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Resiliency, the ability to cope with and overcome challenging life circumstances, may be an important key to living to be 100 or older. That's the conclusion of researchers in a new study in the Journal of Internal Medicine. They discovered that while African Americans have higher death rates than whites before age 80, after 80, that flips. Once an African American woman reaches age 86 and a man hits age 88, they're more likely to live to be 100-plus than whites. And U.S. Hispanics ages 70-80 have an even greater chance of living to 100.

Fortunately, resiliency can be learned. One lab study found that increasing dopamine builds resilience -- and we know that physical exercise, having a posse, meditating and even eating certain foods, like avocados, bananas, pumpkin and sesame seeds and chicken, can stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain, changing your outlook. You may also ask your doctor to check if you are deficient in iron, B6 or niacin, which help make dopamine. (Do not take these supplements without your doc's OK).

Resiliency also increases with emotional backup. So, when obstacles get in your way, rely on your posse of friends and family and your inner determination to take charge of your future. And we are always here to support you! Many of our favorite ways to take charge of today -- and tomorrow -- are outlined in our book "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and the future of longevity is explained in Dr. Mike's book "The Great Age Reboot."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.