Re: Okinawa Longevity - turmeric, garlic, and peppermint

[Guest guest]

Well, after reading the reviews at amazon, yesterday I had to cruise down to

B & N and get " The Okinawa Program " book. It is a wealth of great nutritional

and health information, and has an immense amount of information relating to

herbs and spices, some of which relates to this list.

By the way, this book is about an exhaustive 25-year study of Okinawans,

financed by various foundations and organizations from Japan (4), Canada (2),

U. S. (Mayo Clinic and Harvard) and others. The researchers include MDs,

university level nutritionists, anthropologists and other researchers.

Because the families of Okinawa keep very detailed birth and death records,

ages could be verified. This is important because many other reports of

super centenarians from Russia/Caucasus, Hunzas of Pakistan, and Vilcabamans

of Ecuador have all been discovered to be false. (Yet some alternative

medicine practitioners still hold them to be true.)

The diet portion of this study that produces a rate of 34 centenarians per

100,000 people in Okinawa (vs. 5 to 10 in the U. S.) is 25% fat. That

relates to the 10 to 12% of the McDougall and Ornish, and 20% of Pritiken.

Yet a review at amazon by an Okinawan nutritionist indicates that the current

amount of fat in their diet is 31%, because they are becoming influenced by

Japanese and Western diets, but the study followed those adhering to the

traditional 25% fat diet.

Turmeric is the major seasoning used by Okiawans. The book describes the

many beneficial medicinal effects from this seasoning. " If turmeric is

proved to do even half of what it appears to do, it will be considered an

important medicine. First, it seems to halt the cancer process at all three

stages: initiation, promotion and progression..... " It then goes on to

describe studies which indicate that it fights cancer of the full GI tract as

well as breast and skin cancer. It states too that " It also looks like a

good bet for prevention and treatment of gallstones. Turmeric significantly

reduces cholesterol absorption....and it has the ability to interfere with

the replication of bacteria associated with inflammation of the gallbladder.

This germ-busting effect extends from bacteria to viruses..... " ---also----

" ....It seems to have an impressive ability to reduce pain and inflammation. "

It devotes 2 pages to the benefits of turmeric, including arthritic

benefits.

The book then does a brief review of Western foods and herbs.

It mentions that garlic " supports " the treatment of " ....asthma, candida,

colds, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.... "

Peppermint is mentioned as a tea and as an oil. " Some studies support use of

peppermint oil for gallstones and the treatment of candida fungal infections.

Enteric coated capsules have been used for this purpose..... "

Besides the diet, exercise, and other lifestyle, this book provides an

enormous amount of herbal information, some of which I have seen before, and

some I haven't.

By the way, nowhere in this detail, 25-year study, is there any mention of

calcium outside of the normal diet of the Okinawans. Other sources have

pointed out that this 450 square mile island has a limestone base for their

water supply, and not coral as the coral calcium pushers' claim.

Other interesting facts about from the book:

Okinawa has the highest longevity of any society on earth - 81.2 years.

Italy has an expected lifespan of 78.3 years (U. S. is 76.8), but a cancer

death rate of 135 per 100,000, to the U. S. rate of 132. And Italy is on the

Mediterranean diet!

Thought the list might be interested in the GB related information.

Jay

[Guest guest]

Jay,

Cool stuff. Turmerac is mentioned a lot in liver/gallbladder sites

and cleansing sites. I've even seen turmerac used in health stores in

the 'power' protein drinks for body builders. Turmerac is supposed to

aide in the production, consistency, and flow of bile. Worth looking

into.

Be Healthy.

Barry.

> Well, after reading the reviews at amazon, yesterday I had to

cruise down to

> B & N and get " The Okinawa Program " book. It is a wealth of great

nutritional

> and health information, and has an immense amount of information

relating to

> herbs and spices, some of which relates to this list.

>

> By the way, this book is about an exhaustive 25-year study of

Okinawans,

> financed by various foundations and organizations from Japan (4),

Canada (2),

> U. S. (Mayo Clinic and Harvard) and others. The researchers

include MDs,

> university level nutritionists, anthropologists and other

researchers.

> Because the families of Okinawa keep very detailed birth and death

records,

> ages could be verified. This is important because many other

reports of

> super centenarians from Russia/Caucasus, Hunzas of Pakistan, and

Vilcabamans

> of Ecuador have all been discovered to be false. (Yet some

alternative

> medicine practitioners still hold them to be true.)

>

> The diet portion of this study that produces a rate of 34

centenarians per

> 100,000 people in Okinawa (vs. 5 to 10 in the U. S.) is 25% fat.

That

> relates to the 10 to 12% of the McDougall and Ornish, and 20% of

Pritiken.

> Yet a review at amazon by an Okinawan nutritionist indicates that

the current

> amount of fat in their diet is 31%, because they are becoming

influenced by

> Japanese and Western diets, but the study followed those adhering

to the

> traditional 25% fat diet.

>

> Turmeric is the major seasoning used by Okiawans. The book

describes the

> many beneficial medicinal effects from this seasoning. " If

turmeric is

> proved to do even half of what it appears to do, it will be

considered an

> important medicine. First, it seems to halt the cancer process at

all three

> stages: initiation, promotion and progression..... " It then goes

on to

> describe studies which indicate that it fights cancer of the full

GI tract as

> well as breast and skin cancer. It states too that " It also looks

like a

> good bet for prevention and treatment of gallstones. Turmeric

significantly

> reduces cholesterol absorption....and it has the ability to

interfere with

> the replication of bacteria associated with inflammation of the

gallbladder.

> This germ-busting effect extends from bacteria to viruses..... " ---

also----

> " ....It seems to have an impressive ability to reduce pain and

inflammation. "

> It devotes 2 pages to the benefits of turmeric, including

arthritic

> benefits.

>

> The book then does a brief review of Western foods and herbs.

>

> It mentions that garlic " supports " the treatment of " ....asthma,

candida,

> colds, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.... "

>

> Peppermint is mentioned as a tea and as an oil. " Some studies

support use of

> peppermint oil for gallstones and the treatment of candida fungal

infections.

> Enteric coated capsules have been used for this purpose..... "

>

> Besides the diet, exercise, and other lifestyle, this book provides

an

> enormous amount of herbal information, some of which I have seen

before, and

> some I haven't.

>

> By the way, nowhere in this detail, 25-year study, is there any

mention of

> calcium outside of the normal diet of the Okinawans. Other sources

have

> pointed out that this 450 square mile island has a limestone base

for their

> water supply, and not coral as the coral calcium pushers' claim.

>

> Other interesting facts about from the book:

>

> Okinawa has the highest longevity of any society on earth - 81.2

years.

>

> Italy has an expected lifespan of 78.3 years (U. S. is 76.8), but a

cancer

> death rate of 135 per 100,000, to the U. S. rate of 132. And Italy

is on the

> Mediterranean diet!

>

> Thought the list might be interested in the GB related information.

>

> Jay

>

>

>