Foods Consumed by the Healthiest People
Part 4 - Ikaria
The other day I read a couple of nutrition articles in
a Chiropractic publication that covered topics that I have previously
addressed in detail. The authors cited positive studies to support their
positions but the ignored negative studies that easily dominate the
literature in both cases. As I was reading those articles and muttering
words that are unfit to print, this thought crossed my mind - 'what
percentage of the readers realized what they just read was akin to two
pundits from the same political party telling the audience they were
getting both sides of a given issue.' Those of you who have been reading
this series (see Andersen, G D. Foods Consumed by the Healthiest People
parts 1-3. Dynamic Chiropractic 2011) know that the reporting I have
encountered in researching this series have generally ignored the politically
incorrect foods people around the world known for extreme longevity
consume. Today's installment is slightly different because the unhealthy
omissions regarding Ikaria also include lifestyle.
Lifestyle and Longevity
Lifestyle is every bit as important as diet is—and
in some cases probably more important. In fact, 4/5 longevity hot spots
have similar lifestyles in that activities of daily living provide plenty
of exercise -- they don't have maids or gardeners and when something
breaks they fix it themselves – or with the help their neighbors
and vice-versa. Meals are often prepared from scratch, they wash the
dishes by hand and line dry the laundry. Ikarians have live low 'clock
stress', spend their days doing things rather than sitting in front
of screens. They also have strong social/spiritual/family situations.
Ikaria, Greece
Ikaria is a mountainous 99 square mile Greek island that
is closer to Turkey than it is to mainland Greece. The rocky island
of ~ 8300 has a temperate climate and claims the highest percentages
of 90 year olds in the world. In 2009, a team of researchers sponsored
by National Geographic and the American Association of Retired Persons
(AARP) spent 3 weeks in the spring of 2009 studying demographics’
of Ikarians.1 In 2010 the Ikaria Study was published.2 Together they
provided a host of interesting statistics on those 90 and above:
*Over 1% of Ikarians are currently 90 or older which is 10 times the
0.1% rate in the rest of Europe.
* The ratio of women to men aged 90 or older was 1.1 to 1 (100 women
for 90 men.) The global ratio is almost 3:1 (100 women for 35 men).
*In Ikaria, 3/9 will live to be 90 compared to 1/9 baby boomers born
in America. (between1946-1964). The statistics of those over 80 years
old are also impressive.
The statistics on 80 year olds were also interesting:
*Worldwide, 1% of the people on earth are over 80 years old. In Europe
and America, it's 3%. On Ikaria it's over 10%.
*The subjects in the study who were 80 or older had parents whose average
life expectancy was calculated to be 78 years. Based on their turn-of-the-century
dates of birth that was a staggering 23 years longer than the life expectancy
of 55 for the rest of the Greek population who were born in the early
1900's.
But the most amazing statistic of all was the virtual
absence of dementia. In 2009, the AARP - National Geographic sponsored
investigation interviewed 1/3 of all living 90 year olds on the island.
When the data was compiled, they realized none of the subjects in their
huge sample size had dementia! For purposes of comparison, 40% of those
who reach 90 in America have various degrees of dementia ranging from
mild cognitive impairment to full blown Alzheimer’s disease.
The Blemishes
A full 82% of Ikarian men over 80 are former smokers
and 17% are current smokers. That is 97% and few are reporting it. (Smoking
rates for Ikarian women over 80 are much lower: 25% were former and
7% are current smokers.) Ikarians eat a lot of potatoes ––
a food that has fallen out of favor by many (this author not included)
in this anti-carb cycle we currently live in. Bedtime for most Ikarians
is well after midnight (2 am is average). Although they sleep late and
take naps, it's not hard to imagine the headline many want (consciously
or unconsciously) to avoid “Smoke, stay up late, eat potatoes
and love to be 100.”
The Ikaria Study2 of 1430 inhabitants included 187 people
(89 m, 98 f) who were 80 and older. See tables 1,2,3 which were adapted
from the published results.
