Hi WannaSeeWorms
I think saying that higher health of Okinawans is due to their water is an overstatement. I think their health and longevity is more in relation to their lifestyles. Many site promoting Okinawa coral calcium claim the benefit of the special water, why? They sell coral calcium.
You will see that the health of the Okinawans younger generations are that great, why? Modern way of living and fast food. What else?
but I would not trust 100% of what their saying. They appear to be doctors who wrote and are selling books.
[My comment: Text like this.]
Text like this: my emphasis.
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Okinawa's Drinking Water and Longevity: The Evidence
Most of the health claims being made about coral calcium from Okinawa are based on the fact that the Okinawans are among
the world's longest lived people and supposedly drink water containing coral calcium. Although Okinawa may have the world's highest concentration of centenarians, as well as extremely low mortality rates from diseases common in the West such as coronary heart disease, breast and prostate cancers, research shows that it has
very little to do with their drinking water,
as we explain in detail in our book "The Okinawa Program".[My comment: Follow the money.] Although drinking hard water (high mineral content that includes calcium, magnesium and other minerals) gives the Okinawans a boost in their calcium intakes, they still fall
far below the calcium intakes of most Western countries.
Calcium Intake in Okinawa is Lower than in the US: The Evidence
The fact is that when it comes to calcium in the diet, research shows that the United States is actually near the top of the list at about 800 mg per day (USDA 1996) with the Scandinavian countries, such as Finland (1300+mg day) being the world's leaders in calcium consumption. Okinawans actually consume less calcium than their Western counterparts. The average calcium intake in Okinawa is only about 500 mg a day (1998 Okinawa Prefecture Health and Nutrition Survey). This is a far cry from claims of "100,000 mg of calcium a day" for the average Okinawan as claimed in a recent TV infomercial.
Why the Okinawans Live Long: The Evidence
The real reasons for the health and longevity phenomenon in Okinawa are multiple but include the following:
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Eating a low-calorie, mostly plant-based diet with plenty of fish and soy foods and a great variety of vegetables as well as moderate amounts of the right kinds of fats
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Getting regular, life-long physical activity
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Enjoying strong social and community support for the elderly
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Realizing the health benefits of a universal, affordable medical-welfare system that focuses on a preventive approach and integrates much of what is good about Eastern medicine with the best of the West.
We do not endorse coral calcium supplements from Okinawa for the following reasons:
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Coral calcium supplements have not been proven to be any more effective than regular calcium supplements -- though they are far more costly.
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We are not aware of any scientific studies that support any of the more dramatic health claims made for coral calcium supplements.
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The claim that you can enhance health by making the body more alkaline has no basis in science.
[My comment: just goto
to see that there is a site with a lot of “scientific studies” on the pH balance principles. I think most of the studies are from Europe. I wonder why? Hummmmmmmmm]
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Okinawa diet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Okinawa diet is a nutrient-rich, low-calorie diet[1] from the indigenous people of the Ryūkyū Islands. In addition, a commercially promoted weight-loss diet (which bears the same name) has also been made based on this standard diet of the Islanders.
Indigenous islanders' diet
People from the islands of Ryūkyū (of which Okinawa is the largest) are reported to have the longest life expectancy in the world. This has in part been attributed to the local diet, but also to other variables such as genetic factors, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
Generally, the traditional diet of the islanders is 20% lower in calories than the Japanese average and contains 300% of the green/yellow vegetables (particularly heavy on sweet potatoes). The Okinawan diet is low in fat and has only 25% of the sugar and 75% of the grains of the average Japanese dietary intake.[2] The traditional diet also includes a relatively small amount of fish (less than half a serving per day) and somewhat more in the way of soy and other legumes (6% of total caloric intake). Almost no meat, eggs, or dairy products are consumed.[3]
An Okinawan reaching 110 years of age has typically had a diet consistently averaging no more than one calorie per gram and has a BMI of 20.4.[4]
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What remains to be inquired is you saying “my hard well water which will apparently clog in my joints and other unwanted places as well as have to filter through my kidneys. (first owner of my home was on dialysis!). Do I have this right?”
Without any other info it would be hard to answer it. Have you done an analysis of your water. Is it alkaline and what is its pH?
Cheers
WIEL