Why are We Living So Long?

Since the beginning of the great boom in medical technology, we humans have slowly begun to increase the average longevity of our lives. The question is what is the main reason for the increase? Is it the food we eat? Or, is it truly the increase in our overall medical technology? Well, it certainly is not the quality of the food. With food irradiation, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, food additives and in the past decade GM (Genetic Modification) of corn seed, which will now contain its own plant pesticides to protect the plants from insects that could otherwise attack plants during their growth period and we are told by experts will certainly leave some residues in the harvest of the corn husks and thus the corn we consume is certainly not aiding our longevity, etc., we can be assured this is not the reason.

Plausible Analogy Of The Positive Forces Accounting For Our Present Longevity.

Just take one simple example of the polio epidemic of the early 1950’s. If an individual, for example were to be stricken with an extreme paralyzing form of this disease, he or she would be placed in an Iron Lung machine which would enable the individual to breathe using the Iron Lung machine until and if their abdominal muscles regained their strength to enable the victim to breathe on their own. Without the Iron Lung machine, those with this particular level of Polio affliction would not have survived. So, here technology gives the sufferer of a deadly affliction the ability to overcome an affliction and most likely live to a ripe old age because of this technology.

True, there have been periods of war in all parts of the world, which tended to lower the average life expectancy all over the globe. Likewise, along with the great amount of casualties encountered from all sides on the battlefield came much greater survival rates due to improved medical techniques enabling the wounded to survive their battle wounds that in earlier battles might have been fatal. Another point to consider is the ever-increasing technology incorporated into our modern automobiles, such as airbags, safer tires, vehicle roll over prevention technology and many others. Even with the many losses in our hospitals that are claimed here in the U.S. alone, which are said to be close to 100,000 a year, our hospitals are saving many more who might have perished without the highly advanced technologies being administered.

Now, What If The Use Of All Our Latest Medical Advances Were Removed?

Let’s look at a scenario where mankind were to remove all the great medical advances of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, before the great advent of Penicillin, Streptomycin and a few others which were miraculously introduced in the early 1900’s. Some experts believe that our average life expectancy might be more like 60 years, or maybe even less and it is also believed that one main reason might be the uninhibited adulteration of our food supply.