Is the "Village of Long Life" holding a secret to anti-aging we can all benefit from knowing?
Would it surprise you to know that there is a place somewhere in this world where more than 10 percent of the population is over 85 years old? And, the senior population have youthful skin without using skin creams; their joints are flexible having strong bones without taking drugs to combat painful stiff joints, stiff fingers and creaking knees; enjoying clear eyesight, without taking eye drops for cataracts and glaucoma; and having heads of healthy hair also sans medication to prevent thinning or balding. Where on earth you ask? And what’s the secret?
The so called Village of Long Life is known in Japan as Yuzuri Hara. Located about two hours outside Tokyo, the village is known for the unusual longevity of its residents. Many in their 80′s and 90′s still living full and healthy lives; even working in their farming plots for 4 to 5 hours daily. One example of this is Hiroshi Sakamoto wakes up and farms his field every day. Village of Long Life Statistics
- More than 10 percent of the population of his village is 85 or older – 10 times the American norm.
- The residents of Yuzuri Hara not only live longer, but they are also quite healthy.
- Rarely do they have any reason to see a doctor.
- Hardly affected by diseases like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
- Many manage to keep their skin from showing signs of aging.
What makes the residents of Yuzuri Hara even more remarkable is that they are living long, healthy lives – even those who engage in unhealthy activities. An example being Tadanao Takahashi, age 93, it is stated that he has worked in the sun for 50 years, never once using sun block or skin cream, and yet his skin is soft and smooth. For decades, doctors have been studying and researching as to what is the secret of the seniors of this particular population for their long life and their young looks despite their advancing biological age. The finding is that the secret of the long life and young looks of those living in the community of Yuzuri Hara is not a fountain that spurts anti-age miracle water – but their DIET. Some medical researchers believe that Yuzuri Hara, known as "The Village of Long Life," and its residents may hold the key to anti-aging secrets: the local diet that is unique to the village. Unlike other regions of Japan that grow rice, Yuzuri Hara’s hilly terrain is better suited to harvesting different carbohydrates that may prove healthier: things like Satsumaimo, a type of sweet potato; Satoimo, a sticky white potato; Konyaku, a gelatinous root vegetable concoction; and Imoji, a potato root. What’s The Secret Ingredient Dr. Toyosuke Komori, the town doctor who has studied and written books on longevity in Yuzuri Hara, believes these locally grown starches help stimulate the body’s natural creation of a substance called hyaluronic acid, or HA, which aging bodies typically lose. This may ward off the aging process by helping the cells of the body thrive and retain moisture, keeping joints lubricated, protecting the retina in eyes and keeping skin smooth and elastic. Significantly, 50 percent of the hyaluronic acid found in our bodies is found in our skin. No wonder, hyaluronic acid is referred to as nature’s anti-aging miracle since it is a fabulous moisturizer for our skin and reduces the wrinkles in our body. As we grow old, hyaluronic acid, which is naturally produced in our bodies and acts as a lubricant for the movable parts of our bodies like joints and muscles declines. When this happens, the result for many of us is stiff joints, wrinkling skin; and the disappearing youthful look. With youngsters being seduced by these products, what the Japanese call an upside-down death pyramid has emerged, in which adults die before their elderly parents. “Although my children ate what I had been eating while they were young and lived here,” says a 91-year-old woman who has outlived two of her six children, “when they moved away they chose to eat differently." What about Scientific Studies of Hyaluronic Acid and any FDA Approvals ? s one of the most researched substances in the medical community. Actually, various Hyaluronic Acid research programs have been carried on for over 40 years. Indeed, it was a Hyaluronic Acid scientific study that confirmed the presence of Hyaluronic Acid in human tissues like the skin, the cartilage and the vitreous humor. The first medical application amoxil of hyaluronic acid occurred in ophthalmologic surgeries like cornea transplants, cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery and retinal attachment surgery. Since then, the FDA has approved a number of products derived from Hyaluronic Acid research. Consequently, HA is now widely used in the medical field for things like treating muscle spasms and osteoarthritis, healing injured tissues following a surgery, and softening hardened scar tissue. Recently, the FDA approved Hyaluronic Acid as a skin filler. As part of the skin-filling treatment, patients receive HA Filler Facial Injections. Reports from a Hyaluronic Acid Scientific study have established that HA skin treatments can decrease wrinkles and scars, and even fine lines under the eyes before they become evident. While HA wipes away signs of aging, it moisturizes the skin, making it radiant and elastic. Data collected as part of Hyaluronic Acid Scientific studies shows that HA works wonders in osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic Acid injections restore depleted synovial fluid in the knee region, improving its visco-eslasticity. HA not only prevents deterioration of cartilage, it also aids the bio-synthesis of cartilage. Moreover, with the anti-inflammatory effect of HA, knee conditions frequently improve resulting in less pain. It is significant to note that a Hyaluronic Acid scientific study conducted by the University of North Carolina and the Duke University Medical Center has supported an earlier assumption that measuring blood levels of HA can diagnose osteoarthritis before it becomes a serious problem. Another Hyaluronic Acid Scientific study reported in the popular magazine American Family Physician also upholds the beneficial effects of Hyaluronic Acid, naming HA knee injections as a great arthritis relief, bereft of adverse effects. These represent what may only be the beginning. Ongoing Hyaluronic Acid research programs are attempting to unearth more and more uses for Hyaluronic Acid. The time will soon come when Hyaluronic Acid could provide solutions for other forms of arthritis, for skin problems, as an aid in faster recovery during post-surgical periods and for other conditions.
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