​Seniors Matter(s): The Hunza Tribe!

These are the people who never get sick. They live in northern India at the foothills of the Himalayas on the border with Pakistan, Afghanistan, the former Soviet Union and China.

This legendary tribe numbers about 30,000 people and is believed to be the missing descendants of Alexander the Great's army when he invaded India, which confirms that they do not resemble their neighbours in facial features.

They have colourful eyes and white skin. They are the happiest and healthiest human beings. They are the people who never get sick, have an average age of 100 years, and some live up to 130 years.

In 1970, when the road was built between Pakistan and China, “National Geographic” magazine described the tribe as the longest-living in the world.

What is the secret?

These people naturally follow a diet that is low in protein and very rich in raw vegetables and fruits. They bathe daily in cold water, even on those days when temperatures do not exceed 15 degrees Celsius. They do continuous hard work in the fields, and walk for tens of kilometres per day in areas.

They are the people with no diseases. Many scientists have studied the tribe to reveal its secrets. The first was the English doctor, Robert Makris, who confirmed after three years of living among the tribe, that he hadn't detected a single case of cancer, stomach ulcers, appendicitis, or any other disease.

A second scientist, who was interested in studying Hunza attitudes, was a Romanian doctor, Henry Kawanda. After his studies, he discovered that due to the decline of water from the icebergs of the Hunza, it has a different viscosity which positively affects the overall health of the tribe.

Dr. John Clark mentioned in his book, “Hunza, the last Kingdom of the Himalayas,” the following conclusions:
 

• The Hunza Tribe members are perfectly healthy until they reach 100 years of age
• The average age of its members is more than 100 years
• A 70-year-old woman has an appearance of a 40-year-old
• There is no obesity
• It is not considered strange for the men at the age of 90 to have children (I wonder how well they keep up with them!)
• its members retain their physical and mental abilities until a few days before death
• Seventy-year-old men can walk up to 100 kilometres in the rugged mountains
• If you ask Hunza tribe members about the secret of their health, they'll just advise you to follow a plant diet and work hard

They are the people who have been isolated from the world for more than 2,000 years.

It certainly is a different lifestyle than mine. One I’m not sure I want. I do recognize that their simplistic plant-based diet (China Study) enhances longevity.

‘Till next time.

Stay safe.