Re: Chinese (and Japanese) Centarians

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In this study of japanese centenarians a marked preference for dairy

is noted though closely preceded by vegetables.

Dietary preferences in Japanese centenarians favoring dairy foods

Kenichiro Shimizu,1,2 Hiroyasu Noji,3 Sumie Takeda,3 Nobuyoshi

Hirose,2 Yasuyuki Gondo4 and Kanoko Konishi5

Background: Relatively few studies have considered the dietary

preferences of the oldest elderly individuals. As persons aged over

100 years have survived for a particularly long period of time, the

dietary habits of centenarians might be significant factors

influencing late-life health.

Methods: We compared the dietary practices of 94 centenarians living

in Tokyo metropolitan with those of 30 other healthy elderly people

(older controls) and 98 healthy middle-aged subjects (younger

controls). Dietary intake was recorded for 3 successive days and was

classified in terms of 18 food groups: cereals, potatoes, sugars,

sweets, fats, nuts, legumes, fishes, meats, eggs, dairy products,

vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, algae, beverages, seasonings, and

processed foods. Dietary patterns were classified by a k-means cluster

analysis based on the proportional intake of each food group. Each

pattern identified was evaluated nutritionally.

Results: While the daily intake of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and

total calories was highest in younger controls and lowest in

centenarians, no significant differences were evident when intake was

evaluated relative to body weight. Four clusters of subjects preferred

beverages, vegetables, dairy products, and cereals, respectively.

Preference for beverages was most frequent in younger controls while

preference for vegetables was relatively frequent in older controls. A

pattern preferring dairy products was particularly characteristic of

centenarians. Dairy products were advantageous for calcium intake

while a preference for vegetables was of great advantage – assisting

in the intake of vitamins and iron.

Conclusions: Japanese centenarians showed a preference for dairy

products which, therefore, means that their calcium intake is high.

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1444-1586.2002.00043.x?cookie\

Set=1 & journalCode=ggi

Same study:

1: J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2003 Apr;49(2):133-8. Related

Articles, Links

Dietary patterns and further survival in Japanese centenarians.

Shimizu K, Takeda S, Noji H, Hirose N, Ebihara Y, Arai Y,

Hamamatsu M, Nakazawa S, Gondo Y, Konishi K.

Health Care Center, Shoko-Chukin Bank, 2-10-17 Yaesu, Chuo-ku,

Tokyo 104-0028, Japan. shimizu_kenichiro@...

We have previously reported that centenarians (persons > or = 100

y old) in Tokyo prefer dairy products. Dietary preferences may be

associated with longevity. The aim of the present study was to

investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and further

survival in centenarians. During 1992-1999, we examined the dietary

practices of 104 centenarians (29 men and 75 women; mean age, 100.3

+/- 0.9 y) who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Dietary patterns

were classified by kappa-means cluster analysis. As clinical

co-variables, we considered activities of daily living, cognitive

function, nutritional status, presence of important disease, gender,

and age at the time of the initial survey. Survival data were recorded

yearly until 2001, and then tested with Kaplan-Meier analysis and the

log rank statistic. Four dietary patterns were identified: a pattern

preferring vegetables (n = 33), a pattern preferring dairy products (n

= 26), a pattern preferring beverages (n = 10), and a pattern

preferring cereals (n = 35). No clinical variables differed between

the four dietary patterns. In 2001, 28 centenarians were still alive.

The survival rate for those preferring dairy products was the highest

of the four dietary patterns; in particular, being significantly

higher than the pattern preferring beverages (p = 0.048). A dietary

pattern preferring dairy products was associated with increased

survival in Tokyo-area centenarians.

PMID: 12887160 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=12887160 & query_hl=39 & itool=pubmed_docsum

Of closely related interest:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=9212688 & query_hl=39 & itool=pubmed_docsum

>

> I know this is almost 5 years old but I dont know if this was ever

posted...

>

> Chinese Medical Journal, 2001, Vol. 114 No. 10

>

> http://www.cmj.org/Periodical/PDF/2001/2001101095.pdf

>

> Their diet is a low protein, low fat, high fiber/carb, low calorie

diet.

>

> Regards

> Jeff

>

> __________________________________________________

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