How to Live Longer - Learn from the Okinawans!

When it comes to the subject of longevity, gerontologists point to an ethnic group living in the island of Okinawa, one of the Ryuku islands in southern Japan. "Okinawans happen to be the longest-lived of the longest-lived," says Dr. Bradley Willcox, who is co-author of the book, “The Okinawa Program.”

Okinawans carry genes that help their bodies prevent inflammation and protect them from auto immune diseases. But genetics alone do not seem to be the key factor in their longevity because when Okinawans leave their island, move to new environments and adopt a different lifestyle, they begin to live shorter lives.

This became evident in the 1930s when thousands of Okinawans were recruited to work in rubber plantations in Brazil. The islanders began eating beef which was cheap and abundant. As a result, their life expectancy went down by 17 years and today they live an average of 64 years.

Ironically, the same trend surfaced in the island of Okinawa in the 1990s. Dr. Makoto Suzuki, who co-authored the book “The Okinawa Program,” laments that Okinawan males used to have the highest life expectancy among the Japanese. It started to decline in the 1990s and hit 26th out of 47 prefectures in the 2000 census. Suzuki says that this sad occurence began when the youth started to patronize fast food outlets around the U.S. military bases. As a result of this lifestyle change, many younger Okinawans below 50 have now become obese and suffer from heart disease and premature death.

Scientific Study of Longevity

The “Okinawan Centenarian Study” was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health in 1976. Its primary aim was to find out why and how the island of Okinawa at that time had 400 centenarians out of a population of 1.3 million. This was four times the rate in western countries: the average age at death of the older Okinawans at the time of the study was 81.2 years - 5 years older than westerners.

The 25-year study is the subject of the book, “The Okinawa Program.” Results of the study reveal that the centenarians and the elderly Okinawans are less likely to suffer from the three major diseases afflicting westerners: heart disease, stroke and cancer.

According to Dr. Willcox, if westerners adopt the major lifestyle principles of the elderly Okinawans, they can increase their life expectancy.

"On a population level, it could add five to ten years of healthy life expectancy for most people," says Dr. Willcox. "A lot of middle-aged men will die of a heart attack aged 55 or 60. For those people, it could help add another thirty years to their life expectancy."

The scientists involved in the study say that the “young, clean” arteries of the elderly Okinawans and their low cholesterol and homocysteine levels are due largely to their diet, regular exercise, moderate to no alcohol intake, abstinence from smoking, effective coping mechanisms and a healthy psycho-spiritual outlook.

How to Increase Life Expectancy

The health-conscious Okinawans remain lean well into their old age by eating a low-calorie, nutrient dense diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and unrefined complex carbohydrates. They are partial to sweet potatoes, soy, sprouts, broth-based soups, seaweed, and a plant jelly called “konnyaku,” lean poultry, fish, beans, grains and yogurt. If and when they eat meat, it is usually boiled and the fat is removed.

The elderly Okinawans observe “kuten gwa,” or eating little portions. They eat with the confidence that food has healing powers, a belief called “nuchi gusui.” And they also practice “hara hachi bu” which means that one stops eating when the stomach is eighty percent full. According to Dr. Willcox, there is a twenty minute delay before the stomach tells the brain that it is full, so we should stop eating when we start to feel full.

Dr. Willcox says that the elderly Okinawans eat a diet that is approximately three quarters plant food and one quarter animal food. They continue to live active lives “the natural way” thru dancing, soft martial arts, gardening and walking.

The study also reveals that traditional spiritual beliefs and the sense of satisfaction in life of the older generation are among the factors for their longevity. "They're a very happy, carefree people," says Dr. Willcox.

Quiet time is part of the elderly Okinawans’ daily routine and they pray regularly either at a shrine or in their homes. Dr. Willcox says that westerners can practice meditation to slow down or incorporate other relaxing activities. Listening to music, having some plants and pictures of loved ones around and slowing down for 20 minutes a day could help alleviate stress.

Willcox adds, "Westerners are going from six or seven in the morning, fired up on caffeine all day and taking sleeping pills at night. When we don't have some quiet time, we cannot react well to stress. And stress can accelerate the ageing process."

Social support is also a big factor in the lives of the elderly Okinawans. Many have strong relationships with family and friends.