As it turns out, it’s a very long life. A healthy diet, regular physical activity, extended work years, and aggressive government intervention have helped the Nagano region produce the longest life expectancy in Japan, which in turn is the longest in the world.
In Japan, 2 million people are older than 90 of these around 69,785 people are 100 years old or over. The average life expectancy in Japan is 84.2 years. On average, men live up to 81.1 years. Whereas women live longer, at an average of 87.1 years.
The reason why Japan has a longer life expectancy is not because of their genes but because of their food choices and lifestyle habits. Japanese people eat lots of fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits, and unprocessed foods. As a result, the obesity rate in Japan is just 3.6% which is the lowest in the entire world.
They love seafood and eat more fish than red meat. In fact, Japan is among the top six nations for fish consumption. Fish naturally has lower cholesterol and saturated fat compared to red meat which reduces the risk of death by heart disease by 36%. One reason why Japanese people live longer is that they drink a lot of tea. Their tea contains far more antioxidants than coffee. These boost the immune system and help prevent cancer and excess cholesterol
Japanese people also consume a lot of soy and seaweed. An estimated 100,000 tons of seaweed is consumed in Japan every year. A cup of seaweed contains somewhere between 2 and 9 grams of protein. It also contains natural iodine which is useful for regulating thyroids. Japan has one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world.
The government pays 70% of the cost of all health procedures and up to 90% for low-income citizens. Another reason why Japanese people have longer lives is their food portion control. Japanese people are known to have much smaller portions than other countries. This habit is good for controlling body weight and digestion
6 Reasons why Japanese stay fit and healthy and live long
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Easier access to healthy food Examples
Soy Products
Root Veggies
Mushrooms
Grains
Fish
Seaweeds
Shirataki
Pickled Plum (Ume)
Green Tea -
Sugar Consumption
Japanese consume 56g (2oz/4tbsp) sugar a day while Americans consume 126g sugar a day (4.40z/10tbsp).
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Nutritional Education
In Japan, they eat 30 food items a day. Chew well and eat slowly.
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Portion size
No leftover to-go in Japan because they don’t overserve
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Main starch/carbs
In Japan, they cocked rice with plain water and no other addons.
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Walk
Japanese walk as part of their daily life. They walk more because public transportation is very advanced and convenient.
Japanese people stay active. They often walk or bike to work. Also, older people in Japan continue to engage in physical activity for as long as they can. About 85% of Japanese people end their day in a bath. Hot baths allow for detoxification through sweating. The heat from the water helps to reduce inflammation and relieve stress. It also improves circulation and boosts the immune system.
See Also
- Top 5 Habits That Can Cause Sleep Problems
- What Happens When You Stop Eating Sugar?
- Top 10 Deadliest Viruses on Earth
In Japan, the elderly are considered as living treasures and are treated with the utmost respect this helps them to enjoy their time and live longer lives.
What else do you think why Japanese lives longer than any other citizen? Please leave a comment down below! We want to hear from you.
