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16 Places Common Diseases Do Not Occur, and
The Reasons Why
by RYAN WINTER on SEPTEMBER 2, 2009
You’ve probably heard of a few such places: Areas of the world that – for
reasons rare, bizarre, and so-simple-its-crazy – seem to be impervious to
certain ailments.
Below is a sampling from across the globe of such oasis and a look at what
may account for their ultra health benefits:
Place: Mexico’s Copper Canyon
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: High-cholesterol
Reason[s] why: The Tarahumara Indians of this region have impressively
low cholesterol due to a diet that emphasizes slow-release foods, sending
sugar into the bloodstream at a much slower rate than other foods. Their
diet – which includes slow-release carbohydrates from whole corn, beans,
squash, cumin, and other crops – also helps maintain proper blood sugar
levels, preventing an overproduction of insulin.
Place: Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Death before age 90
Reason[s] why: Residents of this small town two hours out of San Jose
spend hours each day chopping wood and making all their meals by hand,
from scratch. The area also has some of the hardest water around, loaded
with beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20081009_tows_bluezones
/2
Place: Japan
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Heart disease
Reason[s] why: Diets rich in soy and omega 3 fatty acids but low in
refined sugars keeps the Japanese in good heart health, according to most
statistics http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2133674.stm Interestingly
enough, one study proposes Japan’s relative immunity to heart disease may
be “on paper” only, suggesting that a lot of heart disease in Japan is chalked
up to heart failure
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/319/7204/255
Place: Iceland
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Depression
Reason[s] why: Like the Japanese, Icelanders consume healthy amounts
of omega-3 and other healthy fats from sources such as pasture-raised lamb
and wild game. Like green tea in Japan, Icelanders ward off a variety of
cancers with the antioxidants in black tea, vegetables, wild berries, barley,
and rye. Despite the soul-sucking winters during which the nation is
plunged into almost 24-hour darkness, experts believe this diet also helps
fight off the depression normally associated with such lack of sun.
Place: rural Northern India
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Alzheimer’s
Reason[s] why: A slew of studies of people in this region are being done
to see why only 1% of the population over 65 is affected by Alzheimer’s
disease (compared to more than 5% of American’s older than 65.) Though
the practical non-existence of Alzheimer’s in Northern India (and select
parts of Africa) might simply be a lack of proper diagnosis, another
explanation may be genetic.
http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section1174/Section1199/Section1567/Secti
on1823_8066.htm
Place: Loma Linda, California
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Anything well into
your 90s
Reason[s] why: Like many cultures who seem to be able to ward off
disease at a disproportionally-high rate, the people of this Moreno Valley
eat a healthy diet. The community is home to 900 members of the Seventh
Day Adventist faith, in which smoking, booze, meat, and processed foods
are a big no-no.
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20081009_tows_bluezones
/10
Place: Thailand
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Cancer (all types)
Reason[s] why: Areas of the world subject to high levels of infection
seem to have the lowest rates of cancer. In many cases, the lower a nation’s
Gross Domestic Product, the lower its people’s risk of developing cancer.
One explanation is the so-called “hygiene hypothesis” – that people whose
bodies are forced to fight off diseases in their youth are more likely to be
toughened-up for battles later in life, such as cancer.
Place: Sardinia
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Largest population on
Earth of men age 100+
Reason[s] why: Folks on this island 200 km off the Italian coast eat lean,
fruit-and-veggie-based diet high in whole grain breads and dairy like hearty
fresh cheeses. Meat is consumed in extreme moderation and is more of a
side-dish than main staple of this mountain-trekking Mediterranean diet.
Place: United Kingdom
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Epilepsy
Reason[s] why: Your odds of dying from Epilepsy in the UK are lower
than anywhere else in the world. By the mortality numbers, the worst place
to have a seizure is Estonia.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_epi_percap-mortalityepilepsy-per-capita
Place: Japan
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Obesity
Reason[s] why: Though we think of Scandinavia as flawlessly healthy,
the country that pops up most often for having a healthy population and a
relatively risk-free and sustainable diet that’s easy to adopt (you don’t even
have to eat Japanese food to ward off obesity like the Japanese, just eat
more fish, veggies and fruit, and don’t forget to chew thoroughly.)
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diets-of-world-japanese-diet
Place: United States
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Death from arthritis
Reason[s] why: Believe it or not, the U.S. is the last place on Earth it’s
almost statistically impossible to succumb to this widespread ailment.
Slovenia has dozens of times the carpometacarpal arthritis death rate: One
per two million people.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_art_of_fir_car_joi_percapfirst-carpometacarpal-joint-per-capita
Place: anywhere in the Muslim world
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Skin cancer
Reason[s] why: Countries close to the equator with high immigrant
European populations (Australia) and tanning-obsessed countries with
populations of people with low skin pigmentation have some of the highest
skin cancer rates. Muslim nations fare well, experts say, due to populations
with high skin pigmentation and heavy cover from the sun in the way of
traditional clothing.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/07/30/f-forbesskincancerhotspots.html
Place: Japan
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Prostate cancer
Reason[s] why: Anti-oxidants in green and chai tea, drank as much as 1520 times a day in the land of the rising sun, ward off all sorts of cancers.
The people of Okinawa practice calorie restriction and load up on in-season
vegetables like bok choy and kale.
http://www.usrf.org/CBS/newsArticles.asp.htm
Place: Ethiopia
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Parkinson’s disease
Reason[s] why: Interestingly-enough, the highest rate of Parkinson’s is
in American Amish communities (almost 1% – 950 in 100,000 – of the
Amish population has Parkinson’s), possibly due to unchecked pesticide
use. Ethiopia’s is a comparably non-existent 7 in 100,000. Genetics? Sadly
no: the answer may be that few Ethiopians actually live to the age at which
Parkinson’s strikes.
http://viartis.net/parkinsons.disease/prevalence.htm
Place: U.S. and Canada
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Tuberculosis
Reason[s] why: Gone are the days of mass cases of consumption (the old
term for the final stages of TB) but the World Health Organization is still
engaged in battle with vaccine-resistant strains. TB rates in the U.S. and
Canada are a tenth that of Africa, though Americans of African descent are
five times more likely to contract tuberculosis in the U.S. than Americans of
Native or European descent.
Place: Czech Republic
Disease/ailment that is non-existent or rare: Diabetes
Reason[s] why: Modest eating have kept Type 2 diabetes especially down
in this country, where fast food is less available and people only eat until
they are “almost” full.
Summary:
The U.S. healthcare system can learn and incorporate much from these
unique and wonderful places. First, prevention appears to be easier than
cure, and just as possible. The real question then becomes, even if everyone
was aware of all the preventative measures, would they forgo the “good life”
to remain healthy longer? Then, how can our healthcare system help to
enforce this “healthy alternative”?
What are your thoughts?