Thursday, September 27, 2012

Living like Ken: An option for men?

A recent study conducted by scientists of the University of Inha in South Korea, showed that eunuchs–men that have been castrated, who existed there for centuries—were able to live a longer life. After studying the genealogical records of the members of the imperial court of the Chosun Dynasty (from 1392 to 1910 D.C.), scientists discovered a range of life of 14 to 19 years longer than common men.


This recent study suggests that testosterone, the primary masculine hormone, might be the responsible for life shortening. According to one of the investigators of the group, this hormone is known for reducing immunity functions and raising the probabilities of heart diseases as its production generates high levels of stress for the body; since castration stops testosterone production, negative effects related to this hormone decrease as well.

Among the number of men considered in this study, 3/81 lived more than 100 years—something that, considering how long ago this was, is a huge achievement. Although some might suggest that this fact was more related to the life style eunuchs had in the imperial palace, evidence shows that they spent the same amount of time inside and outside the palace; even more, kings and male members of the royal family lived for only 40 to 50 years.

Fortunately for us, women do not have to worry about this, as we usually live longer according to statistics; so now is up to you guys to judge and choose: quantity or quality? Can you have both?

2 comments:

  1. I cannot put a finger on the reason for this almost instinctive rejection towards becoming an "eunuch;" nevertheless for me, personally, chopping my gonads off would definitely not be an option.
    For men like me, who would sooner keep their "stuff" safe and intact, I think that the best way to be able to live a long and prosper life is eating healthy food, doing exercise and not getting stressed over minor issues.

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  2. I agree with Ettore, i wouldn't even think of chopping my private parts off because of that. But I have a question, we know that testosterone plays an important role in our growth and our body development as men, so how was this development affected this man by not having the right amount of testosterone?

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