Studies have shown that people from the Greek Island of Crete live longer and healthier lives. Diet, environment, and DNA are the key factors in these island peoples longevity.
Environment:
Research has shown that the geography of the island of Crete makes for a healthier lifestyle. For starters living in higher altitudes with rigorous terrain has shown to play a big role in the longevity of the people who are living in the villages high up in the mountains. Some of the benefits are fresh air and peaceful views which lead to less stress, but what plays an even bigger role in the people of Crete living longer is the natural exercise they are forced to get because they have to climb up and down hills and farms to plant and harvest their crops and tend to their animals in the foothills in order to survive. They also don't drive anywhere, if they need to get somewhere like church or a friend's home they always walk because everyone lives close, typically a 25-minute walk ends up burning more calories than going to the gym for the same amount of time. Living at these higher elevations or even at the foothills of these islands, where the mountain springs produce fresh water and the forests are denser has shown to be an oxygen rich environment which makes the air saturated with negative ions which help the entire mind and body from the circulatory system to the digestive tract stay healthier and younger.
Diet:
Diet is the biggest factor when it comes to how long the people of Crete live. It's not uncommon to see people live well past 90 years old without any suffering like heart disease, dementia or alzheimer's. While the average life expectancy in America is 78 years old. Their diet is mostly plant-based greens but also includes, lentils, fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs. Everything is homegrown and organic, they eat what their island produces. The diet yet being very healthy and nutritious has a low intake of fish, very small amounts of meat and very little dairy products. These islanders consume at least 2 glasses of wine with dinner every night. They even grow their own olives and use olive oil in most everything they cook including pastries. All of these types of foods are high in antioxidants and complex carbs which help lower their chance of heart disease and cancer. The typical rules to their diets are: use olive oil as the main fat to cook, lots of plant-based foods like greens, fruits and vegetables, grains and beans like lentils, eat red meat once every two weeks, while keeping fish and chicken intake to once a week, eat small amounts of feta cheese with yogurt on a daily basis but make sure they are low in saturated fats and sweets. Another interesting facti s that they can consume a lot of bread, feta, olive oil and fresh tomatoes followed by a cup of fresh mountain herb tea and still have a good quaity of life.
DNA:
When it comes to good genes Cretans most certainly have them. Cretans also have longer telomere lengths, the longer these chromosome ends are the better they can protect your genetic makeup and cells against damage. Certain people from Crete have special genes that allow them to protect their heart while at the same time consume saturated fats that would normally be dangerous to one's heart. A study showed that people who live in isolated areas are more common to have a special genetic variant in their DNA called R19X. This protective variant protects the heart from bad fats and cholesterol, think of it as a protective shield that keeps the heart free of diseases and lowers triglycerides. Scientists believe the longer your telomeres are the longer your lifespan will be. For scientists, this is a great breakthrough because they can now study these types of variant genes found in isolated populations such as the Cretans and maybe one day be able to prevent one of the most common causes of death, 'heart disease'.
Having some family from Crete and different parts of Greece I can tell you that most of them are still alive well past their 90's and my husband's grandfather lived to 97 years of age and his grandmother lived to be 100 years old. So they are definitely doing something right over there and in different parts of the world called 'blue zones'.
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