For the love of all that is holy, can we please just admit that our current methods for studying nutrition _do not work_, that we need better ways to handle this sort of complex system, and the mean time, the best knowledge we have about what constitutes a healthy diet really can just be summed up as "eat food, not too much, mostly plants". The head spinning speed with which new "scientifically supported" diet announcements come out -- which almost always contradict each other -- is almost certainly contributing to the undermining of the lay person's trust in science at this point.<p>We need to stop it, stop trying to apply clearly mismatched tools to this problem and reconsider our whole approach.
As a vegan who is constantly seeing anti-vegan (or pro-keto) sentiment on HN, it's nice to see a post about a Blue Zone[1].<p>Interestingly, the Okinawans eat a different sweet potato from the one shown. It's appropriately named the Okinawa sweet potato, and it's purple on the inside, due to having a high antioxidant content similar to blueberries[2].<p>These are not to be confused with sweet potatoes that are purple on the <i>outside</i>, and often confusingly called Asian sweet potatoes or Japanese sweet potatoes[3].<p>If you live near an Asian market, you should try looking for the Okinawa sweet potato (I get mine from a Chinese place near my home in LA). It has a very different taste and texture. I personally like to cut them up, steam them, and throw them into a food processor. They develop an interesting pasty texture which I quite like.<p>[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/okinawan-sweet-potato-purple-powerhouse-nutrition" rel="nofollow">https://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/okinawan-sweet-...</a><p>[3] <a href="https://paleoleap.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/japanese-sweet-potatoes.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://paleoleap.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/japanese-sw...</a>
Highlights from the article, pertaining to the Okinawans' lifestyle and diet:<p>* little smoking among population<p>* strong social bonds → observed to be beneficial to bodily defence against stress<p>* high engagement in agriculture and fishing jobs → high physical activity<p>* possible effects of genetics — high presence of FOXO3 gene<p>* 10-to-1 carbs-to-protein comsumption ratio, like in other particularly-long-lived populations – linked studies support the conclusion, though too early to judge definitively<p>* sweet potato, rather than rice, is high-consumption food in the Okinawan diet<p>* most of the diet is vegetables and fruits; meats and fish are rare<p>* calorie consumption is, on average, 13% lower than general population<p>* it is suggested that past the age of 65, protein consumption should increase<p>* studies suggest that plant-based protein intake have a more positive effect on the human organism than meat- and fished-based<p>* their diet is not the "elixir of youth", as multiple interacting factors may be in play
Or, they don't report their elderly dead to collect their pension. There has been stories about this: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11258071" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11258071</a>
> <i>"Despite the popularity of the Atkins and Paleo diets, however, there is minimal evidence that high-protein diets really do bring about long-term benefits. So could the “Okinawan Ratio” – 10:1 carbohydrate to protein – instead be the secret to a long and healthy life?"</i><p>In the low-carb diet you are mostly replacing calories from carbs with calories from fat. Not sure why they are focused on this carb to protein ratio.<p>> <i>"The traditional Okinawan diet is therefore dense in the essential vitamins and minerals - including anti-oxidants - but also low in calories.<p>[...]<p>For this reason, some scientists believe that Okinawans offer more evidence for the life-enhancing virtues of a “calorie restricted” diet."</i><p>Well, the benefit of low-carb is that you crave less food so naturally "calorie-restrict" relative to a high carb diet. So if they are accomplishing this another way it all makes sense (they mention some genetic factors in tfa).
The world is breaking down into name calling and finger pointing. I'm surprised humans ever got out of the dark ages, hell I'm surprised that we stopped flinging poop at each other, well technically it is what is happening with the Internet and Social media.<p>Move to Okinawa, live their life and eat their way and lets see what happens.<p>Not everything works for everyone. I tried eating vegetarian for almost a year then I got stricter and switched to vegan for 6 months because being a vegetarian wasn't working for me. The worst 18 months of my life. I was eating a well balanced diet, watching vitamins and mineral intake, my hair started falling out, by skin looked horrible. I became a vegetarian because I was 75lbs overweight, with high blood pressure. When eating a calorie restricted vegetarian/vegan diet and lifting weights and doing cardio I managed to gain weight and my blood pressure never improved.<p>I switched to Keto, my hair recovered, my skin looks fantastic, I have energy I'm sleeping better, my job performance is much better, and without eating a calorie restricted diet I've lost 60lbs in 9 months and my blood pressure is normal, all without exercising. I'm now starting to lift weight again.<p>People are different. If you don't try to tell me that keto doesn't work for me I won't you that the Okinawian diet doesn't work for them, or that being a vegan/vegetarian doesn't work for you.
The ever changing field of diets must be the most shining example of the infinite need for people to come up with theories to justify their own quirky believes.
They buried the lede. It isn't a high carb diet, but a low calorie diet with 10:1 carb to protein ratio. A more accurate description would be "low protein" diet. While carbs might make up a higher proportion of their calories, in absolute terms it's definitely not a high carb diet.
To try and sell a high carbohydrate diet based on this isolated community is disingenuous. "They eat an abundance of green and yellow vegetables – such as the bitter melon – and various soy products. Although they do eat pork, fish and other meats, these are typically a small component of their overall consumption, which is mostly plant-based foods." In other words they eat a nutrient rich diet, not high carbohydrate as implied (They eat little rice which is high carbohydrate.) They are small in stature that implies an evolutionary response to food shortages.
Questions I have are
do they use "naturally" fermented soya?
do they walk a lot?
Alcohol?
Interesting read even though I dont buy the titles narrative
There are important health differences between refined carbohydrates and carbohydrates that are naturally very high in dietary fiber like sweet potatoes.<p><a href="https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/carbohydrates" rel="nofollow">https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/carbohydrates</a><p>Sure, refined carbohydrates (and sugar) are empty calories that are better avoided if you want to lose weight.<p>Foods rich in fiber like sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole grains, peas, and beans contain carbohydrates, but are nonetheless healthy foods you should be eating.
> Genetic good fortune could be one important factor. Thanks to the geography of the islands, Okinawa’s populations have spent large chunks of their history in relative isolation, which may has given them a unique genetic profile. Preliminary studies suggest this may include a reduced prevalence of a gene variant – APOE4 – that appears to increase the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s.<p>Their high-carb diet has nothing to do with Okinawan longevity. Genes are the most important factor.<p>This article is ridiculous click-bait.