The Biggest Reason Why the Okinawan Diet Works

And how to make it your own

Okinawa, an island prefecture in southern Japan, stands out among a country that is already well known for longevity. They have a much lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to mainland Japan.

Mortality rates from coronary heart disease and cancers in Okinawans, Japanese, and Americans (Source)

A separate study on Japanese centenarians living in Okinawa, where the researcher went back and analyzed at what age these individuals were able to live independently (cook for themselves, do their own house chores, live in their own home, among other factors), came to another fascinating discovery: The study was only on 22 individuals, but among them, 82 percent were still independent at a mean age of 92 years and about two-thirds at a mean age of 97 years old — a lot of Okinawans don’t just live long, it seems they live long, active and happy lives.

There are many factors to a healthy life, but a big one is diet. In an interview with CNN, the researcher leading the study, Craig Willcox, shared that he found Okinawans typically eat seven different fruits and vegetables and 18 different foods a day, and more than 200 different foods and spices regularly in their overall diet.