In one of his videos Dr Michael Greger reveals how immensely important influence a healthy unrefined diet can have on general health and life expectancy. He compared diets and lifestyles of the two longest-lived populations, Okinawans and members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church living in California.
Okinawans
The traditional diet in Okinawa was based on vegetables, beans, and other plants. Less than 1% of their diet was fish; less than 1% was meat, and the same with dairy and eggs, so it was more than 96% plant-based, and more than 90% whole food (unrefined) plant based—with very few processed foods.
And, not just whole food plant-based, but most of their diet was vegetables, and one vegetable in particular, sweet potatoes. 90 plus percent whole food plant-based makes it a highly anti-inflammatory and highly antioxidant diet.
As a result they showed 6 to 12 times fewer heart disease deaths, two to three times fewer colon cancer deaths, seven times fewer prostate cancer deaths, and five and a half times lower risk of dying from breast cancer!
Background photo created by dashu83 - www.freepik.com
I it worthy to mention that 70% of the past Okinawan’s very healthy diet consisted of purple sweet potatoes!
Adventists
However, there is currently one population that lives even longer than the Okinawa Japanese used to live (before they were influenced by the unhealthy modern dietary habits).
Living in California members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church who are on a plant-based unrefined diet, are known to have the highest life expectancy of any formally described population. Compared to Okinawans whose diet was 98% meat-free, their diet is 100% meat-free with majority avoiding also all animal foods (including dairy).
Adventist vegetarian men and women who apart from plant diet also practice other principles of a healthy lifestyle (exercise, avoiding stimulants, positive attitude, etc.) have life expectancy of 87 and nearly 90, on average!
That’s like 10 to 15 years longer than the general population! Also the difference in mortality rates regarding preventable diseases between UK women and Adventist women living in California and practicing a healthy diet and lifestyle is huge.
Support Your Diet With Nutritional Supplements
Unfortunately, because of the severe soil depletion of minerals (caused by use of artificial fertilisers and soil abuse), fast plant food growth (plants have less time to accumulate nutrients) and other factors, even the best diet today may not be able to provide your body with sufficient concentration of essential nutrients. It is, therefore, very reasonable to support your diet with the following good quality nutritional supplements:
One tablet of a good Multivitamin-Mineral formula with breakfast and one tablet with lunch. Do not take the same multivitamin all the time but use different multivitamins interchangeably. In this way you will not overdose any of the individual vitamins or minerals.
For instance, one day take one tablet of Healthy Mega (HealthAid) after breakfast and another day take Day-vit Active (HealthAid) and continue taking them interchangeably every day after breakfast (1 tablet after breakfast or half tablet twice daily with main meals).
Make sure you don't overdose supplemental iron (not more than 17mg daily including iron from supplements and food) unless you are deficient in this mineral.
Since multivitamins do not contain enough Magnesium, Vitamin D and B12, you must also take the listed below additional amounts of these nutrients:
- 100 mg to 200 mg of supplemental Magnesium (in the form of Citrate or Bisglycinate) twice daily (in the morning and evening). My favourite is Magnesium Citrate Powder (HealthAid) because it is completely free from any additives and very efficient.
- 2000 IU to 5000 IU of Vitamin D3 after every breakfast. Remember that supplemental vitamin D must be taken with magnesium (300-400mg daily) as it is absolutely critical for the activation of vitamin D3 into the active D4 form in kidneys.
- 1000 mcg to 2000 mcg of Vitamin B12 in the form of sublingual Methylcobalamin (HealthAid) every day only after breakfast under the tongue.
- Every day take 1 tablespoon of Super Greens powder (HealthAid) with a smoothie or juice about 15-30 minutes before breakfast.
- Take 2-4 tablets of Kelp (HealthAid) every day with meals to make sure you have enough iodine.
Related articles:
- Do We Need Vitamin & Mineral Supplements?
- Key Nutritional Deficiencies and How to Prevent Them
- Diet & Nutritional Supplements to Improve Gut (Colon) Health
Sources
- https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/adventist-health-studies/
- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-okinawa-diet-living-to-100/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/seventh-day-adventist-diet#benefits
- D C Willcox, G Scapagnini, B J Willcox.. Healthy aging diets other than the Mediterranean: a focus on the Okinawan diet.. Mech Ageing Dev.. 2014 Mar-Apr;136-137:148-62.
Any information or product suggested on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Consult your primary healthcare physician before using any supplements or making any changes to your regime.
