We often stress that animal studies don’t have a one-to-one equivalence to humans because our biology and many other aspects of our existence are so different. However, a new study used something penguins in the zoo have in common with humans to try to gain insight into human aging.
The incredible diversity of human lifestyles makes studying aging difficult. Studies suggest that metabolism and the body’s ability to detect nutrients play a significant role in regulating aging and determining how long a person remains healthy as they age. But all of the different lifestyle factors make it difficult to isolate what is happening.
A new study looked at what happened to wild King penguins when they were transferred into a zoo. The change can mimic humans shifting to the modern Western lifestyle. Just like modern people, the King penguins in captivity lived longer but aged more rapidly, with less time of robust health in later years. In captivity, all of their needs were met, but they were more sedentary.
For humans, advances in medicine and food security have led to longer lives. But rises in obesity levels and sedentary lifestyles can lower quality of life. In that way, the animal husbandry and human experience mirror each other.
The researchers believe that improving diet and physical activity levels could be the key to longevity. In previous animal studies, calorie reductions have increased healthy aging rates. Long-term, accurate dietary data from humans is notoriously difficult to collect because researchers have to rely on people remembering and reporting their diets. But, studies have found that ultra-processed foods may speed aging, regardless of their calorie count.
In the zoo, male King penguins lived, on average, for 20.7 years, and females lived, on average, 20.8 years. In the wild, both sexes lived for 13.5 years. In the zoo, they were protected from predators and accidents. There was plenty of food and attentive veterinarians. But the captive penguins had heart problems, had underactive thyroids, were overweight and sedentary.
While animals are not people, people are animals. This study may not directly correlate to humans. However, we’ll take insight where we can and try to stay active to stay healthy longer!
