The Amish society was founded by Jacob Amman, a Swiss minister of the Anabaptist church. Amman taught that people should reject the modern things of the world and instead conform to the teachings of the church. 65% of the Amish in the United States live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
Life within an Amish community is governed by the “Ordnung”, a set of unwritten rules based in Scripture. The Ordnung is what forbids the owning of automobiles, electricity, televisions, radios, computers, education outside of the community, etc. Photographs are also banned because they may stimulate vanity. The reason for the ban on technology is to prevent assimilation of outside culture into the community. Also automobiles would, in theory, disband local ties and a centralized geographic base.
As far as clothing goes, the Amish are restricted to black, white, or muted colors. Buttons are seen as too extravagant and Velcro and zippers are banned. Woman must wear calf-length dresses with their hair (which they are never allowed to cut) covered in white prayer caps. Men wear dark shoes and pants with suspenders, a solid shirt, and a wide brimmed hat when appropriate.
The Amish can be seen as retreatists because they do not accept the cultural goals of advancing in modern business and technology. They become almost like hermits and retreat from society. While they are retreatists, they can also be seen as rebels because they do not adopt the same goals as those associated with modern society. They do not covet or strive for nice home, clothes, cars, or money and rebel against these standards and adopt their own ideals of religion, family, and simplicity.
Amish Population Profile, 2019
The estimated population of the Amish of North America (adults and children) as of June 2019 is 341,900. This is an increase of approximately 12,850 since 2018, a growth rate of 3.9 percent. For a comparison of 2019 to 2010 population data, see Population Change 2010-2019 tables. For a comparison of 2019 to 1992 population data, see also Population Change 1992-2019 tables. North American Amish communities are located in 31 states and four Canadian provinces. Approximately 63% of the population lives in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. http://www.solitarius.org/2015/11/25/changing-season/
With their organic way of life do they live longer or do they have a low expectancy like our ancestors. What is the average life expectancy of the Amish (since they live that type of lifestyle?) With a life expectancy between 2 to 4 years less the your average American. My belief is the restrictive lifestyle of the Amish may cause psychological stress that may impact the length of telomeres in immune system cells.
The Amish Stay Healthier But Die Younger?
Oxidative stress (hard manual labor) can induce. . . DNA damage and expedite telomere shortening. Telomeres in obese women have been shown to be significantly shorter than those in lean women of the same age group. The excessive loss of telomere length in obese individuals was calculated to be equivalent to 8.8 years of life, an effect which seems to be worse than smoking. Together this data than indicates obesity also has a negative impact on telomeres and may unnecessarily expedite the process of aging.
Much like what has been reported that the perception of psychological stress in female caregivers of chronically sick children was related to shorter telomeres in lymphocytes, key cells of the immune system. This offered the first evidence — telomere maintenance potentially mediates the well documented detrimental effects of stress on health. “Other studies pinpoint a relationship between childhood trauma and short telomere length, but the relationship seems to go away in people who exercise vigorously at least three times a week.”
A 2004 study led by Blackburn and UCSF colleague Elissa Epel, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry, suggested that psychological stress may impact the length of telomeres in immune system cells. They reported that the perception of psychological stress in female caregivers of chronically sick children. . .was related to shorter telomeres in lymphocytes, key cells of the immune system. This offered the first evidence that telomere maintenance potentially mediates the well documented detrimental effects of stress on health.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Nov. 29, 2004). In the current research, one study, led by Epel, followed for two years suggest 63 healthy postmenopausal women who were the primary caregivers for a family member with dementia. In an earlier analysis of 36 of these women, pessimism was associated with higher levels of a pro-inflammatory protein often associated with aging and disease states, and with short telomeres.
In a recent separate analysis of the full group of women, an increase in perceived stress was related to an increase in the odds of having short telomeres only in the non-exercising women. Among those who exercised, perceived stress was unrelated to telomere length. In the current analysis of the larger group, it was revealed that an increase in perceived stress over the course of one year… was associated with a decrease in telomere length during that time. These events than can lead to genome instability that can occur in the cell cycle prior to mitosis, specifically in the S phase.
