Podcast host and influencer Emil Thorup overhauled his life a few years ago and went all in on the phenomenon of longevity – that is, the desire to live longer.
So much so that he weighed his food, took over 40 different dietary supplements daily, measured his sleep, cut out sugar and carbohydrates, threw himself into fasting regimens, and exercised for hours.
At the same time, he shared his health advice with listeners and well-known guests on the podcast 'Lang Levetid' (Long Life). He still does.
But Emil Thorup, who has also faced criticism for his view on longevity, has now changed his perspective on what it takes to live longer and healthier, he says on P1 Debat.
- I hardly take any supplements and barely use gadgets anymore. I use the natural things that already exist – the sun, movement, and foods without any ingredient list, he says.
He has just become a father and goes on many morning walks with the stroller.
- I am very focused on getting light and believe that the sun is perhaps the most important thing we can do for ourselves. I just had a little daughter, so I go out with her and get the morning light, he says.
Emil Thorup has a past as a host on DR and TV 2. Today he is an entrepreneur, influencer, podcast host on 'Lang Levetid', and author of the 2024 book of the same name. (Photo: © Liv Latricia Habel, Ritzau Scanpix)
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Much is achieved 'using completely ordinary things'
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In the past year, Emil Thorup has caused a stir with statements that he thinks one should ditch oatmeal and sunscreen – something researchers and experts have criticized him for and strongly distanced themselves from.
Read also: Emil Thorup lashes out at TV2 after sunscreen shitstorm
He has, however, taken dietary supplements for several years, but today he has significantly scaled back on them and advocates a different path to a long and healthy life.
- I eat omega-3 if I don't get enough fish, but that's really just a food that has been condensed, he argues.
Emil Thorup has previously been a host on DR youth programs such as 'Sexministeriet'. (Photo: © Bjarne Bergius Hermansen)
According to Thorup, much of what one wishes to achieve with longevity principles can be achieved through completely ordinary habits.
- My point is that a great deal of what you want to achieve, if you follow the principles of longevity, can be achieved using completely ordinary things that exist out in reality, says Emil Thorup.
This could be, for example, eating organic eggs from a biodynamic farm, taking plenty of walks in the sun, and prioritizing regular bedtimes instead of measuring your sleep every single night, he says.
Read also: New study: You don't live longer by taking multivitamin tablets
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'This terrorizes the life force out of the individual'
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Anne Sophia Hermansen, culture commentator at Weekendavisen and host of the P1 program 'Damerne Først', is pleased that Thorup has scaled back certain things in his quest for a longer life.
She is not advocating that "everyone should become huge couch potatoes eating shrimp all the time," but most of all she dreams that longevity will be laid to rest once and for all, says Anne Sophia Hermansen on P1 Debat.
- I think there is something incredibly self-centered about the entire wave when it is taken to the extremes, she says.
There has to be a kind of balance, Anne Sophia Hermansen believes.
- Right now it seems as though he (Emil Thorup, ed.) has deviated from many of the more extreme longevity principles and achieved a healthier balance, she says.
- You wake up in the morning, and most of us know perfectly well whether it was a good or bad night. We don't need a tracker to tell us that, says Anne Sophia Hermansen. (Photo: © Linda Kastrup, Ritzau Scanpix)
Anne Sophia Hermansen believes one should use "common sense as a guide" and is disgusted by all the apps that constantly measure our state. They create stress, she believes.
- When I hear stories about 45 daily pills, measuring blood values, sleep apps, and eight to ten hours of weekly sport, I get the feeling that this terrorizes the life force out of the individual, she says.
Emil Thorup, however, does not buy that claim, because even though he has changed his approach, longevity is still his health focus.
- I'm turning 43 in a couple of weeks and have never felt better, and I feel like I'm not giving up anything at all, he says.
Is longevity quackery or the path to a long life? Hear the entire debate in this episode of P1 Debat, where you can also meet IT director Henrik Mølvig, who lives by longevity principles, parish priest Marie Høgh, and trainer and human biologist Anders Nedergaard.
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