Okinawa is one of the largest islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago, located off Japan's coast. The island is located between the Philippine Sea and East China.
Okinawa is one of five regions known as the blue zone.
People living in blue zones have very long lives and healthy lifestyles compared to the rest of the world's population.
The life span of Okinawan people can be caused by several factors, such as genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
Experts believe that one of the strongest influences on lifestyle is diet.
How is the diet of the Okinawan people?
So far, the Okinawan people's diet is still using the traditional diet of the people on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Their lifestyle and diet are believed to give them a long life in this world. The traditional Okinawan diet is deficient in calories and fat but high in carbohydrates.
They consume more vegetables and soy products, although they occasionally still eat foods such as noodles, rice, pork, and fish. But they only consume it in tiny amounts.
In recent years, the habits of Okinawans have experienced a shift in the macronutrient content in their diets caused by modernization in food production.
While low in calories and carbohydrate-based, they now contain more protein and fat. Macronutrient details of the Okinawa diet are 85 percent carbohydrates, 9 percent protein, and 6 percent fat.
In addition, the Okinawan culture treats food not only as a source of energy but also as medicine, as evidenced by the Okinawan people doing and utilizing many traditional Chinese medicine practices.
Okinawans use spices known for their health benefits, such as turmeric.
The Okinawan lifestyle also emphasizes daily physical activity and healthy eating practices.
The health benefits associated with the traditional Okinawan diet have given rise to a mainstream version of weight loss.
What foods do they eat?
Many of the Okinawan diet's benefits are related to their supply of nutrient-dense, high-antioxidant foods.
Essential nutrients are essential for the functioning of our bodies, while antioxidants protect our bodies from cellular damage.
Unlike other Japanese people, Okinawans eat very little rice (rice). Instead, their primary source of calories is sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans, and fibre-rich vegetables.
The staple foods in the traditional Okinawan diet are vegetables, sweet potatoes (purple or orange), seaweed, bamboo shoots, radishes, bitter melon, cabbage, and carrots.
In addition, they also consume green papaya, wheat, rice, noodles, tofu, miso, and edamame.
Whereas meat and seafood such as white fish and meat are only 1-2 percent, so they only eat it occasionally. They also sip jasmine tea liberally and spices like turmeric, which contain antioxidants.
Foods that Okinawans avoid
The traditional Okinawan diet is quite strict compared to the modern Western diet. To follow the Okinawa diet, you have to limit your food intake. These food intakes are:
- Meat: beef, poultry, and processed products such as bacon, ham, salami, hot dogs, sausages, and other cured meats
- Animal products: eggs and milk, including milk, cheese, butter, and yoghurt
- Processed foods: refined sugars, grains, breakfast cereals, snacks, and refined cooking oils
- Other foods: mostly fruit, as well as nuts and seeds
Some low-calorie foods, such as fruit, are allowed, although most are high-calorie foods. While milk, nuts, and seeds intake are limited.
Health benefits of the Okinawan people's dietary practices
The Okinawan diet has several health benefits, often attributed to its high antioxidant content and high nutritional qualities.
Longevity
The most important benefit of traditional Okinawan foods is that they are long-lived. Okinawa is home to people over a hundred years old.
Although many factors affect longevity, such as genetics and the environment, diet and lifestyle are considered the secret of Okinawa's longevity.
High levels of free radicals or reactive particles that cause stress and damage cells in your body can accelerate ageing.
Research shows that antioxidant-rich foods can help slow the ageing process.
In addition, foods are rich in antioxidants, protecting your cells from free radical damage and reducing inflammation.
The traditional Okinawan diet consists mainly of plant foods with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities.
This diet's low-calorie, low-protein, and high-carbohydrate foods can increase human lifespan.
Research shows that a diet limited in calories, carbohydrates, and less protein promotes longer human life.
Reduced risk of chronic disease
Okinawa residents live longer and experience fewer chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
The reason is that the food that Okinawans consume has essential nutrients, fibre, and anti-inflammatory compounds for the body. Meanwhile, their food is also low in calories, refined sugar, and saturated fat.
Sweet potatoes provide the majority of the calories in a traditional diet. According to some experts, sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest foods.
Sweet potatoes provide a healthy dose of fibre and have a low glycemic index (GI). That means it does not contribute to a sharp rise in blood sugar.
Sweet potatoes offer essential nutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C.
Additionally, sweet potatoes and other colorful vegetables consumed by Okinawans contain potent plant compounds called carotenes.
Carotenoids are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that may help prevent heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
although more research is needed to understand better how the Okinawan diet may contribute to human longevity. But knowing the Okinawans' culture, lifestyle, and healthy eating patterns has become necessary information for us if we want to live a long life.
References:
History and characteristics of Okinawan longevity food
Healthline,