People living in the four regions described below experience several factors in common. These factors have been established worldwide to improve health and longevity:
First: The consumption of fresh vegetables
Second: Regular physical activity or exercise
Third: Good, helpful social contacts
A scientific explanation of the first two factors can be found in: How to Achieve a Long Healthy Lifespan.
The following is a summary of dietary information from the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Sciences together with a summary of an article written by journalist Emily Laurence in the online lifestyle publication Well + Good dated July 22, 2020. The Emily Laurence article summarizes dietary information on longevity in the regions of Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica. The information was provided to her by Dan Buettner a National Geographic investigative journalist and New York Times best selling author together with Robert Agnello, a family medicine physician, pain management specialist and assistant professor in family medicine at Campbell University.
In the article Emily writes, “Imagine living to be over 100 with literally no health problems. You’re still able to walk around your neighbourhood or work in your garden, your memory is intact enough to recall your favourite childhood memories, and you’re not taking any medication whatsoever. That isn’t just a dream for some people; it’s the norm for those living in Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica”.
Okinawa, Japan:
The article states that in Okinawa, there exists the highest concentration of female centenarians in the world. Okinawan women have a much lower rate of breast cancer than women who live outside Okinawa. The Okinawan diet consists of the regular consumption of tofu which is consumed in almost every meal of the day. According to the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Sciences, the tofu is made from mineral rich ocean water. Ocean water contains a high concentration of magnesium (1.3 grams per litre).
Okinawans also regularly eat seaweed, harvested from the ocean, which contains additional compounds that reduce inflammation.
Information from the Okinawan Centenary Study shown below compares the number of centenarians in Okinawa to the number of centenarians in some other areas.
Number of Centenarians per 100,000 People
- Okinawa 81
- Japan (total) 48
- France 37
- Italy 32
- USA 20
Ikaria, Greece
Information about longevity in Ikaria, Greece, is extensive. The Emily Laurence article states that the rate of cardiovascular disease in Ikaria is half what it is in the USA. In addition, dementia is only one-fifth of the USA rates. The diet in Ikaria is rich in locally grown vegetables, fresh fish and other fresh seafoods, wholegrains and olive oil. Food such as squid, octopus and mussels contain an identical concentration of magnesium in their body fluids as exists in the ocean. Ocean water contains a high concentration of magnesium (about 1.3 grams of magnesium per litre).
An article published in the Daily Mail by the journalist Shannon MCGuigan states that because people live so long in Ikaria, and despite having good memories, the Greek island of Ikaria is famously called “The island where people forget to die”. The article highlights the life of a man from the USA who was given six to nine months to live in 1976 due to lung cancer and after moving to Ikaria he survived another 45 years.
Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia has multiple times the number of centenarians than the USA. For the most part, people harvest their own vegetables and other foods and consume fresh ocean fish and other fresh seafood. The ocean fish and ocean seafood are rich in magnesium.
It is stated that just like the tofu in Okinawa, the bread in Sardinia is prepared differently to other areas of the world. The bread in Sardinia is a type of local sourdough.
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
The article by Emily Laurence states that Nicoya has the lowest rate of middle aged mortality in the world. “People reach their early to mid nineties without heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancers, dementia, or obesity. They live a long time and stay sharp to the very end”.
Dan Buettner tells Emily Laurence: “The longevity all-star food is beans. If you are eating a cup of beans a day, it is probably worth an extra four years of life expectancy”. Beans are recognised internationally as a rich source of magnesium. In addition to beans, other foods rich in magnesium include spinach, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
According to the USA Department of Health NIH website: only 30% of dietary magnesium is absorbed by the body – so, a rich source of magnesium is vital for optimal body cell function. It should be noted that the NIH website states that the best forms of magnesium to consume are those forms that are soluble in water and hence more completely absorbed from the intestines. The USA National Academy of Sciences and multiple published health studies throughout the world have identified that magnesium consumed in drinking water is beneficial to human health and longevity.
