Hunza - "arrow" in bouroushaki, local language - is a small village at 2400 km altitude in northern Pakistan. Its inhabitants, the Hunzakuts, are among 87000 and aroused the curiosity of many scientists and researchers because of their eternal youth and their perfect health. Indeed, their life expectancy exceeds 120 years and women can give birth to 65 years. This not to mention the youth of their appearance and their health check without diseases and tumors. So what are the keys to this eternal youth?
As we all know, diet, physical activity and lifestyle are the main keys for a young and healthy body. Let us analyze those Hunzakuts to discover their secrets!
Food
Throughout their history, the people of this village have chosen to adopt an autarkic regime based primarily on agriculture and livestock.
Their diet is therefore based on the products of their land and their animals, as well as some wild plants. It is essentially cereals such as buckwheat, barley and wheat, fruits, including apricots, and vegetables. These are obviously organic and watering glaciers melt water, filtered by vegetation and mountainous rocks, increases their mineral content and vitamins. As for animal products, they prepare especially ghee, sometimes milk and cheese, but their meat consumption is very restricted and is limited to once or twice a year, in periods of extreme cold.
The characteristics of the diet of Hunza people are multiple:
- They undergo regular periods of fasting
- They eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds
- The water they drink is pure and naturally rich in minerals
- A major part of their diet is based on apricots, and they follow a course of apricots from two to four months a year, limiting their supply of dried apricot juice
- They do not drink alcohol
- They do not consume sugar, and very little salt
- The health benefits of apricot
Rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, apricot helps bring the body a lot of nutrients, while protecting against premature aging of its cells. Dried, it has a higher sugar content and helps increase the energy level of the body. In addition, several scientific studies have shown that regular consumption of this fruit could slash the risk of several diseases such as chronic gastritis.
Another very important point, bitter almonds contained in apricot kernels are an important source of vitamin B17, known for its powerful anti-cancer effect. This vitamin is composed of two glucose units, one unit of hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde another. By coming into contact with a cancer cell, the latter releases an enzyme known as beta-glucosidase name that unlocks the molecule vitamin B17 and releases benzaldehyde and cyanide, which are deadly poison to tumors without represent any danger to healthy cells.
Physical activity
As mentioned a little earlier, the inhabitants of this village feed products of the land and their livestock, which implies rigor and consistency in the work of the fields. They wake at dawn to begin their work and are, on average, between 15 and 20 kilometers a day. Moreover, even children are accustomed from an early age, to walk barefoot.
This daily and fairly intense physical activity, combined with clean air and unpolluted wilderness around them, they will keep a healthy body because it improves blood circulation and thus oxygenation of the brain and all the organs and tissues of the body, helps eliminate toxins and waste through sweating, and prevents the storage and accumulation of fat in the body. This therefore significantly reduces the risk of various common modern diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
The lifestyle
One of the most devastating plagues Health currently is stress. But in Hunzakuts, he did not place. Who preferred to stay in harmony with nature, away from the hectic pace of modern civilizations, they are known for their calm, their smiles and serenity. They also practice meditation and deep breathing exercises and motto to live day to day without regretting the past or fearing the future. Thus, they avoid all the health problems and complications caused by stress and increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body.
A little quote about a Hunzakut named Said Abdul Mobudu, which caused astonishment and amazement officers at London Airport. In 1984, while they checked his passport, the officers were shocked to see her date of birth: 1832. Yes, he had 161 years!