Topics: Food and Drink, Travel, Health
Living until you’re 100 might seem like a dream, but when you’re a resident of this island, it's almost the norm.
We all know that we can’t live forever, but becoming a centenarian would be enough to satisfy most people.
However, when the US average expected life rate is 77, as per the CDC, who can blame us for trying anything to extend our lifespan?
But it seems there's somewhat of an elixir for a long-life, right-on Earth, and the people of a specific island have known about its benefits for years.
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They live in a ‘Blue Zone’, which is a geographical area where people on average live significantly longer, and it might be thanks to what they apparently eat in the morning.
Before you ask, it’s nothing major weird like the heart of a baby lamb, and it’s pretty easy to get your hands on when you’re grocery shopping.
The Greek Island of Ikaria is known for a high proportion of its population reaching the age of 100, and the common denominator?
It's said that they all eat raw honey.
That’s right, this delicious treat is more than something you add to your yogurt to feel fancy.
In an article for CNBC, Diane Kochilas - who's 'family’s from the Greek island of longevity' AKA Ikaria - wrote: "The raw, thick, delicious honey produced by local beekeepers on the island and across Greece is intertwined with my most precious memories of life on Ikaria. I love to smell its subtle, gentle perfume wafting on the breeze, especially when the weather is warm and the bees are out and about, buzzingly busy among the wildflowers, thyme, and pine trees."
She added: "Honey has antibacterial qualities, contains an abundance of antioxidants, and helps the body regulate sugar levels. On Ikaria, it's considered one of the island's secret ingredients for longevity, and many Ikarians start their day with a spoonful."
In particular, it’s ‘consumed as folk medicine for coughs and sore throats’ and that ‘the combination of honey, sage or mountain tea, ginger, and garlic were the “penicillin” of his generation’.
Research published in the Food Chemistry journal found that raw honey could even contain round 4.3 times more plant-based antioxidants than processed honey, which could help reduce the risk of heart disease and possibly even cancer.
But don’t be sad if you can’t afford raw honey as nutritionist Hannah Hope shared that ‘processed honey still maintains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties’.
Another study, published in the National Library of Health, explored how honey impacts the development and progression of cancer, explained: "Honey is a natural product known for its varied biological or pharmacological activities-ranging from anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antihypertensive to hypoglycaemic effects.
"Effects of honey have been thoroughly investigated in certain cancers such as breast, liver and colorectal cancer cell lines. In contrast, limited but promising data are available for other forms of cancers including prostate, bladder, endometrial, kidney, skin, cervical, oral and bone cancer cells.
"Honey is highly cytotoxic against tumor or cancer cells while it is non-cytotoxic to normal cells. Thus, honey may serve as a potential and promising anticancer agent which warrants further experimental and clinical studies."
So, maybe it really is the elixir of life?
