In all centuries and on all continents, people have searched for the secret of longevity. The focus of many health experts today is on the foods we continue to eat or stop eating to prolong our lives.

If you’re a carb lover, here’s good news: Eating carbs can help you live longer, according to recent studies. We were very impressed by the news and can’t wait to try the “longevity diet”.

Eating some carbs will help you live longer.

Eating carbs may explain the incredibly high life expectancy of people in Japan

It seems incredible, but Okinawa has 68 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants, more than 3 times the number found in the United States. Okinawans live a long time, even by the standards of Japan, a place known for its high life expectancy. Okinawan people are 40% more likely to live to be 100 years old than people in other parts of the country.

In trying to discover the secret to Okinawans’ longevity, scientists looked at their habits and lifestyle, diet, and genes. They discovered that, after being isolated throughout history, these extraordinary people developed a unique genetic profile that protects cells from aging and related diseases. But genes do not answer all of these questions.

To learn more about the healthy diet and lifestyle of Okinawans, scientists have conducted the Okinawan Centennial Study, or OCS, since 1975. By 2016, the OCS had studied nearly 1,000 Okinawan centenarians. Okinawa prefectures and the results of the study were simply amazing.

Despite living longer, Okinawans were found to be able to delay typical age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. It may seem surprising, but researchers have found that Okinawans eat a diet rich in carbohydrates, which could be a sign of longevity.

The 10:1 “Okinawan ratio” between carbohydrates and protein may be the secret to a long and healthy life

If you’ve ever thought about losing some weight or keeping fit, you’ve probably heard of the popular low-carb diets, which are the exact opposite of what Okinawans are doing. In fact, the carbs to protein relationship typical of their diet is 10:1.

Surprisingly, evidence in humans and animals suggests that a diet low in protein and high in carbohydrates can elicit physiological responses, protecting us from diseases related to those mentioned above. However, it’s not just about eating carbs, it’s also about eating them wisely.

Being particular about how much you eat is crucial

Unlike the rest of Asia, the essential The diet in Okinawa is not rice, but sweet potatoes. They also eat fish, pork and other types of meat and many soy products. Although these foods are high in carbohydrates, Okinawans are picky about the amount of food they eat and restrict their calories.

Also, they eat a lot of green and yellow vegetables; bitter melon is one of his favorites. So now we can say that the secret to Okinawan longevity lies in the combination of a high carbohydrate, low protein diet and caloric restriction.

The exact mechanisms that allow a high carbohydrate diet to slow the aging process are still being investigated. But while we still have a lot to discover, similar studies around the world show similar results.

Other long-lived populations, such as the Kitavans on a small island in Papua New Guinea and the Tsimane in South America, tend to follow a low-protein, high-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet.

Rather than claim that we should all eat more carbohydrates, these studies suggest that we should not go to extremes and inadvertently exclude vital ingredients from our diet, be they protein or carbohydrates.

Listen to your body when you diet, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and get medical tests; this is probably the key to a long and happy life.

Is your diet low or high in carbohydrates? Do you think changing your eating plan can help you live a longer and happier life? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

preview photo credit BIGPICTURESPHOTO.COM / EASTERN NEWS, BIGPICTURESPHOTO.COM / EASTERN NEWS