Japan, which is the country with longest life expectancy and the greatest number of centenarians ( people living of 100 years and beyond). It has the most accelerated growth of ageing in the world. In other words, life expectancy in japanese women increased at a steady rate of near 3 months every year for the previous 160 years. Life expectancy of japanese women in 2016 was 87.1 years.
In Japan, there is a region that is home to the population with the greatest number of centenarians worldwide : the okinawa island, which exceed even the rest of the japanese in life expectancy. The diet followed by Okinawa people, has attracted the interest of many, because they not only live longer but most of them maintain active lives. In fact, Okinawa is part of the five "Blue Zones", which comprise populations with the world's longest lived people and the lowest risk of age-associated diseases. Okinawa is the largest of the Japanese Ryukyu islands, where the traditional diet is very rich in nutrients and low calories.
The Okinawan diet consists of mainly plant foods with 80% of its calories coming from vegetable sources, specifically, whole grains, fruits, legumes (mainly soy), relatively small amounts of fish, and limited amounts of lean meats. The traditional okinawan diet has 20% less calories compared to the typical Japanese diet, and large proportion of coloured vegetables. Sweet potatoes and rice, are the main source of carbohydrates in the okinawan diet.
"Hara hachi bu" - the Okinawan, 2500- years old confucian mantra said before meals reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. This can also be difference in feeling full and feeling satisfied. When you eat with the concept of Hara Hachi Bu, you would stop eating at a time, when you still have capacity to eat some more food. you try to leave the table a little hungry.
Now one of the most consistent research when it comes to extended lifespan or human longevity, which has been strongly proven, is on caloric (or dietary) restriction. Caloric restriction refers to the reduction in the total energy intake by 20 to 40% without causing malnutrition or deficiency in essential nutrients.
Okinawans indeed appear to be one of the few populations in the world that may have experienced long term caloric restriction without significant malnutrition, and this may be linked to their exceptionally healthy survival.
Wishing you good health.
______________
Comments
Post a Comment