One doctor in Canada has suggested the bizarre secret to living longer could be found in the behaviour of dolphins, but copying mice could have the opposite effect
Dolphins have it just right, the doc says (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
The bizarre secret to living longer might be found in a beloved sea creature.
Dolphins are known for their intelligence, being one of the more cuddly ocean creatures and, well, being one of its randiest. But Canadian doc Janine Bowring said it is their breathing that humans should be looking at.
In a video posted to TikTok, Dr Bowring said humans take around 15 to 20 breaths every minute, but that this is “far too much”. “If you can slow your breathing down to about five point five breaths per minute, that is related now to longevity,” she said.
‘A mouse takes 90 to 250 breaths per minute, and they only live two to seven years'(Image: j9naturally/TikTok)
Animals like dolphins and whales, on the other hand, only take around three to five breaths every minute.
Dr Bowring added: “A mouse takes 90 to 250 breaths per minute, and they only live two to seven years…”
The advice does not recommend humans start trying to take only a few breaths every minute. Do that and you can be sure a friend or family member will need to remember three special numbers to magic up an ambulance for you.
But short breaths are associated with stress, so slowing your breathing down a bit and could help you begin to feel a little calmer, which may benefit your health.
‘My tip here is to consciously breathe, slowing down the breath'(Image: j9naturally/TikTok)
“Stress, as we know, when we’re stressed out, we breathe more quickly, and we know that stress is definitely correlated with a shorter life, so my tip here is to consciously breathe, slowing down the breath,” the doc said.
“This is one of the reasons why meditation and yoga can be really powerful and helping you to live longer.”
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital studied mice in a study released last year. They found mice exposed to 11% oxygen levels lived 50% longer than those kept with 21% oxygen, according to Earth.com.
The outlet said: “The theory is that less oxygen reduces cellular damage and stimulates cells to clear out and recycle damaged components more efficiently, thereby slowing down the aging process.”
The study should of course be taken with a pinch of salt as it has not been replicated in humans.
Lead researcher, Pulmonologist Dr Roger Roberts, said: “It is premature to speculate on “the implication of these findings for human aging…
“But there are several interesting clues from epidemiological research that living at high altitude where there is a lower oxygen concentration might increase median lifespan and reduce the burden of age-related diseases.”
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