Batter in to sushi
Scientists hail diet of sushi and seafood for longevity
EXPERTS always encourage us to go for the Mediterranean diet to extend lives.
But if the record-breaking longevity of the Japanese is anything to go by, the answer is clearly sushi. If only fish didn’t taste so good deepfried in batter…
THE world’s oldest person has died.
Japanese woman Chiyo Miyake passed away at home yesterday aged 117 years and 81 days old.
She had recently been confirmed as a double Guinness World Record holder, as oldest person and oldest woman.
Chiyo has now been succeeded by another compatriot, 115-year-old Kane Tanak, and continues her nation’s hold on the longevity titles, as the world’s oldest man is Hokkaido’s Masazo Nonaka, who turned 113 earlier this week.
Both their predecessors as world’s oldest person were also Japanese, and according to 2017 figures, Japan has more centenarians than any other nation on earth, with 48 people over the age of 100 for every 100,000 citizens.
Chiyo was born on May 2, 1901, and her family called her “the goddess” and remembered her as a chatty person who was patient and kind.
She was also well known for a healthy diet of sushi and other seafood.
Scientists have been studying the Japanese diet for the secret to longevity.
Scots-based nutritionist Dr Dalhia Campbell, a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said: “You can’t say that if we adopt a Japanese style of eating, we will all live to 100 but we do know that eating lots of fruit and vegetables and fish are very beneficial to your health.
“It’s not just down to what you eat, it’s about genetics, stress, lifestyle, all of those things and there will always be other factors.
“In Japan, they eat a lot of fish as well as a lot of plant-based food like soya and tofu, which are low in fat.”