Okinawa
Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa have long enjoyed one of the longest life expectancies in the world.
As well as having the highest population of centenarians, Okinawa also boasts low disability rates.
This has been largely attributed to the Okinawa diet, which is nutrient and calorie-rich.
Although it includes a relatively small amount of fish – less than half a serving per day – the daily diet consists of various types of seaweed, which are rich in minerals, dietary fibre and essential fatty acids.
Bitter gourd is one of the secrets to Okinawa longevity because it contains high levels of health-promoting phytonutrients.
Also known as momordica charantia, bitter melon, or bitter squash, or balsam pear, or karela in India, bitter gourd is an important part of the Okinawa diet.
In the UK, the raw fruit is available in specialty food stores but extracts and powdered formulations are most frequently used, although teas made from the stems and leaves are also consumed.
As well as being very low in calories, providing just 17 calories per 100g, it stimulates digestion, relieving indigestion and constipation problems.
Bitter gourd is also sometimes known as 'vegetable insulin', because it is traditionally used as a remedy for lowering blood glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus because it contains the phytonutrient polypeptide-P, a plant insulin known to lower blood sugar levels, as well as a hypoglycemic agent called charantin.
'There's evidence from animal and human studies that bitter gourd extracts can lower blood glucose levels,' explains Antony Haynes, the author of The Insulin Factor and The Food Intolerance Bible.
'Is it a superfood? Perhaps, but more for those whose blood glucose errs too high. However, it's a nutritious plant to include in the daily diet.'
The Mediterranean
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well known and one of the key ingredients in Southern European diets is garlic.
For a small vegetable, garlic has a big reputation as a superfood.
While its sulphur-containing compounds are responsible for garlic's often off-putting, pungent smell, they are also the source of many of its health-enhancing effects.
Originally from Central Asia, garlic grows all over the world. Used for over 7,000 years, it was also known to the Ancient Egyptians, and has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Garlic is able to lower our blood triglycerides and total cholesterol, as well as reduce inflammation and damage to blood vessel linings, all key factors in increasing plaque formation and clogging, which increases our risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks. It can also lower blood pressure.
'Garlic and its extracts are widely used for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer,' explains Antony Haynes.
'As such, regular consumption of garlic is likely to promote a healthier longevity. In one study on a mouse, published in the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin in 1996, garlic did help to increase longevity.'
As well as its antibacterial and antiviral properties, garlic may have benefits for the human brain too.
Alzheimer's and dementia conditions may benefit from garlic and its antioxidant properties, such as selenium and manganese, which may give benefits to all systems in the body.
Garlic offers protection for the liver against toxins and drugs too.
'Eaten regularly, it can confer multiple benefits to health and is possibly the most well-known and longest serving superfood on the planet', says Antony Haynes.
China and the Far East
One of the staples of Chinese and Japanese cuisine is tofu – the pressed curd of soya beans.
Full of phytooestrogens, or plant hormones which mimic human oestrogen, it has been credited with helping to maintain the relatively low incidence of breast cancer in the Far East and other gynaecological cancers.
There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way.
Tofu has a low calorie count, relatively large amounts of protein, and little fat. It's high in iron and, depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, may also be high in calcium and magnesium. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but it is a whole soybean product and is originally from Indonesia, not China.
In traditional Chinese medicine, soy is used to treat fevers, headaches, chest congestion, and hyperactivity. Soy is also considered a general tonic for treatment of the lungs and the stomach.
'Isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, are believed to have oestrogen-like effects in the body, and as a result are sometimes called ''phytoestrogens''', explains Anthony Haynes a nutritionist at the Nutrition Clinic in London's Harley Street.
'In Japan, dietary levels of isoflavones are estimated to be between 20 to 80mg per day as opposed to less than 1mg daily in North America.
Maximal health benefits from phytoestrogen-rich foods, as typically eaten in Japan, are more likely to occur from regular and lifelong consumption.'
Soy isoflavones can protect against hormone-related diseases, such as breast and prostate cancer, but they have also been shown to lower cholesterol and the risk cardiovascular disease, as well as promote bone health.
The New World – Americas
For those daring enough to brave its spicy heat, cayenne pepper is a spice has been used by Native Americans as both food and medicine for at least 9,000 years.
The ground up chilli powder has been cultivated in South America for millennia.
Its heat is caused by capsaicin, which has been found to be effective for reducing pain, both internally and topically, as well as inhibiting the neuropeptide associated with inflammation.
'The mechanism of action for topical pain relief by capsicum is well studied,' explains Anthony Haynes. 'It has been used as a plaster at various acupoints for post-operative pain, nausea, and vomiting.'
Cayenne has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol and increase the body's ability to dissolve fibrin, a substance integral to the formation of blood clots.
'Cayenne has also been shown to help thin the blood, which also brings with it a risk to those taking medications for this purpose,' warns Anthony Haynes.
'Cayenne and capsicum are considered safe for most healthy patients in levels commonly found in foods, although cayenne or capsicum supplements may increase intakes to above desirable levels'.
Due to its high content of beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A, cayenne pepper is often called the anti-infection spice and is essential for healthy epithelial tissues, including the mucous membranes that line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract and urinary tract.
Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diet-and-nutrition/healthy-eating/healthiest-foods-in-the-world.htm#ixzz2WDHL2gTs
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