Dr Janine Bowring, who is based in Canada and has more than 25 years of experience, shared the tip in a video on TikTok this week, recommending a way to live longer

The keys to longevity are often simple and unsurprising, typically involving a healthy diet and the reduction of harmful habits like smoking and drinking.

However, a unique method suggested by a naturopathy doctor doesn’t involve either. Dr Janine Bowring, a Canada-based expert with 25 years of experience, shared her advice on TikTok this week, suggesting that those seeking a longer life should breathe less.

Bowring proposed that taking fewer breaths than usual could be the secret to living longer. She stated, “The average adult takes 15 to 20 breaths per minute, which is far too much.” She added, ” If you can slow your breathing down to about five point five breaths per minute, that is related now to longevity.”

Bowring pointed out that other animals take significantly fewer breaths than humans and live ‘much longer’. According to her, these mammals only take three to five breaths per minute.

Dr Janine Bowring recommended to breath less ( 
Image:
j9naturally/TikTok)

Animals take fewer breaths than humans ( 
Image:
j9naturally/TikTok)
She continued, “Whereas, a mouse takes 90 to 250 breaths per minute, and they only live two to seven years.”

The doctor added, “Stress, as we know, when we’re stressed out, we breathe more quickly, and we know that stress is definitely correlated with a shorter life, so my tip here is to consciously breathe, slowing down the breath. This is one of the reasons why meditation and yoga can be really powerful and helping you to live longer.”

While Bowring’s theory may seem far-fetched, some studies have found evidence to back it up. A study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital used mice as subjects and found that those kept in areas with lower oxygen levels had a longer lifespan.

The researchers noted that the mice exposed to just 11 per cent oxygen levels lived “50 per cent longer” than their counterparts who were kept in environments with 21 per cent oxygen levels.

Earth.com explained, “The theory is that less oxygen reduces cellular damage and stimulates cells to clear out and recycle damaged components more efficiently, thereby slowing down the ageing process.”

However, without human trials, it remains uncertain whether this theory would apply to people in the same way.