How the “Black Death” Helped the Human Race.

How the “Black Death” Can
Make You Healthier
It might seem strange to think that something like the “Black Death” (also called bubonic plague) can make you healthier, especially since it was one of the most devastating epidemics in human history.
In fact, the bubonic plague is estimated to have killed nearly one hundred million people between 1347 and 1351. For a better understanding of the devastation, the plague wiped out approximately 30% of all Europeans and almost 50% of Londoners in just four years.
But, a new study sheds a different light on the Black Death, and it is not all bad.
The study published in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that, “people who survived the medieval mass killing plague known as the Black Death lived significantly longer and were healthier than people who lived before the epidemic struck in 1347.”
The article indicates that, “the disease targeted elderly adults and individuals who had been previously exposed to physiological stressors.”
A key point here is that the disease did not just target “older” people. In fact…
The 14th-century Black Death was not an indiscriminate killer, but instead targeted frail people of all ages.
Survivors of the plague experienced improvements in health and longevity with many people living to ages of 70 or 80 years, as compared with pre-Black Death populations.
Improvements in survival post-Black Death didn’t necessarily equate to good health over a lifespan, but revealed a hardiness to endure disease, including repeated bouts of plague.
The Black Death, either directly or indirectly, shaped mortality patterns for generations after the epidemic ended.
This is All Very Interesting Information… but…
Why is Any of This Important to YOU Now?
Good question. This study, like just about all studies, is not “the answer.” It shows interesting correlations and raises even more interesting questions.
One such question is, since the Black Death only seemed to kill people with weakened immune systems (the frail), wouldn’t it be wise to do everything possible to strengthen your immune system to its full genetic potential by eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and keeping your nervous system functioning optimally as possible?