Login or Register

The Okinawan Diet & Longevity

Apr 10, 2011 | By Tracey Roizman, D.C.
The Okinawan Diet & Longevity
Photo Credit Healthy fish dish with various vegetables image by Tasosk from Fotolia.com

The traditional Okinawan diet is the diet eaten by the people of the Okinawan Islands, a chain of islands in the western Pacific Ocean between Japan and Taiwan. The traditional Okinawan diet has attracted attention because of the exceptionally long average lifespan of Okinawan people. The diet consists of fruits, vegetables and fish. It is highly nutritious and lower in calories than the Japanese diet, with considerably higher content of certain vegetables and lower content of sugar.

Antioxidants

The longevity associated with the traditional Okinawan diet may be related to its characteristic low-calorie and high nutrient density, according to a study published in the August 2009 issue of "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." The Okinawan diet is particularly high in antioxidant and flavonoid phytonutrients, which may reduce risk for chronic diseases that shorten lifespan such as heart disease and diabetes. The diet emphasizes high quantities of vegetables and fruits and low amounts of meats, refined grains, saturated fat, sugar, salt and high-fat dairy products. The researchers note that the elements composing the traditional Okinawan diet are also found in other diets thought to promote longevity, such as the Mediterranean diet. The Okinawan diet, however, is lower in saturated fat and higher in carbohydrate and includes more functional foods and spices than the Mediterranean diet.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Plant-based diets such as the traditional Okinawan diet promote low levels of homocysteine and other inflammatory compounds, optimal cholesterol levels and healthy blood pressure levels, according to a study published in the 2001 issue of "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Additionally, hormone-related cancers, including breast, ovary, prostate and colon cancer, are minimized by the hormone-regulating effects of this diet. Protection from osteoporosis by virtue of high levels of bone-promoting hydroxyproline is another hallmark of the diet, and high levels of flavonoid and carotenoid antioxidants may be important contributing factors to the longevity-promoting effects.

Exceeding Standards

The traditional Okinawan diet exceeds the United States National Cancer Institute recommendations for a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to prevent cancer and promote optimal health. Okinawans eat an average of seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day and two servings of soy, along with fish several times per week. Other important considerations that round out the Okinawan lifestyle and contribute to longevity include exercise as a way of life, an emphasis on personal responsibility for health and a philosophy that integrates ancient Eastern traditions with modern approaches to disease control that reduce risk and prolong life.

Complex Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates in the form of vegetables compose 90 percent of the traditional Okinawan diet and may contribute to the exceptional longevity of people who eat this way, according to a study in the 2008 issue of the journal "Circulation." By contrast, the Mediterranean diet, another diet associated with promoting longevity, derives more than 40 percent of calories from mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Overarching commonalities among these and other diets that prevent chronic disease include an emphasis on fruits and vegetables and minimization of saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Also the traditional Okinawan diet provides particularly high levels of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.

References

Article reviewed by joyce sexton Last updated on: Apr 10, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments