The whole world has not been able to solve the riddle of Japanese longevity for decades. Today, the average life expectancy for Japanese men is 80 years, and for women - 86. No country on Earth has yet reached this level. Recently, leading experts in the field of gerontology from Japan and Russia gathered in Moscow to understand the phenomenon of Japanese longevity.
It should be noted that for Russia the issue of longevity is very relevant, since the number of elderly people in our country is growing from year to year. In 2019, according to statistics, Russians set a historical minimum in terms of life expectancy - men 68.5 years, women - 78.5 years. But 100-year-old centenarians in Russia are almost 3 times less than in Japan - 20.5 thousand against 61 thousand. And this can be called one of the reasons why the population of Japan is growing, while the percentage of elderly people remains stable.
The Japanese approached this problem thoroughly. First, a large-scale study was carried out, which compared people's health, material well-being and the number of years lived. It turned out that the poorer a person in Japan, the more diseases he has and the shorter his life.
Another reason that affects life expectancy, according to the Japanese, is proper nutrition. Japanese gerontologists believe that the diet of an elderly person should differ significantly from the diet of young people. Suffice it to recall America, where the state spends huge sums on the treatment of elderly people, and they live much less than the Japanese. And all because people in old age do not change their eating habits. In Japan, this is simply impossible to imagine - food for the elderly in supermarkets is on separate shelves, as well as food for small children.
Japanese scientists argue that people of considerable age should consume food in the form of jelly. The main product for them is fish, but meat is harmful. By the way, it is not the first year that the Japanese have been saying that the Americans taught them to eat meat, and the time has passed to get rid of this bad habit.
The Japanese are also actively fighting salt consumption. And if not long ago in the daily diet of the average Japanese was 40 grams of salt per day, today, thanks to active propaganda, only 10 grams. According to Professor Endo, the Japanese will never eat food just because they like it, as the Russians do.
Another important factor in longevity is constant study regardless of age. The Japanese read for at least one hour a day and believe that this protects the brain from problems like dementia and Alzheimer's. While in front of the TV, elderly Japanese spend no more than half an hour a day. Figures for comparison: Americans sit up at blue screens for 4 hours a day, and Russians do 5.
And another important factor that prolongs the life of the Japanese is movement. For example, elderly Japanese spend at least an hour walking down the street every day, while Russians are closer to a sofa and a TV.
The fifth factor in longevity is meeting friends regularly. Japanese retirees spend a lot of time with their peers and consider this a guarantee of a boring and prosperous life. Elderly people arrange gatherings with friends at home, visit exhibitions, theaters, and meet in cafes.
And of course, it should be noted that the Japanese old people are actively supported by the state. For this, many national programs have been developed.And even such seemingly "private" moments as caring for the weak and lying, the state takes upon itself. In Japan, there is a government program for long-term home care for the elderly.
All measures taken together cannot fail to bring a positive effect: the Japanese have been the leaders in terms of life expectancy on the planet for several years now.
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