'Aging Without Getting Old' program organized by the Youth Life Association. Tarhan, who gave a presentation titled 'Longevity Philosophy: Prescriptions for a Healthy and Long Life', explained the secrets of long life within the triangle of spirit, brain, and body. Emphasizing the importance of social cohesion through examples of super-agers, Tarhan stated that a fast and stressful life shortens telomeres, thus one's lifespan.
The Symposium, where scientists from different disciplines came together, was held at Double Tree Hilton Piyalepaşa.
“Our genetic algorithm is based on survival”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, addressing the mechanisms of cell death, said: “There are programmed cell deaths. When the time comes, cells, including neurons, die through a defined mechanism. In contrast, there are anti-apoptosis processes. There is a balance between the programmed and unprogrammed proliferation of the cell. These diseases can slow down or accelerate apoptosis, which is programmed cell death. It affects telomere length, and anti-apoptotic genes come into play here. It is also linked to lifespan and autophagy. These mechanisms affect cell deaths. Rapamycin and nutrition are very important at this point. The activation of TOR plays a critical role. Fasting, autophagy, and the currently much-discussed intermittent fasting are part of this mechanism. When the body is starved for a certain period, the brain goes into alarm mode. We see the same situation in florists' practices with plants. When a flower doesn't produce seeds or buds, they put it in a dark place. A few days later, the flower, 'Oh no, I'm dying,' starts producing buds with a survival instinct. Then the flower revives. A similar mechanism exists in humans. When blood sugar drops, apoptosis and anti-apoptosis genes become active. 'I will die, I need to live,' a signal emerges because our genetic algorithm is based on survival; first, survival is targeted. Therefore, the drop in blood glucose, the body perceiving it as a threat, switching to autophagy, and performing DNA repair are very important.” he began.
“Stress management is very important for longevity”
Tarhan, touching upon important points in longevity, stated: “Neurodevelopment, epigenetics, and neuroplasticity are very important in aging. Super-aging is also an interesting phenomenon. These individuals, despite being 80 years old, perform at the level of a 55-year-old in attention and memory tests. For this reason, they are defined as super-agers. Studies show that these individuals generally have an active lifestyle, are social, occasionally reward themselves, and are more optimistic about life events. Most consume alcohol and cigarettes, but the study presents it this way. These are likely individuals who remain within the limits of social drinking. They probably don't smoke more than five cigarettes a day either. It should not be understood as recommending smoking or alcohol, because some people have a genetic predisposition and cannot be social drinkers; they can't stop once they start. Their IQs are at the normal age average, meaning super-aging is not related to intelligence. Furthermore, their anterior cingulate cortex is thicker than controls in the same age group. This area was also thick in Einstein. Because the anterior cingulate cortex is the brain's emotion regulation region. The region that enables the ability to remain calm under stress. Therefore, stress management is very important for longevity.” he stated.
See the negative, stay positive!
Emphasizing that a stress-free life is not possible, Tarhan said: “The telomere fact is very important. For a long time, telomeres were considered like junk DNA, but that's no longer the case. Currently, medical geneticists at our hospital and university have started longevity studies. They measure telomere length. A person's telomere length is measured, and by looking at the rate of telomere shortening after 12 months, it becomes possible to predict whether they will live above average. Furthermore, how a person lives, and whether that 12-month shortening period will increase to 13 or 15 months can also be monitored through measurements. A new discipline has formed for this. Clinical conditions that accelerate telomere shortening include obesity, high inflammation, cholesterol, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's. All of these rapidly shorten telomeres. The thing that shortens telomeres the most is a fast and stressful life. Just as all parts wear out quickly if you constantly run car engines at high RPMs, a fast lifestyle similarly wears out telomeres. Therefore, stress control is very important in longevity. A life without stress is not possible, nor is it right. Controlled stress is beneficial. Uncontrolled stress shortens telomeres. On the other hand, living life in neutral doesn't lengthen telomeres; on the contrary, it triggers obesity. See the negative, stay positive… A person needs to live with a sense of purpose and meaning.” he commented.
Flexibility must be used well
Drawing attention to the concept of neuroplasticity, Tarhan said: “Without the frontal lobe, there would be no civilization. The magical concept here is neuroplasticity. That is, our brain is actually a plastic organ. Neuroplasticity means flexible thinking. The better we can use this flexibility, the stronger the brain's capacity for self-renewal and adaptation becomes.”
“Our calf is our second heart”
Tarhan, explaining the secrets of healthy living, stated: “Healthy breathing is very important, as is developing the alveoli. Just like in other body mechanisms… For example, the calf is called the second heart. There is a study from 2014 that shows walking at least 5,000 steps a day is necessary for the body not to rust. During this walk, the veins in the calf act like a pump, truly creating a second heart effect. This study, conducted in Canada in 2014, confirmed this. So, we can say that our calf is our second heart. Also, a colorful plate is very important. The Mediterranean diet is taken as a basis for folic acid and many other vitamins and minerals. Prebiotics and probiotics are also very important for gut microbiota. Prebiotics prepare the ground for probiotics. Foods like kefir and yogurt are probiotics because they contain live organisms. It is necessary to consume these in a balanced way to support beneficial bacteria.” he stated.
We need to change the habits we notice in ourselves
Tarhan, emphasizing the need to use different pathways in the brain in his speech, said: “To develop neuroplasticity in our brain, it's very important not to constantly use the same path, not to use the same objects, and not to be accustomed to the same things. When we change the habits we notice in ourselves and alter the direction of our movements, we use different pathways in our brain. The brain is like this: imagine a valley; if you irrigate one part of the valley, it becomes lush green, while the unwatered area remains barren. The same applies to the brain. Whichever area we water, that region develops. Think of it like a valley; if you use all of it, all parts of the brain develop. There is sensory integration therapy applied to children with neurodevelopmental disorders. In this therapy, a sensory integration profile test is administered, measuring many areas such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory skills, language skills, social skills, and emotional skills. When we start this treatment for children who are autism candidates from a young age, in a way that uses all parts of the brain, the brain begins to actively use all its areas. Currently, a condition like learned autism is developing in children who are constantly stuck on computers and social media. They use the social and digital areas of the brain very well, but they cannot sit down and have a proper conversation with someone. A serious deficiency in emotional and social skills is emerging.” he commented.
“It is very important to achieve the balance of health, wealth, unity, wisdom”
Emphasizing that balance is very important for a happy life, Tarhan said: “We know, and we learned, that self-actualization is always at the top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Psychosocial Needs. However, before his death, Maslow placed self-transcendence at the very top of the hierarchy. This was brought to light by a researcher in 2017. We can say that the capitalist system deliberately concealed this. So what is self-transcendence? Helping others, spiritual needs… That is, at the very top of a person's hierarchy of psychosocial needs is actually self-transcendence. The person will not live only for themselves but for a higher purpose, for a value, for humanity, for society, for the universe, for existence… If one lives with such a high purpose, one can transcend oneself and then find satisfaction. Self-transcendence is therefore very important. Health, wealth, unity, wisdom… It's referred to as Healthy, wealthy, wisdom. Achieving this balance is very important.” he concluded.