Since ancient times, people have been searching for the secret to a long and healthy life, and some scholars have tried to uncover the mystery of longevity from the elderly. In the world, there are five famous longevity villages: Abkhazia in Georgia, Hunza in Pakistan, Vilcabamba in Ecuador, Hotan in China's Xinjiang, and Bama in China's Guangxi.
Internationally, it is widely recognized that genetic inheritance, geography and living environment, social background, and dietary habits are the four key factors for longevity. Besides factors like genetics and environment, a very important reason for the health of the elderly in the world's five longevity villages is their light, balanced, and nutritionally sound diet.
After summarizing, we can find that the diets of people in the five longevity villages have several common characteristics:
Eat a little less to live longer
Don't overeat
Each person consumes 1640 kilocalories per day, which is significantly lower than the average daily standard of 2400 kilocalories for most people. This is equivalent to 74.5% of the calorie intake of the average elderly person.
A varied diet (a mix of meat and vegetables)
In two of the five longevity villages, corn is the staple food. In the other three, coarse wheat flour is the staple, supplemented by potatoes, beans, and other coarse grains, making full use of the complementary effect of proteins. In four of the villages, people drink cow's and goat's milk, eat small amounts of beef and mutton, and often eat eggs and tofu. Their protein intake is appropriate, and their diet is primarily vegetarian with some meat.
Light and simple meals
They consume low amounts of salt and sugar, mainly cook with vegetable oil, and eat little animal fat. This dietary habit greatly reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer.
Eat more vegetables, fruits, and health-promoting foods
For example, the elderly in Abkhazia regularly drink yogurt, eat large quantities of onions, and consume figs, honey, walnuts, and more. Among centenarians, 96.76% eat more than 1 kilogram of fruit daily, and 91.09% consume fruit for more than six months a year.
In addition, the dietary characteristics of the elderly in China's two longevity villages also include: using various beans, tubers, and rice to substitute or supplement their diet; eating gourd seedlings, tuber leaves, bitter greens, wild vine vegetables, and mountain bamboo shoots as vegetables; and consuming various wild fruits and fruits. The centenarians in Hotan primarily eat corn, flour, rice, beef and mutton, and dairy and eggs as their staple foods. Their main vegetables are cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and onions, supplemented by a continuous supply of fruits all year round.