Disturbance to this phase can generate negative effects, such as inaccurate chromosomal segregation, for the upcoming mitotic phase. Where the two processes that are responsible for damage to the S phase are oncogenic activation and tumor suppressor inactivation. They have both been shown to speed up transition from the G1 phase to the S phase, which leads to inadequate amounts of DNA replicative components. These losses can contribute to the DNA damage response (DDR). Replication stress can be an indicative characteristic for carcinogenesis, which also typically lacks DNA repair systems. A physiologically short duration of the G1 phase is typical of fast replicating progenitors — during early embryonic development. Although replication stress has been linked to carcinogenesis, there is also studies that have been conducted which show that replication stress could be used as a treatment for cancer.
A recent study published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control has revealed Amish people have virtually no cancer within their population, and are considered the healthiest people in America. Researchers from Ohio State University originally launched a study on the Amish population to see whether rates of cancer – would be higher due to their lack of conventional medical care. What they found, however, shocked them. The Amish people were found to have lower rates of cancer than the rest of the United States population, so researchers decided to look more closely at their lifestyle choices and diets to find out why.
Most Amish people do not smoke or drink and are typically not sexually promiscuous, leading researchers to believe these lifestyle factors play an important role in the limited number of cancer cases. Other factors examined include the high amount of physical labor undertaken by the Amish. Most Amish people work in farming, construction, and other production jobs that require intense physical activity and keeps them in shape, however, can be the reason they live shorter lives than the general population. While the rest of America sits in fluorescent-lit cubicles all day, the Amish work hard to produce crops, build furniture, structures, and produce useful goods, which researchers recognize contributes to their excellent health. Another important factor not specifically examined in the study is the fact that the Amish grow and raise all their own food. They employ time-tested, organic methods that provide them with healthy fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and other untainted foods that most Americans never get. Also rich in living enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients Amish food is grown and raised the way it should be, resulting in improved health.
While some may ridicule their secluded lifestyle, the Amish commitment to simple, productive lives and clean, local food is benefiting their health in ways that the rest of America can only dream about. When compared to a life of sitting in office buildings all day, eating processed and genetically-modified junk food, and popping prescription medications, it becomes clear which lifestyle is truly deserving of contempt.
In the rare event that an Amish child is autistic, it usually boils down to the child either being adopted after being vaccinated or through public pressure from federal health officials to vaccinate their children. The following article, “Why Don’t the Amish Have Autistic Children?“
Since they have been cut off for hundreds of years from American culture and scientific progress, the Amish may have had less exposure to some new factor triggering autism in the rest of population. The likely culprit: vaccines.
Traveling to the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country in search of autistic Amish children, the reporter, based on national statistics, should have found as many as 200 children with autism in the community — instead, he found only three, the oldest age 9 or 10:
• The first autistic Amish child was a girl who had been brought over from China, adopted by one family only to be given up after becoming overwhelmed by her autism, and then re-adopted by an Amish Mennonite family. (China, India and Indonesia are among countries moving fast to mass-vaccination programs.)
• The second autistic Amish child definitely had received a vaccination and developed autism shortly thereafter.
• The reporter was unable to determine the vaccination status of the third child.
One can easily understand the pressure from federal health officials to get the Amish vaccinated because with more cases of Amish Autism, the less we can use the Amish population as a “Control Group” against the case for vaccinations.
One could surmise that a lack of vaccinations in conjuncture with eating on a healthy (non-GMO) diet would be major factors to consider as to why the Amish do not get cancer and have extremely low Autism rates.
But when it comes to health and longevity, studies are showing that the Amish may be up to something. The Amish rarely get cancer.
In fact, a study published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control found virtually no instances of cancer among the Amish population of Holmes County, Ohio. Out of 26 000 individuals, only 191 cancer cases were identified between the years 1996 and 2003.
Surprisingly, the researchers who conducted the study weren’t expecting to find such a low cancer rate. In fact, they theorized that the Amish would have higher instances of cancer because of their small gene pool, which should have increased the incidence of cancer-related gene mutations. Instead, this small gene pool, combined with a few lifestyle factors, may be responsible for their low cancer rate.
