What do Japanese people do that makes them live so long?

Question

Recently the worlds oldest woman died. She was 114 years old. It suddenly occured to me that maybe I'm not doing all I can to have a long, happy, healthy life. So I ask. What is it that the Japanese do to live so long? What do they eat? What lifestyle do they live?

Answer 1

They are not eating all the additives, preservatives, and hormones that are in our foods.

Answer 2

mysticalviking's answer is very true. In Asia, their food culture has a lot to do with organic vegetables, spices, and lean meats. Most people grow their own vegetables so that it's fresh and they know exactly how it was grown. They also stick to eating smaller portions which is good for our digestive systems. If they use any oils, it's gonna be extra virgin or pure olive oil, never heavy/greasy oils. But we're talking about the older generation. These days, there are many fast-food places such as McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, etc. everywhere in Asia. If you want to lead a healthy and happy life, a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis is good for your physical and mental health.

Answer 3

Very good question and normally the reason is put to a diet of fish and rice. The longevity is surprising when you consider that the Japanese are, among the heaviest smokers, drink substantial amounts of sake (men), live a very hectic and stressed life style and use MSG in almost every dish.

I saw the report referred to by, 'Curious Taka'. The part he missed was there was a significant difference between the cooking method before and after the war. Pre-war the Japanese only cooked with vegetable oils. After the war with the influence and products received from America they switched to animal fats.

How's that for going against popular convictions? But the proof is in the numbers. And by the way there's considerable information that Soy bean products should be taken in very small quantities do to the potential of harmful affects. Start here, http://www.google.com.sg/search?q=+soy+bean+can+be+harmful&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Answer 4

Well, to begin with none of us have anything to do how long one will live. But japanese people have been known to eat better than we Americans do. Seafood like fish play alot in their diet and so are vegetables. Also the way they cook their foods, not greasy deep frying. They also fast cook their foods and I believe that has something to do with the diet. Both men and women do drink alot of sake though and we all
know that alcohol is bad for ones health. But nevertheless, Japanese people do get the same dieases like non-Japanese people and many of them die early. Japanese people have lots on the table to eat but they eat alittle bit of all, never stuffing them selves. They are also very hard workers and burn the calories off easily than we do. Now if we can practice their eating habits how long would we live we'd have less obesity here in America.
Good question you brought up. Thanks.

Answer 5

Hi, I'm a native Japanese speaker. Sorry for my poor English. First please note that some information in my answer is from a book I read and a bit old. So some info in my answer may be subject to change.
A 2004 research done by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan demonstrates that the average life span of the Japanese is 78.36 yrs for males and 85.33 for females.
Though there could be some changes, this figure represents the longest life expectancy in the world. Back in 1935, the average life span was 46.92 for males and 49. 63 for females. It has increased by 35 yrs for both men and women over the past 67 yrs.
Some Japanese foods, especially traditional ones, are considered healthy to your body.
For example, Tofu, which is one of the traditional Japanese foods, is made form soybeans and is rich in vegetable protein, calcium, potassium and Vitamin B. It is considered healthy because it doesn't contain as much fat as meat or milk, and it's calorie content is very low for the amount of protein it provides.
Now it is said that Japan has been gradually westernized and there have been influxes of western dishes, which mean that many people (esp. younger generations) take a lot of food that contain many calories, proteins and so on.
But in the era of people who are now in their 60's to 90's or maybe 100's, there was almost no foreign cuisine (sorry, I'm nor completely sure about this), and they had Japanese cuisine which contained less calories, which made them live longer.

Sorry in advance if there are some vague expressions. As mentioned above, my English is poor, so I can't explain well.

As for the news you heard, I was really surprised that the woman had lived for a century! I'm sorry to hear that news.

Hope my answer helps! ;-)

Answer 6

They don't eat unhealthy food. They exercise lot. Their meals are mostly composed of a balanced meal. They don't eat food that have high cholesterol. Well, some even say its from green tea.

Answer 7

they eat things like rice and noodles (which are both good for you without soy sauce), they don't go eat every night at Burger King, they have a much lower obesity percentage than America, etc. they are smarter about what they eat and don't get into all that junk.

Answer 8

They eat sushi a lot which is one of the healthiest things you can eat these days just making sure that its fresh also they eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of eating so much red meat and drink green tea.

Answer 9

Asians eat more fish, and it's not breaded or beer battered; it's either sushi or grilled or poached or smoked.

Answer 10

They tend to eat more healthy than us, they eat fish and rice, as well as a lot of vegetables.

Answer 11

They say green tea. Green tea is known for curing many things, and drinking every day is supposedly supposed to add years to your life.