The inhabitants of Sardinia have a very impressive life expectancy. Last year, the local family was called the most “adult” in the world, their total number of years was 818! The head of the Consolata family, who, incidentally, turned 106 years old, is sure that she owes her long and eventful life to a dish of Italian cuisine - Minestrone soup. On her birthday in Perdasdefogu, a small town surrounded by mountains, many offspring of a huge family (and, by the way, 180 of them) gathered. The Consolate received at least 100 roses and 100 violets as a gift.
The family of the most respectable age in the world also includes Maria (Maria), 98 years old, Antonio (Antonio), 94 years old, Concetta (Concetta), 93 years old, Adolfo (Adolfo), 90 years old, Vitalio (Vitalio), 87 years old, Vitalia (Vitalia), 82 years old, and Mafalda (Mafalda), 79 years old, which the rest of the family members carefully and affectionately call "baby." In an interview, Consolata told reporters that the secret of her long life lies in Italian cuisine. Luca Deiana, professor of biochemistry at the University of Sassari, who has been researching 2500 Sardinian centenarians since 1996, believes that the island’s secret is to combine the genetic data of the locals with certain environmental and nutritional conditions.
In the summer of 2014, the long-livers of the island of Sardinia (Sardegna) again shocked the whole world: the 99-year-old Italian received a certificate of passing the exam for high school.
Dan Buettner, a writer from National Geographic magazine and winner of the prestigious Emmy Award for Best Documentary, fully shares the point of view of his Italian counterpart, saying that a special Sardinian diet can give an extra 6 years of life. A special role in this diet is played by dark red wine, which is so loved by the inhabitants of the island. “It is so dark that Italians call it“ vino nero ”, which means“ black wine ”. It is also worth remembering that it is important to consume this wine with food, ”says Buettner. The combination of a hearty dinner and amazing wine creates antioxidants that are very beneficial for the arteries.
The scientist also notes the need for nuts, fruits and vegetables in the diet. “Meat is allowed only once a week. It is not a product that is constantly present on the table with the residents of Sardinia. ”Surprisingly, Buettner is not in a hurry to rush to claim that seafood prolongs the life of the population of Sardinia or some other region where the number of centenarians is off the charts. “Diets that give extra years of life do not include a large number of fish. If you want to add protein to your diet, I suggest you follow the example of the Sardinians and put cheese on the table. ”The cheese, so popular among the people in the region, is called“ pecorino sardo ”. It is made from goat milk of the highest quality.
Sardinia is also known for another type of cheese - cheese with larvae, which can be safely included in the top of exotic dishes and Italian cuisine products that shock foreigners. However, Buettner says this weird-looking cheese may contain bacteria that are good for digestion. "I do not know for sure. But we know that a huge number of long-livers of the world eat it. And this once again proves the firmness of their character. ”
Meanwhile, the editor-in-chief of the Guinness Book of Records, where a huge family with so many long-livers got, is sure: diet is diet, and without simple luck it is simply impossible to live to 100 years. “Genes and lifestyle are important, of course, but luck plays a huge role here - avoiding accidents, falls and so on.”
