Because the Ikariotes live so long

A 350 year old book and some modern research reveal the secret of longevity

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Epidemiologists have been trying for decades to decipher the riddle of longevity, one of the age-old demands of humanity.

Is it a way of life? Is it the environment? It's the DNA; Or is the secret simply hidden in Ikaria, "a small island in the Aegean Sea and one of the parts of the world with the longest-lived population."

These words are used in exactly one of the studies for the so-called "blue zones", corners of the planet in which the inhabitants live longer and in better health than both the local and the global average. Land!

Science has identified five such zones, that is, where the resident reaches 90 or even 100 years of life is not a big deal. Even more impressive is the fact that they are not only centuries old, but also live better, without drugs, health problems and disabilities.

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The primary research was by National Geographic, in collaboration with scientists, who studied the population and its habits on the spot. And they caught sea bass!

The Italians of Sardinia, the Japanese of Okinawa, the Californians of Loma Linda, the Costa Ricans of the Nicoya Peninsula and the Greeks of Ikaria live longer than any other human being in the universe.

The search was later joined by the European Union program, GEHA (GEnetics of Healthy Aging), who spent another 5 years researching the population of the Old Epirus. And he told us again that the Ikariotes live longer than the others.

Ikaria is now recognized as one of the five regions with the longest life expectancy. But how are the Ikarian champions of longevity crowned?

Even better, the secret has been known for at least… 4 centuries! The Archbishop of Samos constantly met with centenarians in Ikaria and was forced to speak about it in his book. The saving year 1677!

"Their diet is poor, but their bodies are strong and hardened"

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Archbishop Samos was Joseph Georgirinis or Georgerinis for only 5 years. As a scholar and scholar he would eventually become known. Originally from Milos, he was ordained archbishop of Samos in October 1666, but he could not stand the free regime of the Ottoman Empire and the slavery of the elites of Samos and resigned after 5 years.

He moved to Patmos, where he met the same situation, so he decided to go abroad. He went to Florence, returned to Samos and left for good London, taking with him 100 families of islanders (from Samos and Milos).

In London, Georgirinis did many different things for the Greek community, but his end is not known. We do know, however, that he persuaded the Duke of York to grant land to expatriate Greeks to build houses.

Greek Street in London Soho is now known for its vibrant social life and cosmopolitan nature. However, as its name suggests, it was the road where the 100 Greek families of Georgirinis settled. The road was called Hogs Lane before it was renamed Elliniki Odos in 1679.

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The only surviving book by Georgirinis is the one that interests us, the "Description of the current situation of Samos, Ikaria, Patmos and Athos". The work of the Greek scholar Joseph Georgirenes was published in 1677 as "A description of the present state of Samos, Nicaria, Patmos, and Mount Athos" and among other things observes the characteristic longevity of the Ikariotes.

He calls it a "great miracle", given how difficult and poor the islanders lived. And he concludes: "This is the image of the small island, the poorest and yet happiest of all the others in the Aegean Sea."

Georgirinis, however, did not remain in observation, as he tried to identify the reasons for his longevity…

What he said about the legendary longevity of the Ikariotes

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The erudite scholar attributed the secret of the Ikariotes to the air, the water, the spirit of the community and the simple diet.

"The most remarkable things on this island are the air and the water, which are so healthy that they make the inhabitants very long-lived. "It is therefore very common to meet hundreds of people in it, which is very surprising when one takes into account the hard life they lead."

Not surprisingly, blue belt research comes to the same conclusion: Hygiene diet, daily exercise, less stress, more socializing, extroversion and a developed sense of solidarity.

"In all of these populations," scientists tell us today, "despite their different races and nationalities, they have common characteristics, such as family cohesion, smoking cessation, a fiber-based diet, mild and daily physical activity." and participation in social activities, in which people of all ages are active and integrated into the whole ".

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The puzzle begins to be decoded. Let us listen to Georgirinis again: "Before a certain hour of food, it is impossible to find bread, all over the island. Just before that, they take the necessary amount of wheat, grind it in the hand mill, bake the dough on a flat stone, and after it is baked, the head of the family distributes the baked dough in equal parts to the members of the family. If a stranger is present, he is offered a share, which is deducted from the others in proportion ".