Why Don’t The Amish Get Cancer?
The secret to Amish health lies in their restrictive lifestyle. As you probably know, the Amish are a conservative Christian group that shuns conveniences of the modern world because they believe modern technology negatively impacts humility, family, community, and faith.
While most Amish communities shun modern society as a whole, others are more open minded and may embrace technology as long as it doesn’t disrupt family and community stability.
1. They Lead A Humble Life
Amish families rely on hard labor to survive. In fact, Amish children quickly learn how to build homes and furniture as well as how to tend to the land. This constant exercise maintains their cardiovascular health and keeps their organs and tissues fueled with essential nutrients and oxygen.
The Amish also don’t smoke or drink, aren’t sexually promiscuous, and keep their skin covered from the harsh sun. These habits reduce their risk of developing certain cancers.
2. They Make Everything At Home
Since Amish people shun modern conveniences, they don’t use the chemical-laden products popular in American homes, such as dishwasher soap, deodorant, fragrance plug-ins and toxic cleaning products.
Amish people also aren’t exposed to cancer-causing EMFs in their daily life because they simply don’t own any appliances or electronics.
3. They Eat Organic Food
Most Amish communities grow their own organic food and use heirloom seeds, which tend to be more biological compatible with the human body than GMO seeds.
Plus, these communities don’t rely on herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizer and their meat and dairy products don’t contain any hormones or antibiotics.
4. They Believe In Traditional Medicine
Amish people experience fewer medical interventions throughout their lifetime than other Americans. When they have a medical problem, most Amish families rely on traditional medicine and natural remedies to get their health back on track. Some even prefer reflexologists and chiropractors to conventional doctors (4).
This limits their exposure to liver-damaging pharmaceuticals and the potentially devastating side-effects of conventional drugs.
Although Amish people are often ridiculed for their choices, they do seem to have it right when it comes to living a carcinogen-free life. While joining them may be a bit of a stretch, it’s worth looking into following a more natural lifestyle to ensure better long-term health.
5 Interesting Facts About Pennsylvania Dutch
The Amish people are associated with the notions of simplicity and convention.
The community is synonymous with the unwillingness to conform to mainstream society.
You may believe their insular policy compromises their health. Get ready for a surprise because the Amish community is one of the healthiest around. A look at some facts and figures shows that illness is rare among Amish folk. Learn some of their best practices, and boost your health.
Who are the Amish People?
The Amish are a Swiss Anabaptist community with fundamental Christian beliefs. They have links with Mennonite churches but are distinct from them. They are descendants of a group of Alsatian Anabaptists led by Jakob Ammann.
The Amish speak a variety of West Central German known as “Pennsylvanian Dutch.” Groups of them flocked to Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, and New York from Switzerland in the 19th century.
What makes them stand out is their philosophy of simple living. You can tell an Amish person from their every day, fuss-free garb. The men wear pants with buttons. Women wear long skirts and white headdresses.
The Amish Philosophy
The Amish community bases its regulations on a set of strict rules they call the Ordnung, A literal interpretation of the Bible is a premise for their beliefs.
There community values humility, and it extols the need to be patient with others. Yielding to others is a hallmark of maturity. They place community needs above their own, and keep work and play within the Amish sphere of influence.
Individualism and pride threaten community harmony; the Amish adopt a culture of sharing and a minimalist lifestyle.
Perhaps the most important hallmark of Amish culture is its resistance to modern cultural influences. You will not find telephones or microwaves in an Amish household. The Amish people travel using physical means of transport, often going about on horses.
Notably, much older Amish folk refuse to visit doctors or hospitals, preferring to rely on traditional herbs and remedies when they fall ill.
The Top 10 Health Secrets of the Amish People
You may think that such a philosophy has adverse effects on their health. However, the Amish people seldom fall ill. Research has shown that Amish children have fewer incidences of allergies compared with the kids who grew up on European farms.
Their secrets to good health are straightforward and accessible, yet people of the secular, modern world rarely tap on them.
1. The Amish Shun Vaccines
For a start, they do not get vaccinated, despite pressure from the government. The absence of vaccines may explain why there are few people with disabilities or autism in the community.
