A Turkish chief eunuch from the 18th Century. Researchers now believe that eunuchs may live longer
Posted on 09/25/2012 10:03:55 AM PDT by null and void
Scientists have found a sure-fire way for men to live longer - but most red-blooded males will find the method unpalatably painful.
Researchers in Korea have shown that eunuchs outlived other men by a significant margin.
They say their findings suggest that male sex hormones are responsible for shortening the lives of men.
A Turkish chief eunuch from the 18th Century. Researchers now believe that eunuchs may live longer
The evidence comes after careful study of genealogy records of noble members of the Imperial court of the Korean Chosun dynasty (AD 1392-1910).
Kyung-Jin Min, of Inha University, said: 'This discovery adds an important clue for understanding why there is a difference in the expected life span between men and women.'
Eunuchs were allowed to marry and had families by adopting castrated boys or normal girls.
Min and his colleague Cheol-Koo Lee, of Korea University, found that eunuchs lived 14 to 19 years longer than other men did.
Amongst the 81 eunuchs they studied, three lived to the ripe old age of 100 or more, a feat of longevity that remains relatively rare even in developed countries today.
They noted the incidence of centenarians among Korean eunuchs is at least 130 times greater than it is in the developed countries, and that can’t be explained simply by the benefits of life in the palace, either.
They said most eunuchs spent as much time outside the palace as they did inside it.
And, in fact, kings and male members of the royal family had the shortest lives of all, typically surviving only to their mid-forties.
The research team, whose findings were published in the journal Current Biology, said their findings may offer some clues to life extension.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Some things are worth dying for.
Hmmm...married men live longer too.
So maybe it's not hormones, but just not gettin' any.
I bet eunuchs get in less bar brawls as well. That right there could help them live longer - I’ve had some close calls in my day...
In Korea, castration was for the Chosun few....
That comment could land you in deep kimchee...
“Hmmm...married men live longer too.”
Question: Why do men almost always die before their spouses?
Answer: Because they want to.
I know I’d been better off had I been castrated early. No prostate cancer or an ex wife.
Oooh, that was terrible. :)
That’s funny... The army doctors always told me that masturbation was the key.
But you never know...Napoleon had the reputation for hiring some real quacks.
;^)
After you get castrated, they will come out with another study contradicting the original......
Nicely played!
My favorite example of why women live longer than men...
http://skunksoup.com/2011/10/just-for-fun/photos/why-women-live-longer-than-men/2
So much humor...So little time...Only one hand. Story of my life.
Pardon me, I have to go clean my musket...
:^O
This explains why senators stick around so long.
The good news: It is a bunch of politicians who must be castrated, not you...
Stupid Liberals! But I guess this is good for conservatism!!! =)
She answered, "I think it's your best bet."
(From Woody Allen's Love and Death. The maiden was played by Diane Keaton.)
Some folks believe they are alive just because their heart is beating. As for me, I live life, I live it my way and I would not voluntarily give up any usable parts. ;>)
Finally, we know how Reid has managed to live so long.
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