The Key to Longevity

By: Kate M. Serrano

It is well known that Japan has one of the better life expectancies worldwide. Scientists often explain this phenomenon by the quality and health content of food Japanese people eat: a lot of fish and vegetables and very little meat. But when two countries from Europe, namely Italy and Switzerland, are both as well ranked by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as Japan, the mystery of longevity once again becomes a blur.

The OECD is an organization of 34 countries that helps promote policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. They work with governments to seek solutions to common problems and help drive social, economic and environmental change. Since 1970, countries from the OECD have extended their life expectancy by ten years. This progress can be explained by the improvement of the living conditions and the advances in medicine. While the Japanese eat rice and drink tea, Italians eat pasta and drink coffee. In this case, it seems that the quality of food is not as determinant in the longevity as we thought it was. Geographically close to Italy, Switzerland is standing at the highest place of the podium with a life expectancy of 82.8 years and is one of the richest countries in Europe. Ironically the United States – who is as rich as Switzerland – is 24 ranks down.

So what is the key to longevity? It’s not just on the quality of food intake and eating patterns, it’s just a quarter of the story. There are other factors to consider – a healthy lifestyle and time well spent for loads of happiness.

                      

The Colorful Truth

Kate M. Serrano

It’s been said that humans eat with the eyes as much as with the mouth. This is certainly the reason why the vivid colors, shapes and bright packaging of food in the supermarket aisle can be so appealing that we buy them not because of the brand or quality but because of what we see in the packaging. But how much of these bright colors should be in food? 

Food dye is normally used for enhancement of color and improving food’s overall appearance. The issue on how much food color should be in food is a known fact. In Europe, regulations on labeling food containing artificial food dyes to inform consumers of the health risks are already in place. The United States have no such requirement yet every year food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U.S. foods. Some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to numerous forms of cancer, alongside hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reported that nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the United States like Red #40 and Blue #2 are linked to health issues such as cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions. These were results from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself.

Our diet should include a range of food in vibrant colors. By color I mean those that are naturally rich in color such as red bell peppers, purple eggplants, blueberries, green beans. Their natural colors are reminders of the important nutrients they contain and these are the kind needed in our diet. It may just be high time to think twice about that rainbow-colored cereal or fluorescent blue juice. And have you taken your eyes off that pretty pink cupcake on the kitchen table too?