2. The Amish Eat Organic Food
One important hallmark of Amish culture is farming. The community is self-sufficient and grows produce that is free of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). The toxins in GMO products cause inflammation. The Amish people are robust, thanks to their preference for natural foods.
Amish people processed foods, which are high in fat, sugar, and artificial ingredients. Because they avoid these harmful excesses, many of them have trim and fit figures.
3. The Amish Diet Consists of Many Healthy Fats
The Amish eat high-fat diets, but the fats they consume are healthy. They take in grass- fed dairy, packed with vitamins A, E, and K2. The incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease in this community is negligible.
4. The Amish are Physically Active People
The Amish community boasts a small, 3% obesity rate. Amish people take an average of 18000 steps a day. According to Professor David R Basset of the University of Tennessee, the Amish show people of the modern era how far they have fallen behind regarding physical activity.
5. The Amish Use Physical Forms of Transport
This community relies on physical forms of transportation. Many of them are expert horsemen and do not rely on tractors to do farm work. The exertion keeps them physically fit.
6. The Amish Live Stress-Free Lives
You will find few incidences of fatigue and heart disease within this community because it bases its existence on cooperation and harmony. Because they do not compete, their lives are relatively stress-free. Stress elevates cortisol, which triggers heart disease in the long-run.
7. Emphasis on Calmness
What also helps to lower stress levels in this community is serenity. The Amish people focus on patience, tolerance and waiting for others. This mindset encourages calmness and pressure-free life.
8. A tech-free Life Removes Health Hazards
The Amish community’s complete rejection of technology explains why many of its people are in perfect health. Radiation from television sets, computers, and mobile devices emit an odorless gas known as radon, which may trigger cancer in the long run. Their back-to-basics lifestyles prolong their lives.
9. More Exposure to Nature
As farmers, the Amish folk has constant contact with nature. They have immediate access to fields and other natural environments. Amish people have less exposure to smoke and other pollutants associated with urban living.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows why a natural setting keeps the Amish healthy. Researchers compared Amish people with the Hutterites, another farming community which shares similar ancestry.
They found that Hutterites were more allergic than the Amish because they lived further away from their cowsheds and livestock.
10. Sense of Community
The Amish take care of themselves. Many of them devote themselves to caring for the elderly and other members of the community with chronic illnesses.
Though they may rely on natural remedies and avoid conventional health practices, many of them do compromise and see doctors when there is an absolute need.
Question: What is the average life expectancy of Amish men and women and what is the number one cause of death in the Amish communities?
Answer: It is the same as for all persons in the United States, no different than for other groups of people. Answer coordinated by THE BUDGET [Editor: According to United States Government Statistics, the average life expectancy for Caucasian men is 74.3 and for Caucasian women is 79.9. The leading cause of death is heart disease.] They live a very quiet secluded life so they probably have a lot less stress than we do. I’m moving out there with them
To the people who are saying that someone would be likely to live longer by not eating processed foods, not being around vehicles or electronics (this is the first time I’ve heard electronics being blamed for adverse health conditions)…how do you reconcile this belief you have, with the fact that humans had a shorter life-expectancy prior to the introduction of these elements?
The reality is, you are wrong in your thinking. It smacks in the face of logic. The specific elements referenced are able to be correlated with an INCREASE in life expectancy, not a decrease. If it were the case that electronics, vehicles, and processed foods were contributors to a shorter life expectancy, then it would not be the case that our life expectancy has increased exponentially, and continues to increase. It’s as if you’ve completely ignored the data, and just decided that these things shorten the lifespan, with the evidence completely contradicting the claim.
It’s simple. We used to have no technology, no processed foods, and no pollution (at least not to any degree other than campfires). However, we did not live longer. We now have technology, processed foods, and pollution. However, we live longer.
This is not to say that these things cause us to live longer, but the simple fact that we love longer with these things present, should be enough to show that they are not the cause of a decrease in life expectancy. Dr. Douglas Vaughan, the lead author of the paper who has been studying PAI-1 for almost 30 years.