The Icarians of the 17th century, however, did more: "They water the wine by a third… Their diet is poor, but their bodies are strong and hardened and people are generally long-lived. And they live to believe that they will not survive until the next day. Happy to be able to meet the basic needs of the day "…

What do scientists say today about the reasons why the Ikarian people live so long

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On April 27, 2017, another study appeared in the prestigious scientific review "Nature" which further rekindled the interest in the longevity of the Ikariotes. «An old clue to the secret of longevity»Had a title and was signed by Christodoulos Stefanadis, Panagiota Pietri and Theodoros Papaioannou.

Professor of Cardiology, Christodoulos Stefanadis, has spoken about conducting a major epidemiological study on the island in 2015, to investigate the particular demographic, social, environmental and genetic characteristics that give 8.423 Ikariotes (2011 census) its coveted privilege.

"IKARIA" was called the epidemiological study that confirmed again its place in the five blue zones of the planet. Only now he gave important information about the way of life, the habits, the special environmental conditions that prevail on the island, but also about the rates of occurrence of cardiovascular and other diseases related to aging.

According to Professor Stefanadis, "the Mediterranean diet, rich in legumes, vegetables, fruits and fish, the preference for Greek coffee, moderate wine consumption, daily exercise, reduced stress levels, low rates of depression, companionship, "Participation in social events are some of the behaviors that are common to young and old residents of the island and that in combination with the special geophysical characteristics of the place, contribute to achieving longevity."

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The study, which was republished in a number of scientific journals and sparked a series of further studies on the longevity of the Ikarian people, mapped the simple but vital elements that have given the people of Ikaria an elite position among the blessed people of the Earth. That is, those who have the joy of living for many, many years.

If we have to summarize it in a quadrilateral, it is the exercise, the healthy diet, the family cohesion and the relaxed view of things, what the Ikariotes typically call "Ikarian rachati". The rahatliki marks the slow rhythms of life, a feature that distinguishes Ikaria and comes in contact with every visitor.

However, the studies also speak of "enhanced genes" of the Ikariotes, which, along with the lifestyle, give the unique recipe for success. It's not just DNA, researchers insist, but the preference for a relaxed and healthy lifestyle, both in physical and mental terms.

Studies constantly observe in Ikaria a percentage of the elderly that corresponds to 13% of the inhabitants, an extremely high index of elderly people compared to the rest of the Greek population. The average life expectancy in our country is 79,78 years, at the same time that the percentage of people over 80 does not exceed 5%.

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Ikariotes are a strong wine, since as estimated 1,6% of men and 1,1% of women are over 90 years old! People born at the beginning of the last century, when life expectancy did not exceed 55 years. And they lived through wars, famines, hardships, Occupation and so much more and they are here today to tell us.

What are their secrets? As analyzed in the research data, it is a bouquet of options that favor stability and emotional security. The older Ikarian people insist on marriage, for example, as only 80% of men and 1,1% of women over the age of 2 have never climbed the steps of the church.

They also prove that the money does not bring her either ευτυχία nor longevity. Half of the island's elderly belong to the lower income class, while only 5,7% of men and 2,1% of women are in good financial condition.

And we are always told that the family is the best medicine. The very old Ikariotes usually live with three other members of their family, always on average, always exorcising loneliness. As Professor Stefanadis observes, "it is worth mentioning the fact that family cohesion is a key feature of all areas belonging to the blue zones of longevity."

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Equally important is social life. 86,7% of men and 76,7% of women over the age of 80 participate in social events, where social events can be from the local festival to the proper in cafe. Ή social κριτική criticism with neighbors.

Family and social life are the characteristics that scientists consider to save the elderly Ikarian people from melancholy and depression, as the indicators they present are practically negligible.

Ikaria finally confirms something we now know well at the level of science: the beneficial benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The Ikariotes consume olive oil almost every day, drink their wine uninterruptedly (two glasses for men and one for women daily), taste one to two Greek coffees a day and say the big "yes" to cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish and some red meat.

The icing on the cake of longevity, the reduced stress levels that the relaxed lifestyle brings to his suitcases. The Ikarian's rachati. "The traditional Ikarian has a very special relationship with the clock," says Mr. Stefanadis brilliantly. The elderly are obliged to sleep 1-2 eggs in the afternoon, insisting on the refreshing momentum of the noon siesta.

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The Ikariotes really offer us a model of longevity in our own country. And they have been doing so for several centuries. Why we do not listen to them is the issue.

In fact, as Dr. Panagiota Pietri remarked, "the most impressive finding about the island of longevity is that everything we observed for the inhabitants through the study '' IKARIA '', had already been pointed out, almost 400 years ago, by an archbishop!" .

Longevity may end up being a much more realistic goal than we expected!

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