Three Not-So-Bad Things on Aging and Longevity
A Weekly Newsletter
There’s no denying it: we are constantly bombarded with bad news. A pandemic, climate change, inflation, war, political discord—the list goes on. Here at the Longevity Project, we understand that bad news can be enough to take years off your life, so we want to do our part (however small) to balance the scales.
At the end of the day, though, we’re realists. Good news is hard to come by, no matter how hard you look. So we’ll aim a little lower and without further ado, we are pleased to share our first weekly newsletter: Three Not-So-Bad Things on Longevity and Aging. Feel free to share with others and send us items you want to see included. With some luck, you will see this newsletter (and some more not so bad news) every Wednesday.
Subscribe below to stay up-to-date on all the latest newsletter releases!
JUNE 18, 2025
1. The Big Beautiful Bill, Part 2.
We’re not running for anything, but if we were, here’s another reason to vote for us: we keep our word. Last week, we promised to give you the skinny on the tax provisions of the House budget bill, and just seven days later, here it is.
Sadly, when it comes to politics and newsletters, it’s not always this way. During the campaign, President Trump promised to eliminate federal income taxes on Social Security income (Vice President Harris promptly followed suit), and yet, that idea is completely omitted from the House bill – and is highly unlikely to be included in the Senate version. The campaign promise was popular with seniors, but to be fair, it was always a bad idea: it would eliminate an important revenue source for the Social Security Trust Fund and accelerate its depletion.
Instead, the bill provides for a new standard deduction for seniors of $4,000 for single filers and $8,000 for married filers. That deduction would begin to phase out above $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for married couples. The Senate’s version of the budget includes a $6,000 deduction for seniors, though it has not yet passed the Senate. There are also a wide variety of tax cuts not specific to seniors, though it might help individual seniors, such as the extension of the original Trump tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and raising of the deduction limit on state and local taxes (SALT) from $10,000 to $40,000.
2. It's a Lot To Take In, But We're Calm About It.
Perhaps, just perhaps, that has to do with the rising rates of marijuana consumption in this country, especially among seniors. According to an analysis led by researchers with the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at the NYU School of Global Public Health, cannabis use among adults ages 65 and over has reached a new “high” of 7%. It is not a huge percentage of course but compare it to a mere 1% in 2007 and just 4.8% in 2021.
And who is lighting it up? The sharpest increase was among the more the affluent: those who are married, white, have a college degree, and an income of at least $75,000. Older women also saw a steep increase in cannabis use, although use is still more prevalent among older men. The precise reason for the increase is not known, though legalization obviously plays a large role, and researchers also speculate that it may have to do with the spreading practice of using marijuana to treat the symptoms of chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and Crohn’s Disease.
3. And Speaking of a Plant Based Diet.
Meet Mik Fremont, age 102, a one-time world record holder in the marathon for the 90+ age demographic, and a cancer survivor. Mik credits his remarkable physical well-being – and his recovery from cancer – to a strict vegan diet (and we mean strict: it’s been more than 30 years since Mik has consumed any meat or fish protein). Instead, he favors whole plant-based foods such as broccoli and beans.
Mik may not be a nutritionist, but his advice is roughly consistent with the latest scientific literature, most specifically a study of over one million American adults judging the relationship between diet and healthy aging. The study, led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, evaluated the relationship between well-known diets and healthy aging as reflected in the absence of chronic disease and mental illness and intact physical and cognitive abilities. The study found that the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) – ahead of the Mediterranean diet and several other well-known diets -- was the most positively correlated with healthy aging. The AHEI emphasizes consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats, including omega-3s and polyunsaturated fats (like corn oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil). It’s also a naysayer on red meat, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, sodium, and refined grain, though, Mik please take note, it does support the consumption of a moderate amount of healthy animal-based proteins.
Check out our archived posts here: