© Nationaal Archief/Spaarnestad Photo/Het LevenA eunuch carrying a weapon keeps an eye on a harem in Tunis, Tunisia, 1931. New research on Korean court eunuchs suggests these castrated men may get a lifespan boost.
It's a life-extending strategy most men probably won't want to pursue, but new research suggests eunuchs live longer than non-castrated guys.
Historical Korean eunuchs - men who had their
testicles removed in order to secure high positions in the palace hierarchy - outlived their non-castrated counterparts by as much as 20 years, the study finds.
The results will be published tomorrow (Sept. 25) in the journal
Current Biology.In animals, castration tends to lengthen life span, likely because male sex hormones aren't great for the health. Testosterone is an
immune-system suppressor, for example, and can also increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.
But in humans, results have been mixed as to whether castration lengthens life span. One study on patients in a mental hospital found that it does, while another on castrated and non-castrated male singers found that it does not.
Nevertheless, researchers have theorized that testosterone's effects may be the reason women outlive men on average. Other research has suggested a
genetic explanation for this life-span gap.
In the new study, Inha University researcher Kyung-Jin Min and his colleagues scoured the historical records from Korea's Chosun (or Joseon) Dynasty, which ran from 1392 to 1910.
Until 1894, castration was a way for men to gain access to political power and prestige in the dynasty. Eunuchs could achieve official ranks and marry and adopt girls and similarly castrated boys in order to maintain a family lineage. Eunuchs and male royal family members were the only men allowed to stay overnight in the royal palace.
Comment:
..."such an occasion does not come without risks."
You can say that again!
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