Muslims offer recipes for longevity

At the end of the 20th century scientists from various countries began a persistent search for recipes for a long life.

They undertook a series of expensive experiments (mostly unsuccessful) that, one way or another, led to results that are known even to any Muslim from the remotest village.

Eat less - live longer!

All Muslims know that proper nutrition according to the Sunna means that one should not eat too much: 1/3 of the stomach should be filled with food, 1/3 with water and 1/3 with air.

American scientists, after a series of tests on two groups of rhesus monkeys, came to the same conclusions, namely, that limiting the amount and calorie content of food in adults leads to an increase in average life expectancy (although in childhood, nutrition should be complete in terms of the quantity of food.

For adults such dietary restrictions have led to a decrease in the incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, i.e. not only increasing life expectancy but also improving its quality.

Therapeutic fasting

This is exactly what Muslims call fasting, mandatory in the month of Ramadan and voluntary at other times.

Studies found that temporary abstinence from food improves the processes of energy metabolism in cells and assists a person to stay fit longer. Thus, regular shortterm fasting slows down the aging process.

This effect is directly related to mitochondria the energy stations of the cell. Periodical fasting puts them into low-energy metabolism and provides “rest” from work. As a result, they can last much longer.

In addition, fasting reduces the amount of free radicals and promotes their elimination from the body.

Physical activities

Doable sports are recognized as extremely useful in Islam. The same fact was confirmed by scientists who explained the so called “150 minutes’ walk”.

Regular feasible physical activity (for example, walking for 2-2.5 hours a day) really prolongs life. Moreover, it is not necessary to find special time for walking during the day: all you need is to give up public transport and walk to work at a fast pace. That will be enough. Physical activity is especially necessary in old age due to the active loss of muscle mass.

Study

Islam teaches us to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.

But only in 2017 did scientists succeed in proving that total life expectancy also depends on the number of years spent in studying. It turned out that every year of college or university studies added 11 months to a person’s life on average.

In addition, it has long been known that the establishment of new interneural connections, which means the ability to actively assimilate new material, develops up to the age of 35. At an older age, energy is mainly spent on maintaining already formed connections and not on establishing new ones.

The more a person studied before the age of 35, the higher the level of neural connections and hence the ability to process information, and therefore the lower the possibility of developing neurodegenerative diseases in old age (such as Alzheimer’s disease).

Bad habits

Muslims know that smoking and taking alcohol or drugs are prohibited. Most people also know that these substances dramatically reduce the quality of life and its duration.

However, life expectancy increases not only if these bad habits are avoided initially but also if a person at a later stage of his life finds the strength to abandon them.

We all know that the lifespan of each individual person is recorded even in the womb. However, a fairly large number of Islamic prescriptions are directly aimed at increasing the life expectancy of a person and improving its quality. Therefore, do not neglect them!

FATIMA MANZUR SHEIKHUPURA, PAKISTAN