Tropicana Magazine May-Jun 2016 #107: The Glam Issue

HEALTH
Nutrition
AND LONGEVITY
WORDS SHEREEN KHOO PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCKPHOTO
WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE VARIOUS NUTRIENTS
PRESENT IN YOUR DAILY DIET.
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, a
newborn Malaysian female in 2015 is expected to live to
77.4 years and a newborn Malaysian male to 72.5 years.
Undeniably, nutrition offers the means to improve health
and appears to be one of the major determinants of
successful healthy ageing. Taking a look at the eating habits
of population groups who have a longer lifespan and live a
life relatively free of chronic diseases may offer an insight
into what constitutes a good ‘anti-ageing’ diet.
THE GREEK VERSION OF MEDITERRANEAN DIET
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the top
killer in Malaysia in the year 2010 was coronary heart disease.
Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases are also the number 1
cause of death, killing an estimated 17.5 million people in
2012. What this data tells us is that people are more likely to
succumb to heart disease than they are to any other diseases,
including cancer. Therefore, it is imperative that we look into
a diet that protects against cardiovascular diseases.
The Mediterranean Diet has been touted as a heart-healthy
eating plan for good reasons. Although the consumption
of added fats in Greece is higher than the total fat intake
in the United States, incidences of heart disease as well as
colorectal, breast and prostate cancer is higher in the United
States, suggesting that these differences are not so much
affected by the amount of fat consumed than they are by
the type of fat and other components in the diet. So, what is
the determining factor that makes the Mediterranean Diet
(the traditional Greek version) a heart-healthy one? Key
components of the Mediterranean Diet include:
• High intake of plant-based foods, such as fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Residents
of Greece average six or more servings a day of
antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
• Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil.
More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet
come from olive oil, a source of monounsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated fat is a heart-friendly fat that doesn’t
raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour foods.
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month.
Substitute fish and poultry for red meat. Stay away from
sausage, bacon and other high-fat, processed meats.
• Drinking red wine in moderation. The Mediterranean
diet typically includes a moderate amount of wine,
usually red wine. This means no more than 5 ounces of
wine daily for women and no more than 10 ounces of
wine daily for younger men.
OKINAWAN DIET
It is generally accepted that the Japanese are the world’s
longest-living people. According to WHO, the life
expectancy of a newborn Japanese male is 80 years and a
newborn Japanese female is 87 years. Within Japan, the
residents of Okinawa have the longest life expectancy.
Indeed, the Okinawans are known for their long average
life expectancy and high numbers of centenarians; people
living up to 100 years of age. Ever wondered how the
diet of the world’s longest-living people would look like?
The traditional Okinawan diet is low in calories and low
in fat, yet nutritionally dense, especially with regard to
phytonutrients in the form of antioxidants and flavonoids.
Unlike the traditional Japanese diet which usually includes
large quantities of rice, the Okinawan diet consists of
smaller quantities of rice but the staple carbohydrate is the
purple-fleshed sweet potato. The traditional dietary pattern
in Okinawa has the following characteristics:
• High consumption of vegetables
• High consumption of legumes (mostly soy in origin)
• Moderate consumption of fish products
• Rich in omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are protective
against age-related neurodegenerative disease and
cardiovascular disease.
• Low consumption of meat and meat products, except pork
• Low consumption of dairy products
• Moderate alcohol consumption
• Low caloric intake
Another interesting point to note about an Okinawan’s
diet is that they consume approximately 20% lesser calories
than an average person consumes. It has been hypothesised
that the long-term caloric restriction is linked with the high
prevalence of centenarians in Okinawa. From the 1972
Japan National Nutrition survey, it has been reported that
Okinawan adults consumed only 83% of the Japan average
caloric intake and the researchers suggested that this may
have been, at least in part, responsible for the longer lifespan
of the Okinawan population. On the other hand, Okinawans
98 TM | MAY/JUNE 2016