Acciaroli on the Cilento coast south of Naples, has been dubbed the ‘Land of the Eternal Youth’ – and everyone has this in their diet
In Italy, there’s a tiny village where the incredible ratio of one in every ten residents reaches the ripe old age of 100, and that too with remarkable health.Acciaroli, perched on the Cilento coast just south of Naples, appears to hold the elixir of longevity and became the focus of an extensive study.
The investigation unearthed a link between consuming hefty amounts of rosemary and possessing excellent “micro-circulation” within these centenarians’ bodies. In the village a staggering 70 out of the 700-strong population celebrated their 100th birthday and generally with remarkably good health.
After a research program lastingof six months, experts from Rome’s Sapienza University together with comrades from the Sandiego School of Medicine discovered that the local seniors boast incredibly youthful blood circulation—mirroring that of youngsters.
The probing team scrutinized blood samples taken from upwards of 80 villagers, unearthing exceptionally diminished levels of adrenomedullin—a hormone that relaxes blood vessels. Elevated concentrations of this hormone can spell trouble, making blood vessels narrow which precipitates circulatory dilemmas potentially escalating to grave health issues.
During the study, Alan Maisel, a professor of medicine at the San Diego School of Medicine, explained: “These are the small blood vessels that send nutrients to the brain and organs and pull out metabolic waste products but which tend to slow down with age. Older people usually produce an increasing level of the hormone adrenomedullin to keep the flow circulating. The system kicks up levels of the hormone to attempt to compensate for the less effective circulation, a bit like squeezing blood out of a turnip.”
In stark contrast, the researchers discovered that the centenarians in Acciaroli had low levels of this hormone. “That proves that their micro-circulation is beautiful; stuff is still getting to the brain and organs and they don’t need to kick-start it,” he added.
When asked about the cause of these remarkable results, Dr Maisel suggested it could be linked to rosemary: “They eat a lot and it’s packed with compounds that possibly help micro-circulation.”
Interestingly, many of the villagers were found to be overweight and smokers, yet they possessed good genes, engaged in plenty of physical activity through walking and gardening, and reaped enormous health benefits from the Mediterranean diet.
Acciaroli’s remote location, far from Italy’s bustling motorway and rail network and nestled within a national park, could also contribute to lower stress levels.
The team of scientists were left astounded when they discovered that typical age-related health problems were virtually non-existent among the population studied. Dr Maisel revealed: “We found almost no cataracts, which is pretty amazing, no osteoporosis and little Alzheimer’s – and good micro-circulation may contribute to all of that.”
The diet of the Acciaroli residents likely plays a significant role in their health; it consists mainly of fish fresh from the sea, rabbits and chickens raised at home, plenty of olive oil, and fruits and vegetables from their own gardens. Moreover, a key ingredient to their lifestyle seems to be rosemary, with its potential brain-boosting properties, which is now subject to further scientific scrutiny for its impact on longevity in the area.
Elaborating on the properties of this aromatic herb, Dr Alan Maisel commented: “When we tested it, we found a dozen different compounds in there. Scientific studies have shown that acids help the function of the brain.”
Acciaroli is nestled 85 miles south of Naples along the Cilento coast, standing in the very region where the famous US nutritionist Ancel Keys highlighted an extraordinary cluster of centenarians back in 1950. This discovery contributed to Keys’ hypothesis linking the “Mediterranean diet” to a longer life span.
Keys himself was convinced enough by his findings to relocate to the area with his wife, subsequently achieving the grand age of 100 years.