How I Got to 101

How I Got to 101 By W. Gifford-Jones MD and Diana Gifford My life has been marked by good fortune. Yes, I inherited good genes and followed a sound lifestyle. But I’ve also had the luck of the Irish. I often think about those people who lead a sound lifestyle, but who get terribly unlucky. These are people, sometimes in the prime of life, and through no fault of their own, die from accidents, infections, cancer, or dozens of other common and rare diseases. My life nearly ended when I had a severe heart attack at 74 years of age. I was advised by several cardiologists in Toronto and others I knew internationally of bad news. They said I would be dead in a few years or less if I did not take cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs). But I had witnessed severe complications among those taking CLDs. I knew, for instance, 25 percent of those on long-term treatment developed type 2 diabetes, not a good disease, as well as muscle pain and neurological problems. My cardiologists were not amused when I said no to CLDs. I had interviewed Dr. Linus Pauling, a two-time Noble Prize winner. He was convinced that the societal increase in heart attacks and cardiovascular disease was due to a deficiency of vitamin C. None of my esteemed professors at the Harvard Medical School had told me that humans, due to a genetic mishap eons ago, had lost the ability to produce vitamin C. But all other animals, except the guinea pig, make their own vitamin C. I made the decision to take large amounts of vitamin C. Pauling had told me that he took 20,000 milligrams (mg) of C daily. I decided to take 10,000 mg of C daily and have done so for 28 years. My cardiologists are now dead, and I am still on this planet. I now live in a retirement residence, and I offer a summary of my advice in a new book called Healthy Retirement Residence Living: What Does the Doctor Say? It’s available for purchase at www.docgiff.com. Seniors in any circumstances, but especially in retirement residences, need to hear this message. Pauling was right that we can fight the effects of aging and poor health with high amounts of vitamin C. It’s not feasible to get the high doses needed through diet; you must supplement. And when you take high doses of vitamin C, it circulates to all organs of the body, generating positive effects for cardiovascular health and much more. So for 28 years, I have been taking tons of C, and I believe it has kept me alive. When will medical schools start to train physicians to consider natural remedies before leaping to pharmaceutical treatments that involve risky complications and great expense? When will doctors ever learn to read history and uphold the Hippocratic oath? “First, do no harm.” I’ve been lucky that I became a medical journalist. It was the necessity of investigating new topics to write about each week that made me an inquisitive physician. At 101, I am no less insistent on my quest to help people lead healthier lives. I do this by promoting Giff’s Own CardioVibe, my own “forever formula” that is a combination of vitamin C, lysine, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, quercetin, and proline, in a powdered form that allows ease in taking high amounts, in divided doses, over the course of the day. It’s available at giffsown.ca. I wish everyone the best of luck – but also advise not to count on it. Longevity means hard work in making healthy lifestyle choices, starting at a young age, and never wavering. Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones