Re: Long Lives Well Lived

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

And, imo, it may be advisable when reading all this verbiage, to keep

firmly in mind data depicted in a chart in a link that used to be in

the files here. It showed that life expectancy in Okinawa had

increased considerably between, IIRC, 1960 and 1990.

Those data do seem to argue that it is not the traditional way of

life that is responsible for the current superior okinawan longevity.

Rodney.

>

> Hi All,

>

> Long lives and well lived lives are described below. I was

unaware that male Okinawans now (2000 census) live about as long as

the average male Japanese.

>

>

> Time Magazine

> Monday, Jul. 14, 2003

> Long Lives Well Lived

> By Simon Elegant / Okinawa

> -- With reporting by Mingi Hyun/Seoul, Jakes/Pinghan,

Hanna Kite and Yuki Oda/Okinawa and Tim McGirk/Hunza Valley

>

> Huang Maliang, who is 104 years old, keeps a coffin in her house.

Her two-year-old great-great-grandson plays on it, and Huang herself

uses it as a rest stop on her slow journeys from the open-pit fire in

the back of her house to the front porch. Other family members --

seven Huangs, from five generations -- share the huge, mud-brick

dwelling. They aren't in the least troubled by the sight of the

matriarch sitting atop the rough wooden box. And anyway, Huang says,

lightly tapping the cover with her fingernails, " this one isn't for

me. This is for my youngest son. "

>

> The son in question, a lithe 78-year-old, bounds by in pursuit of

a fleeing toddler. Having caught his prey and carefully wiped away a

smear of dirt from the child's face, he glances up at the

coffin. " Oh, that, " he says. " Yes, that one's mine. Mom's had hers

for 44 years, but it's up at my brother's house. We use them for

storing grain. "

>

> Although they live with these constant reminders of their own

mortality, the Huangs aren't particularly morbid. In the tiny hamlet

of Pinghan, nestled deep among a stand of limestone hills in a remote

region of southwestern China, locals honor an old, national tradition

of buying a coffin at the age of 61. Most of the locals get many

decades of workaday use out of their sarcophagi before pressing them

into service as eternal resting places. That's because the people of

Pinghan and surrounding Bama county, located 250 kilometers northwest

of Nanning in Guangxi province, are exceptionally long-lived. The

county (pop. 238,000) has more than 74 centenarians and 237 residents

who have reached their 90s. That's one of the highest per-capita

concentrations of old-timers in the world, according to Chen Jinchao,

a surgeon who for the past 10 years has run the Guangxi Bama Long

Life Research Institute.

>

> You won't find the county in the Guinness Book of Records because

detailed official birth records only began to be kept there after

1949. But Bama is nonetheless renowned as a place where the sight of

sprightly centenarians is no rarity. Elsewhere in Asia there are

other, similarly fabled pockets of longevity, where, for reasons not

fully understood, life expectancy exceeds global norms by wide

margins.

>

> The Japanese, of course, live unusually long lives -- reaching an

average of 81.6 years. By comparison, in the U.S. the average life

expectancy in 2002 was 77.1 and only 74.5 for men, about the same as

Cuba's. Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture in the Japanese

archipelago, boasts the longest-lived population on the planet, with

an average life expectancy of 81.8. Meanwhile, Japan is currently

home to the world's oldest man (Yukichi Chuganji, 113) and woman

(Kamato Hongo, 115).

>

> At Asia's other extreme, the average life expectancy in

Afghanistan is just 43.1 years. But in neighboring Pakistan there is

the geriatric oasis of the Hunza Valley. High in the country's

northern mountains, it's a place of such pristine beauty and with

such a reputation for fostering longevity that author Hilton

was inspired by a visit there to write Lost Horizon, the 1933 novel

about an isolated valley called Shangri-La whose residents lived for

hundreds of years. Another death-defying region, currently being

studied by gerontologists, is a cluster of villages in Sunchang

county located in South Korea's mountainous southwest, where some

local farmers continue to work the fields until they are well into

their 90s.

>

> Is it something in the water? Why do some communities, located in

disparate places and harboring very different cultures, seem to be

built atop a fountain of youth? Scientific efforts to uncover the

secrets behind these mysterious, mini Shangri-Las have varied

enormously in scope, ranging from a sporadic, amateur attempt by a

busy general practitioner in the Hunza Valley to a quarter-century

study in Okinawa during which researchers carefully amassed and

analyzed data on everything from eating habits to the preferred

hobbies of the oldest of the old (they enjoy playing the Okinawan

three-string sanshin and singing traditional folk songs). There are

tantalizing consistencies in research findings, offering priceless

clues to aspiring centenarians on what it takes to live a long and

healthy life.

>

> You've heard some of the secrets of Asia's most senior citizens

before (probably from your mother): eschew an excess of meat, eat

your vegetables and get plenty of exercise. Other lessons from their

lives are downright depressing, particularly for gastronomes who

regard Asia as a place where one lives to eat rather than the

reverse. For example, it's best to eat only until you are hara hachi

bu, or " 8 parts out of 10 full, " as the Okinawan phrase puts it. An

old wives' tale, perhaps, but scientific evidence has been steadily

mounting for years that gives credence to this simple adage. A daily

diet restricted to between half and three-quarters of the 2,100

calories recommended by the U.S. government appears to boost health

in humans, and an equivalent reduction has extended the lives of lab

rats.

>

> But simply restricting your diet to watercress and celery won't

get you to your personal centennial. There are no magic potions or

simple regimens that automatically bestow longevity. It's the total

package that counts: diet, exercise, mental attitude, family and

societal support -- and, of course, your genetic makeup. Some of the

longest-lived Asians appear to have an extended shelf life hardwired

into their anatomy by their progenitors. " My parents and grandparents

lived until they were in their late 80s and early 90s, " says Hide

Nakamatsu, a 1.47-meter-tall, 91-year-old bundle of life force

wrapped in a white cotton frock, cotton gloves and a bright blue-and-

white bonnet. The headgear is necessary to shade her darting eyes

during her daily game of gateball, a fiercely competitive Okinawan

version of croquet that, in Nakamatsu's case, involves lots of

running from one hoop to the next. Once she's dispatched her

opponent's ball from the field with a sharp crack,

> Nakamatsu returns to the shade of palm trees sheltering the

gateball court. None of her three children, 10 grandchildren or nine

great-grandchildren has ever suffered a major disease, she says; they

rarely go to the doctor. " I suppose it's something I gave them in my

blood. "

>

> Nakamatsu is almost certainly right. Scientists are only just

beginning to unravel how genetic makeup affects aging. But research

published in recent months suggests that a single gene or group of

genes appear to control the aging process. Scientists at Harvard

University and the University of California say a gene related to

insulin production seems to control the onset of aging in experiments

on yeasts and worms. Although the research is in its early stages,

the scientists say there is a high likelihood a similar system for

control of the aging process exists in humans.

>

> The most important genetic factor in longevity is no mystery.

Women live longer than men all over the world, usually between five

and seven years longer in industrialized nations. In Okinawa, as many

as 86% of the centenarians are female, according to scientist Craig

Willcox, one of three authors -- including his brother Bradley -- of

the 2001 best-selling book The Okinawa Program. Researchers think

women might have a not-yet-understood genetic advantage. But DNA

isn't entirely destiny -- men can improve their chances for a long

life by avoiding destructive behaviors, such as heavy drinking, that

most women tend to avoid. " From our studies, genetics accounts for

about a third and lifestyle kicks in for the rest, " says Willcox. " Of

course, if you want to make it to 100, you need a very nice set of

genes. But these days, making it to 90 isn't so hard, with a bit of

luck and a good lifestyle. "

>

> Included in a " good lifestyle " is the avoidance of proven

killers. Few of Asia's ancients smoke; if they once did, they kicked

the vice long ago. Most will happily admit to taking a drink now and

then, though, a habit whose benefits in moderation are well enough

established that they are acknowledged even by such cautious

institutions as the American Heart Association. The Hunza's are

partial to " Hunza water " -- potent wines made from the area's fruits

such as grapes, mulberry and the ubiquitous apricot. Residents of

Sunchang county in South Korea swear by their soju and makgoli, fiery

rice spirits. Park Bok Dong, who is 101, attributes a major part of

her continuing health (until a few years ago she was still working in

her family's rice fields) to her practice of downing several daily

shots of 50-proof soju. Okinawa, meanwhile, has awamori, a distilled

rice spirit that has a whiff of kerosene in its bouquet but is much

beloved on the island. " I used to like to drink a

> lot of awamori when I was young, " smiles Asanori Takemura, a

beaming Okinawan baker who recently turned 93. " I still like to, but

these days I only take one glass a night -- no more. "

>

> Indeed, dietary moderation is a consistent feature of the lives

of the superwrinklies. Protein and animal fat typically play a

minimal role in their menus. In Sunchang, for example, rice and

boiled vegetables are a staple. " The white-rice-and-vegetables-

dominated diet consists primarily of carbohydrate, while remaining

low in fat, " says Dr. Park Sang Chul, who heads the World Health

Organization's aging-research center in Seoul and has spent three

years studying the residents of Sunchang. " Low fat content is one of

the more crucial keys toward longevity. " The story is similar for the

locals of Hunza Valley, says Khwaja Khan, a physician in the Hunza

town of Karimabad who has treated many of the valley's eldest

residents. The Hunza, Khan says, were cut off from the outside world

for centuries by the 7,000-meter Himalayan peaks ringing the valley,

and until recently were forced to subsist on a spartan menu of

apricots, walnuts, buckwheat cakes and fresh vegetables. Many

> cross the century mark, and a few motor on for another 10 years or

longer.

>

> Living in relatively poor conditions in a village free of the

industrialized world's dietary sludge -- and miles from a fast-food

restaurant -- isn't required for long life. But eating habits

influenced by scarcity appear to contribute to health. Says Chinese

longevity expert Chen, the residents of Bama " are not starving, but

for many years they weren't often full, either. " In Okinawa,

researchers found their subjects ate about 20% fewer calories than

the Japanese average -- which in turn is about 20% lower than the

average in the U.S. According to Dr. Makoto Suzuki, leader of the

study of Okinawan elders and one of Willcox's co-authors, a

restricted-calorie diet might reduce the harmful effects of free

radicals -- molecules that occur naturally in the body during

biochemical reactions but that can damage cells and are implicated in

most of the deleterious effects associated with aging, including

cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

>

> Happily, living to an advanced age doesn't depend entirely on

self-denial. Researchers are also trying to pinpoint particular foods

consumed in each of the regions that can help avert the diseases and

disabilities associated with aging. The people of Bama, for example,

cook with oils derived from hemp and the fruit of tea bushes. These

oils are rich in unsaturated fat, vitamin E and vitamin B1 --

antioxidant nutrients believed to contribute to a healthy

cardiovascular system, says Chen, as well as helping prevent certain

types of cancers. Suzuki says Okinawans do most of their stir-frying

with canola oil, which has been widely shown to protect the body

against free radicals.

>

> The Okinawan elders who were part of Suzuki's study got most of

their protein from fish, which provides another so-called good fat:

omega-3. This oil is particularly prevalent in fish such as salmon,

tuna and mackerel, whose established heart-protecting properties are

considered by researchers to be an important reason that Japan's

incidence of heart disease is one-third that of the U.S.'s. Okinawans

have about one-fifth as many heart attacks as North Americans, Suzuki

says, and when they do, they are twice as likely to survive.

>

> The differences in rates of cancer deaths are similarly stunning.

In Okinawa annually, there are an average of six breast-cancer deaths

per 100,000 people; that rate is five times lower than in the U.S.

The incidence of prostate cancer is seven times lower than in the

U.S. Suzuki's team attributes the differences in part to Okinawans'

very high intake of substances called flavonoids, relatively little-

understood compounds that appear to help prevent cancer by

neutralizing the destructive effect of free radicals. " Okinawa's

national dish is a stir-fry called chample, " says Suzuki. " The exact

recipe varies from house to house but the basic ingredients are

always there: tofu, soya beans and goya [a local variety of bitter

gourd]. Those three are all very high in flavonoids as well as other

compounds like isoflavones, saponins and vitamins B and C that

provide protection against free radicals. "

>

> Alas, the inhabitants of Asia's Shangri-Las aren't always immune

to the temptations of modern eating habits. In 1978, engineers

constructing the famed Karakoram highway that links Pakistan with

China blasted a route through the mountains and exposed the Hunza

Valley to the outside world. Since then, says local physician Khan,

consumption of previously unheard-of items such as artery-clogging

potato chips and white sugar has risen sharply. The consequences have

been swift, too. In the past, " people would die from diarrhea or from

falling off cliffs. That was about it, " says Khan. " But now they are

coming down with hypertension, heart attacks and cancer, just like

everywhere else. "

>

> It's a similar story in Okinawa, where the island's youth are

increasingly succumbing to the lure of fast food. " The young people

are eating hamburgers and pork and don't do enough exercise, " Suzuki

says. " Okinawan male life expectancy used to be No. 1 in Japan. It

started to decline 10 years ago, and hit 26th out of 47 prefectures

in the 2000 census. I expect it to decline even further in the next

census. " The change is almost entirely due to a much higher mortality

among younger people, according to Suzuki. " The elders are living

longer but the young are dying younger. " If any further evidence is

needed of the dramatic effect a change in diet can produce, Suzuki

points to the example of an Okinawan community in South America.

Recruited to work on rubber plantations, several hundred thousand

islanders moved to Brazil in the 1930s and switched to eating large

amounts of beef because it was widely available and cheap. According

to Suzuki, they now live an average 64 years

> -- 17 years lower than the Okinawa average.

>

> Still, a healthy diet is hardly the only prerequisite for a long

life. Scientists say another key factor is your mind-set -- that's to

say, the emotional resources that enable you to cope with the

stresses of daily life from missing the bus to enduring the death of

a loved one. Inner strength derives in part from vigorous activity,

mental and physical. Bama centenarian Huang Maliang, for example,

still prides herself on her ability to thread a tiny embroidery

needle, although she no longer works in the fields since injuring her

hip two years ago. Okinawan elder Setsuko Miyasato, 90, still spends

three hours a day tending to her vegetable and fruit plots. " I used

to have someone do the hoeing for me when I was younger, " says the

animated, silver-haired Miyasato, shielding her mouth as she giggles

at the thought. " But I've done it myself since I was 48. The exercise

is good for me. You've got to keep yourself busy. "

>

> That might be a mantra for elders across the region. Okinawan

baker Asanori Takemura rises every morning at 5 o'clock to put in his

shift at the bakery he started 50 years ago. At 93, he continues to

create new confections for the bakery, which specializes in rakugan,

cookies given as gifts on ceremonial occasions such as

weddings. " He's still the boss here, " says Takemura's son Isao. " He's

the one who started the business and he still knows best. "

>

> Isao, 68, is smiling as he says this, but he isn't just humoring

an old man. His tone is respectful, and his father simply nods his

head at being given his due. Such reverence for the elderly is

another constant in Asia's longevity oases -- and it's apparently

healthy. In the Hunza Valley, elders' opinions on critical issues

such as when to plant the barley and the buckwheat are listened to

with reverence. Haji Sikander, an 84-year-old former schoolteacher,

sits with his friends under an ancient chinar tree in the village of

Ganish, watching boys dive into a tank of silty brown, glacier-fed

water. " The elders have always had a command here in the valley, " he

says with satisfaction. " What we say is respected. "

>

> As Setsuko Miyasato sees it, respect is important because it

helps build the inner strength she believes is the key to achieving a

long life. " In the end, it's your mental attitude that's most

important, " she says. " Every morning I wake up and I'm just grateful

for being alive and healthy. You have to try not to worry about

tomorrow too much. Don't get too serious. Don't think too much. Sing

out loud and play your music. "

>

> Don't worry. Be happy. Live long. It might not be quite that

simple, but it's time-honored wisdom from a woman who has lived by it

for almost a century.

>

> -- Al Pater, alpater@...

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Travel.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi all, Until recently I lived on Okinawa. The life expectancy there does seem to be shortening according to my inlaws. This is because younger kids are eating more and more fast food/western style. They now have a phrase which means, "parents living longer than the children" because it is becoming common that older folks that eat the traditional diet are living longer than younger folks who eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. -Ed Posted by: "Rodney" perspect1111@... perspect1111 Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:18 am (PST) Hi folks:And, imo, it may be advisable when reading all this verbiage, to keep firmly in mind data depicted in a chart in a link that used to be in the files here. It showed that life expectancy in Okinawa had increased considerably between, IIRC, 1960 and 1990.Those data do seem to argue that it is not the traditional way of life that is responsible for the current superior okinawan longevity.Rodney.

_______________________________________________________________________

"There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the

thoughts you are thinking and the things you are doing

are right for you. The criterion is: Have they brought you inner peace?"

-Peace Pilgrim

[Guest guest]

Hi Eddie:

Thanks. Do we know where to find data for some relatively recent

period for life expectancy in Okinawa? Those data must be available

from some government statistical agency I would have thought.

And I would not have expected kids eating KFC to have much of an

effect on life expectancy data in the short term, since CVD is

something which only shows its effects on mortality after many

decades of poor nutrition. But certainly changes in diet recently

are very likely to have a major effect perhaps thirty years down the

road.

Even so, it will take a long time for life expectancy to fall back to

the level it was at in 1960, when the vast majority alive then had

lived most of their lives in a much more traditional way.

Rodney.

--- In , Eddie <vlad_storm@...>

wrote:

>

>

> Hi all,

> Until recently I lived on Okinawa. The life expectancy

there does seem to be shortening according to my inlaws. This is

because younger kids are eating more and more fast food/western

style. They now have a phrase which means, " parents living longer

than the children " because it is becoming common that older folks

that eat the traditional diet are living longer than younger folks

who eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. -Ed

>

>

> Posted by: " Rodney " perspect1111@... perspect1111 Fri Jun

15, 2007 9:18 am (PST) Hi folks:

>

> And, imo, it may be advisable when reading all this verbiage, to

keep

> firmly in mind data depicted in a chart in a link that used to be

in

> the files here. It showed that life expectancy in Okinawa had

> increased considerably between, IIRC, 1960 and 1990.

>

> Those data do seem to argue that it is not the traditional way of

> life that is responsible for the current superior okinawan

longevity.

>

> Rodney.

>

>

>

>

______________________________________________________________________

_

>

> " There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the

>

> thoughts you are thinking and the things you are doing

>

> are right for you. The criterion is: Have they brought you inner

peace? "

>

> -Peace Pilgrim

>