Want to Live to 100? These Spices Might Hold the Secret
Research highlights four herbs commonly found in the diets of the world's longest-living people. Here's what you need to know.
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"Blue Zones" are five regions around the world identified as having the longest and healthiest living populations. These areas include Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Ikaria in Greece, and Loma Linda in California.
The most popular meals in these areas are devoid of processed ingredients and sugars. Instead, locals incorporate plants and other healthy ingredients. The anti-inflammatory nature of these foods emerges as a crucial factor for longevity.
"This dietary pattern can boost cognition, improve chronic conditions, increase energy, reduce or eliminate brain fog, and help alleviate symptoms associated with mood disorders," says dietitian Trista Best.
Dan Buettner, a dietitian and Blue Zone expert who authored "The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer," created a menu based on these foods. The menu emphasizes red meat, limits sugars and processed foods, promotes drinking water, eating beans, and using medicinal herbs and spices. Buettner claims that "people living the longest in the world" consume certain herbs daily.
The first life-extending spice is turmeric. Popular in Israel and regularly used mainly in Okinawa, Japan, it’s a disease-prevention spice. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and a potent antioxidant that can also prevent Alzheimer’s, dementia, and heart diseases. Curcumin, a turmeric extract, significantly impacts memory and attention among adults with memory issues.
The second spice is black pepper. "Typically consumed alongside turmeric as it helps the body absorb the beneficial curcumin, but black pepper has numerous benefits of its own. Its active ingredient, piperine, enhances cognition and brain function."
The third spice is ginger. "Ginger is excellent for promoting longevity. It contains compounds with antioxidant effects that reduce oxidative damage from free radicals in the body," Best explains.
The fourth ingredient is garlic. Not technically an herb, it's used as a flavor enhancer to boost health in cooking. "Garlic is naturally anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and has been shown to improve overall immune function and reduce cholesterol and blood pressure," says Best.
