According to the World Health Organization, the average life expectancy of Japanese people has been the highest in the world for many consecutive years. Many people ask: Why do Japanese people live the longest in the world?

According to researchers: Diet is an important key to increasing the life expectancy of Japanese people.

On July 16, 2020, the European Journal of Nutrition published a study from the Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Japan. In which, data from more than 92,000 people were analyzed and found that: 7 types of food that Japanese people eat regularly and the dishes they limit, may be the secret to their longevity.

7 common foods in the Japanese diet are:

1. Rice

2. Miso soup

3. Seaweed

4. Japanese pickles (Tsukemono)

5. Green and yellow vegetables

6. Fish

7. Green tea

1 type of meat that Japanese people rarely eat

That is red meat, including beef and pork. In Japan, red meat is still served but people do not eat it regularly.

In 2017, Professor Yu Kang, Chief Physician of the Department of Clinical Nutrition at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (China), shared a report on the program "I am a Great Doctor". The report is called "Map of the Correlation Between the Distribution of Red Meat and Malignant Diseases in the World". Doctor Yu affirmed that the more red meat you eat, the higher the incidence of disease.

In the program, Professor Yu Kang said: "Japanese people eat less red meat than Chinese people, so the rate of malignant tumors is lower than in China. While Germany, the US, and Canada eat a lot of pork ribs, steak, and lamb, the rate of colon cancer and breast cancer is higher than in China."

Research shows that people who eat a lot of red meat are at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and other malignant tumors... than those who have a balanced combination of red meat and white meat.

The type of meat that Japanese people eat a lot of, contributing to longevity

Japan is a country that loves fish very much.

In early September every year, this country holds a grilled saury festival. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people attend the festival each year to enjoy grilled fish together.

Statistics show that the average fish consumption per capita in Japan has increased from more than 70kg to more than 100kg per year. Even exceeding the per capita rice consumption and double the per capita fish consumption in France.

Throughout the year, fish is the staple food of every Japanese family. In Japan, from March to May, people eat clams, herring, and squid. From June to August, they eat abalone and eel. In the fall, they eat pomfret, saury, and tuna. In the winter, they eat cod, mackerel, etc.

Deep-sea fish contain many trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and unsaturated fatty acids, etc., helping the body feel full for many hours with relatively few calories. This eating habit has helped them have good health and live longer.

In addition, Japanese people love to drink tea. Tea contains polyphenols, along with many minerals, proteins, vitamins and other nutrients. In particular, light tea is very good for strengthening heart and kidney function, promoting blood circulation, and supporting digestion.