Page 5 - May Newsletter

Unraveling the tribute significantly to the increase of “good” HDL cholesterol.

Vegetables are also prominent in the Mediterranean diet. Rich in
Mystery of Longevity water, which hydrates the body, they are also excellent sources
of vitamins and minerals needed to support the immune system.

on Ikaria, Greece Garlic is known to protect both cardiac and brain cells. Ubiqui-
tous in this diet, and traditionally known as an elixir of youth,
garlic actually detoxifies and strengthens the immune system.
Eaten regularly, it can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and
Ikaria, (See Map) a beautiful island located in the eastern Ae- deter the formation of blood clots.
gean, may look like any number of other Greek islands, but
there is one vital difference—people there live much longer than
Omega-3 fatty acids and fish are perhaps the ace in the hole of
the population on the mainland or even on other Greek islands.
the Mediterranean diet. Sardines, salmon, herring, and trout are
excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids and are cardioprotec-
In fact, people on Ikaria live on average ten years longer than
tive.
those in the rest of Europe and the United States. Approximately
one in three Ikarians lives into their nineties.
They are known to help lower triglyceride levels in the blood and
are essential to the operation and development of the nervous
They not only live longer, however, but better, as well—at least
system. They are even believed to deter the development of
where it concerns their health. degenerative dementia.

According to scientific studies,
the island dwellers also have
much lower rates of cancer
and heart disease, suffer sig-
nificantly less depression and
dementia, maintain their sex
lives into old age, and remain
physically active and well into
their nineties.

Ikaria, which is named after
Icarus, the young man
in Greek mythology who flew
too close to the sun and
plunged into the sea, is one of
the five so-called “Blue
Zones,” a name given to five
regions in the world where people routinely surpass average
global life expectancies.
Nuts, including almonds and walnuts, are common in the diet of
The other areas are Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Cos- these areas. All tree nuts are rich in gamma-tocopherol and vita-
ta Rica; and Loma Linda, California in the United States.
min E, which help regulate the levels of lipids, lowering levels of
LDL cholesterol to prevent clogging of the arteries by plaque
Longevity and diet on Ikaria formation.Whole grains are better in general than processed
There are secrets to the longevity of the islanders that scientists
cereals because they retain more of their nutritional value.
have attempted to identify over the last several years. One fac-
tor which all researchers seem to agree on is their diet, charac-
terized by simplicity and natural ingredients, following what is Wholegrain breads, pasta, and rice can easily be added to any
diet, and they can have a protective effect against various types
generally known as the Mediterranean Diet.
of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The diet includes olive oil, the most common source of monoun-
saturated fatty acids, which is also rich in antioxidants. The oil
Diet is an important but not the sole factor affecting the lifespan
has been proven to have cardioprotective properties and to con-