Table 1
Average daily energy intake (kcal/day) in Ikarians age 80+ MEN
1425 ± 532 WOMEN
1087 ± 460
Table 2
Ikarians age 80 + Weekly Food Intake
FOOD GROUP MEN
Times/week* WOMEN
Times/week*
Olive oil 6.8 ± 2 .7 5.3 ± 2.5 <.001
Cereals 1.7 ± 2.5 0.9 ± 1.7 .02
Fruits 5.5 ± 3.1 3.9 ± 2.7 .001
Vegetables and salads 4.8 ± 2.8 3.5 ± 2.8 .004
Legumes 2.0 ± 1.5 1.3 ±1.1 .001
Fish 2.1 ± 1.6 1.5 ± 1.2 .001
Potatoes 3.3 ± 0.9 3.1 ± 0.8 .20
Sweets 1.2 ± 2.4 1.3 ± 2.1 .88
Red meat and products 1.8 ± 1.9 1.2 ± 1.4 .02
* may be multiple servings each time a food is consumed
Table 3
Ikarians age 80 + Daily Beverage Intake MEN WOMEN
Alcohol drinking (oz/day) 6.3 ± 6.1 4.0 ± 3.9 .04
Coffee drinking (oz/day) 11.5 ± 8.8 9.9 ± 7.7 .25
Tea drinking (oz/day) 3.7 ± 2.8 3.3 ± 3 0 .53
* Adapted from ref 2
When we contrast the study findings with two Ikarian experts,
–
1. Dan Buettner, one of the leaders of the 2009 AARP-National Geographic
sponsored study stated: “ The Ikarian diet includes an abundance
of local vegetables, eaten in season. Wild greens are a staple, and
these greens contain a ton of antioxidants and other cancer-fighting
nutrients. Fruits and nuts are in abundance, as are olives and olive
oil. Whole grains and potatoes are eaten in moderation, and red meat
is eaten only occasionally. Goat milk yogurt is traditional, and many
older Ikarians will drink goat’s milk as well. Local wine provides
another source of antioxidants, and the wine is produced in small quantities
(not for export) from grapes that are not sprayed with chemicals. It's
very high in olive oil; it's very high in fruits and vegetables. It's
also very high in greens; about 150 kinds of veggies grow wild on the
island. These greens have somewhere around 10 times the level of antioxidants
in red wine. And though they live on an island, Ikarians don't eat much
fish. Ikarians drink herbal teas every day, morning and night.”
1
2. Chef, author and American of Ikarian descent Diane Kochilas (who
teaches Ikarian cooking) stated: “The traditional Ikarian diet
is a typical poor-man's Greek-island diet. It mirrors what grows or
is produced locally. First and foremost among the raw ingredients of
Ikarian cooking are wild edible greens and herbs. Dozens of varieties
(Buettner counted 70), rich in antioxidants and minerals, blanket the
island. Ikaria also boasts wild mushrooms, an excellent source of amino
acids, carotene, antioxidants and proteins similar to animal proteins
with none of the bad stuff; beans, which speak for themselves as excellent
protein sources; high-fiber taro root; nuts (mainly walnuts, almonds,
and chestnuts), stone fruits, apples, pears, grapes, figs and whole
grains. Pumpkins and squashes are still a significant part of the seasonal
diet, from late summer to winter. All these foods were in the typical
larder while most of today's 90-year-old islanders were growing up.
They are still important in the local diet, although meat is consumed
much more now than it was a generation ago. Olive oil, in profuse amounts,
runs free in almost every dish, including a number of sweets, on Ikaria.”
3
we see once again what an ill defined science this can be. Buettner
commented on the large amounts of goat milk which was totally ignored
in the beverage section of the Ikaria study. Kochila mentioned taro
root in the quote above and went on to state taro it is “something
of a national food” and “remains one of the main sources
of starch, especially in the winter.” Yet, it wasn’t mentioned
as a major calorie source in the Ikaria study. (See table 2 above) Finally
there are claims that the honey produced on Ikaria has immune enhancing
properties and that the radioactive hot springs many use are beneficial
for health in a yet to be determined manner.
1. Buettner, D. Ikaria - Long Lived People and No Dementia!
www.realbalance.com 1-13-10. Accessed
1-5-11.
2. Panagiotakos, DB Chrysohoou, C Gerasimos Siasos, G et al. Sociodemographic
and Lifestyle Statistics of Oldest Old People (>80 Years) Living
in Ikaria Island: The Ikaria Study. Cardiology Research and Practice
(2011), Article ID 679187, 7 pages doi:10.4061/2011/679187
3. Kochilas, D. Greek Longevity Diet. Posted 2-16-11; accessed 1-9-12
www.zesterdaily.com/cooking/820-greek-longevity-cuisine