There are so many superheroes in Marvel movies. Among Black Widow, Captain America, and the Hulk, who is the healthiest and longest-lived?

Written by: Zhu Hengheng

Editor: Wang Haha

Layout: Li Xuewei

Marvel superheroes are undoubtedly an extraordinary group. They are unique, have outstanding abilities, and may live longer than ordinary people. In particular, except for Thor and others, most Marvel superheroes are ordinary people, and their health conditions and various living habits are more acceptable to ordinary people.

Recently, researchers from the Health Services Research Center at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, chose to analyze the well-known Marvel superheroes in order to help people better understand the relationship between environmental factors and health levels in later life. After watching 24 Marvel movies, they summarized the positive and negative behaviors of Marvel superheroes, and gave detailed introductions in combination with 5 individual superheroes (Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Black Panther and Spider-Man) to guide people on how to better understand a healthy old age.

The related research was titled “Anticipating the ageing trajectories of superheroes in the Marvel cinematic universe” and was published in the authoritative medical journal BMJ.

How to age healthily?

Since the last century, with the acceleration of industrialization and the rapid development of human civilization, more and more countries have begun to enter an aging society. At the same time, at the end of the last century, in order to accelerate economic development, China implemented a strict family planning policy while vigorously carrying out reform and opening up, which further accelerated the aging process of China.

According to the latest census data, in 2020, the population aged 60 and above was 264.02 million, accounting for 18.70%; among them, the population aged 65 and above was 190.64 million, accounting for 13.50%. Compared with 2010, the proportion of the population aged 60 and above increased by 5.44 percentage points. In terms of provinces, there are 16 provinces with a population aged 65 and above exceeding 5 million, and 6 provinces with an elderly population of more than 10 million.

According to the United Nations standard, a society is considered aging when the population aged 65 and above accounts for more than 7%, and a society is considered deeply aging when the proportion reaches 14%. Obviously, China is already very close to being a deeply aging society.

(Source: Pixabay)

However, most other aging countries experienced population aging as early as the last century and have better experience in dealing with population aging. In contrast, China's population aging process is fast and the response measures are not yet sufficient. Therefore, in order to better deal with the aging problem, we must be fully prepared.

Whether it is to cope with the aging population or to live a happy old age, it is very important to have a healthy body in old age. A healthy old man can be self-sufficient and reduce the need for care, avoid drug treatment and hospitalization to reduce medical insurance expenses, and even help care for other elderly people. Therefore, for the prosperity of the country and the happiness of individuals, we need to maintain a healthy state in old age.

So, how can we stay healthy in our later years?

As we all know, healthy aging is very important for improving the happiness of the elderly in their later years and reducing the national medical burden. Generally speaking, the health level of the elderly is mainly determined by genetic factors and environmental factors. Among them, genetic factors are fixed and cannot be changed, while environmental factors can be modified.

Therefore, in order to help the public better understand how to age healthily, researchers conducted a systematic analysis of 24 Marvel movies, summarized the behaviors of superheroes, and divided them into positive and negative behaviors.

Positive Behavior:

Marvel superheroes tend to be physically active, socially engaged, optimistic, well-educated (with one notable exception), and at a healthy weight, all traits that contribute to healthy aging.

First of all, exercise. Most Marvel superheroes are in good shape and exercise regularly, especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which can significantly improve the health of the elderly. Even when discussing how to stop aliens from enslaving humans, these superheroes stand up and walk around from time to time to avoid sitting for long periods of time, which can significantly reduce mortality in old age.

Next is social engagement, where these superheroes have high levels of social cohesion and connectedness, which can significantly reduce dementia risk. In general, people with strong social connections tend to live longer than isolated people.

At the same time, superheroes generally have a good positive attitude, and can maintain a sense of purpose and psychological resilience no matter how difficult the environment, which is also very important for healthy aging. In addition, with the exception of Thor, the vast majority of superheroes do not drink or smoke, which is obviously crucial for health and longevity.

Of course, since most superheroes are human, there are some unhealthy behaviors.

Negative behavior:

The negative behaviors of superheroes are mainly caused by long-term exposure to noise, pollution, and physical injuries, especially head injuries, caused by high-risk sports activities.

For example, many superheroes repeatedly come close to exploding planets or are exposed to loud noises during military operations, which can cause hearing loss in their later years and increase the risk of dementia. Some superheroes, such as the Hulk and Thor, speak in loud voices, which may be a sign of early hearing loss.

Of course, they fight a lot, and head injuries can increase the risk of dementia, and body injuries can easily leave them disabled.

Which superhero is healthier?

To better help everyone understand how to age healthily in old age, researchers also conducted "superhero health" checks on Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, Black Panther and Spider-Man.

(Source: Marvel)

Iron Man:

As a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, Stark's intellectual level and social and economic status are beyond doubt, which will significantly reduce his risk of dementia. At the same time, Stark lives in a big city, has advanced medical care, and eventually has a happy marriage with Pepper Potts, which will help him age healthily.

However, it is not clear whether Stark's armor can provide enough protection from gravity and radiation when he enters space, otherwise his chances of suffering from osteoporosis and malignant tumors will be greatly increased. At the same time, multiple physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder also threaten his health. The most worrying thing is his chronic heart disease, and it is unknown when it will take his life.

(Source: Marvel)

Hulk:

Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk when he has tachycardia, with his heart rate approaching 200 beats per minute, which means he may have heart disease and is extremely prone to arrhythmia, significantly increasing his risk of stroke, dementia and death.

At the same time, Hulk's body mass index (BMI) is close to 120. Although being overweight is closely related to being able to resist being beaten, obesity still significantly increases the risk of all-cause mortality and the risk of multiple chronic diseases. In addition, the Hulk is almost always in a state of anger, which increases the risk of inflammation in the body.

(Source: Marvel)

Black Widow:

Natasha Romanov was taken away from her family to be trained as an assassin and spy. Unpleasant childhood experiences, including abuse, neglect, and interpersonal conflicts, significantly increase the risk of mental illness. At the same time, forced sterilization leads to the cessation of ovarian function, which can lead to a series of conditions such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and depression.

(Source: Marvel)

Black Panther:

Thanks to Vibranium, Wakanda is the most economically and technologically advanced country in the world. As a king, T'Challa has enough privileges that his education, wealth, and social status are closely related to longevity and health. Black Panther is also a vegetarian, and a plant-based diet reduces obesity and cardiovascular disease.

However, he has long been taking a potion made from a heart-shaped herb to improve his physical and mental abilities and grant him super powers. The effects of this drug on the body are still unclear. But according to current experience, drugs that enhance human performance have great side effects, such as stimulants.

(Source: Marvel)

Spider-Man:

Peter Parker is an orphan who lost his parents prematurely and suffered from a series of problems such as drug abuse, unbalanced diet, psychological immaturity, inferiority, etc. Fortunately, the company of his aunt can alleviate these problems to a certain extent.

As Spider-Man, his spider-related abilities, including strength, agility, and flexibility, could reduce his risk of falls in his later years. However, as a teenager, Spider-Man often fought crime late at night, which obviously did not guarantee 8-10 hours of sleep. Insufficient sleep in adolescents can lead to obesity, fatigue, and increased risk of accidental injuries.

It is undeniable that Marvel superheroes have made great efforts in protecting the security of the multiverse, creating artificial intelligence, and space travel. In the future, I hope they can focus on the issue of global aging and provide high-quality, healthy social care and life for billions of elderly people in the multiverse.

References:

https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj-2021-068001

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/937467

Source: Academic Headlines