Sardinian Diet Can Help You Live Longer
Posted on Oct 21st 2009 4:00PM by Deborah DunhamFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
The Sardinian diet could up your chances of living to 100 by 50 times. After researching the lifestyles of people living on the Italian island of Sardinia and interviewing its natives, Dan Buettner, author of "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest," found that the fountain of youth is their diet. Drinking red wine and eating bread, cheese, nuts, fruits and vegetables may explain why Sardinia has low rates of disease and high numbers of centenarians.
Click on the video below to watch Buettner explain the Sardinian Diet on Good Morning America. Story continues below the video.
Before you head to the grocery store to pick up some Cabernet, Italian bread and cheddar cheese, be aware that the Sardinian diet includes special variations of each of these tasty items. The red wine that is drank on the island, known as vino nero -- or black wine -- is made from the darkest grapes on earth, which produce heart-healthy antioxidants that are two to three times greater than other red wines. Sardinian bread is made with whole grain and levain, and cheese is produced from grass-fed sheep which results in higher Omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed sheep. Also, for those who are really serious about living longer (and have a strong stomach), Sardinians eat a maggot-ridden cheese which is thought to create "healthy" bacteria.
"The Sardinian diet appears to be similar to a typical Mediterranean diet, adjusted to that region," says registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Joan Salge Blake. "We know that people who follow this type of diet tend to be leaner, live longer and have less heart disease."
In addition to diet, Buettner also identifies other factors that contribute to the Sardinian's longevity: They reportedly put family first, have a sense of humor, respect and care for their elders, walk and maintain a stress-free lifestyle. "When you add daily exercise, family and community bonding and a healthy diet, you have all the components for a longer, healthier life," says Blake.
Looking for other ways to live longer? Try walking faster. Plus, learn more about Buettner's work, including the "Vitality Project," a program designed to increase a Minnesota town's residents' lifespans by 10,000 years.
Click on the video below to watch Buettner explain the Sardinian Diet on Good Morning America. Story continues below the video.
Before you head to the grocery store to pick up some Cabernet, Italian bread and cheddar cheese, be aware that the Sardinian diet includes special variations of each of these tasty items. The red wine that is drank on the island, known as vino nero -- or black wine -- is made from the darkest grapes on earth, which produce heart-healthy antioxidants that are two to three times greater than other red wines. Sardinian bread is made with whole grain and levain, and cheese is produced from grass-fed sheep which results in higher Omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed sheep. Also, for those who are really serious about living longer (and have a strong stomach), Sardinians eat a maggot-ridden cheese which is thought to create "healthy" bacteria.
"The Sardinian diet appears to be similar to a typical Mediterranean diet, adjusted to that region," says registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Joan Salge Blake. "We know that people who follow this type of diet tend to be leaner, live longer and have less heart disease."
In addition to diet, Buettner also identifies other factors that contribute to the Sardinian's longevity: They reportedly put family first, have a sense of humor, respect and care for their elders, walk and maintain a stress-free lifestyle. "When you add daily exercise, family and community bonding and a healthy diet, you have all the components for a longer, healthier life," says Blake.
Looking for other ways to live longer? Try walking faster. Plus, learn more about Buettner's work, including the "Vitality Project," a program designed to increase a Minnesota town's residents' lifespans by 10,000 years.
