Research Round-Up
"Blue Zones" debunked: It's pension fraud, not diet
For years, researchers and health writers have promoted the idea of "blue zones"—regions where people supposedly live much longer than average due to their traditional diets and lifestyles.
Places like Sardinia, Okinawa, and the Greek island of Icaria have been celebrated for their high numbers of centenarians, with countless books and programs promising to reveal their longevity secrets.
But new research by Dr. Saul Justin Newman of University College London suggests a less inspiring explanation: pension fraud and poor record-keeping.
His study, which won an Ig Nobel award for demography, found that these regions typically had higher poverty rates, worse health outcomes, and fewer people in their nineties than would be expected. The data was eye-opening: in Costa Rica, 42% of reported centenarians were lying about their age, while a Greek government investigation uncovered 200,000 fraudulent pension claims.
Perhaps most telling, Newman discovered that Okinawa, celebrated for its supposedly plant-based diet, actually has Japan's lowest vegetable consumption and highest meat intake. While diet certainly plays a role in health and longevity, this finding casts serious doubt on blue zone advocates' claims that eating less meat and more vegetables is the key to living past 100.
Landmark Lawsuit Begins Against Ultra Processed Food Manufacturers
Morgan & Morgan has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against food industry behemoths Kraft Heinz Company, Mondelēz International, Inc., and others alleging they specifically engineer their ultra-processed food products to be addictive and market those products towards children, allegedly causing chronic disease in children.
A Timely Reminder: Marked improvement in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in diabetic Australian aborigines after temporary reversion to traditional lifestyle
A little known but important study has been brought back into the light by Senior Lecturer Daniel Roytas.
“In 1982, Prof. Kerin O’Dea wanted to see what would happen to a group of chronically ill Australian natives when they reverted to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
The 10 participants moved to a remote location in the Western Australian bush, where they lived for 7 weeks. They spent their days hunting kangaroos, crocodiles and fish, whilst gathering fruits, vegetables and honey.
During the study period, a remarkable thing happened, their bodies began to heal. In less than 2 months, their metabolic abnormalities had reversed, and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease had ameliorated. Their body weight decreased, whilst blood sugar, insulin, glucose tolerance, cholesterol, and triglyceride markers normalized.
These results are testament to the fact that when we reconnect with nature, find meaning and purpose in our lives, become physically active, and eat local, fresh, seasonal, whole food, we activate our body’s innate self-healing response. No pills or potions required.”
Credit- Humanley: t.me/humanley
Yoga as an Effective Adjunct Therapy for Hypothyroidism
According to the Australian stats, 1 in 33 Aussies have hypothyroidism with an increased prevalence in women. Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder which occurs when the thyroid gland produces insufficient hormones.
The study "Efficacy of Standardized Yoga Asanas as Add-on Therapy in the Management of Hypothyroidism" explored the effectiveness of yoga asanas as an adjunctive treatment for hypothyroidism with powerful findings. The positive effect of yoga on hypothyroidism speaks volumes to the role stress and our nervous system plays in our health.
The latest health research news from around the world, compiled by Lead Instructor and Program Director Leanne Scott, FNTP.