Is Getting High a Key to Longevity?
No, not that kind of high. The surprising benefits of living at higher altitude.
We have lived in Cuenca, Ecuador, which sits in the southern Andes of South America at 8,400 feet above sea level, for 14 years. Returning from trips to other countries and family visits in the United States, we notice that after a short readjustment to the altitude we always feel so much better.
Are we simply happy to be home? Is it our imagination?
Curious to find out, we discovered a body of research showing that people residing at higher elevations indeed tend to be healthier, thinner and longer-lived.
Why? Even though our atmosphere is consistently composed of 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, the actual number of molecules in the air decreases as you rise from sea level because of lower atmospheric pressure.
The lower oxygen levels induce mild levels of stress in the body that require it to work a little harder. This reaction in turn generates greater efficiency and more robust health.
Better Health
Here are specific health benefits of living at higher elevation.
- Production of more red blood cells. When oxygen is less abundant, the body’s natural response is to produce more red blood cells that transport oxygen to the tissues. The increased oxygenation improves the function and performance of our organs and muscles. This process partially explains the decades of dominance in long distance events by Kenyan and Ethiopian runners who live and train at high altitude, then compete closer to sea level.
- Increased antioxidants. The mild stress that higher elevation places on our bodies also stimulates the production of more antioxidant enzymes. These protective agents neutralize free radicals that can damage the walls of blood vessels, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Healthier heart. Scientists have observed that lower oxygen levels turn on certain genes that may have a positive effect on the way heart muscles function and possibly stimulate the creation of new blood vessels that increases blood flow into the heart. There is speculation that greater exposure to solar radiation at high altitude improves the synthesis of Vitamin D, known to have beneficial effects on the heart.
- Altered body composition. Lower oxygen triggers hormones in fatty tissues to transform from the white fat which stores energy (and accompanies obesity) into metabolically active brown fat that helps burn calories and regulate glucose in the body.
Less Weight
Speaking of fat, a study of over 400,000 people in the U.S. found that those living at sea level were an astonishing four to five times more likely to be obese than subjects who lived at higher elevations.
Although the precise reasons for this huge difference are unclear, it is noted that levels of leptin, the hormone that signals fullness, rise as altitude increases. Less hunger translates to lower caloric intake and weight loss.
These changes reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, specifically in the way sugars and fats are metabolized.
Longer Life
By themselves, better health and lower weight are obvious factors in increased longevity. But the results of recent research at Harvard Medical School took the advantages of living at higher elevation to, well, a whole new level.
In the first study of its kind involving mammals, researchers were stunned to discover that mice exposed to a low oxygen environment lived an astonishing 50% longer than those living at normal oxygen levels.
Not only that, it was expected that the hypoxic (low oxygen) environment would cause profound decline of brain health. Instead, the mice exhibited enhanced neurological functioning and motor coordination.
How Almost Anyone Can Benefit
For those who don't live far above sea level, which is almost everybody, all of this encouraging information may be met with a collective, "So what?" The great news is research has found that even a short trip to the mountains can produce positive metabolic changes that could last for months.
Even a short trip to the mountains can produce positive metabolic changes
As described above, volunteers in an altitude study demonstrated increased levels of hemoglobin, the proteins that carry oxygen, in their red blood cells after only two weeks at high elevation.
No surprise there, but after the subjects left for two weeks and then returned, their levels remained constant. Since red blood cells live for around 120 days, this suggests that continual exposure to high altitude is not necessary to reap positive metabolic benefits.
One caveat: the welcome mat is not extended to those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lower oxygen levels for people with impaired breathing can lead to serious consequences, including death.
It is unlikely that the findings presented here will create a stampede of readers putting "For Sale" signs in their front yards and moving to the mountains.
But at least during future vacations there, in addition to breathing in the clean air and enjoying the scenery, you can take comfort in knowing that your presence is possibly contributing to better health and a longer life.