Typical products of the Mediterranean diet are the secret of Sardinian centenarians. Analyzing the link between nutrition and longevity is the “A kent’annos” (a hundred years old) project, which has been investigating the phenomenon for more than three decades.
Studies presented in Milan, at the Sardinia Region’s Sardegna Store, highlighted the healthy characteristics of typical Sardinian foods, which combined with genetic heritage and microclimate make Sardinia the Italian island of centenarians, with 22 over 100 per 100,000 inhabitants, twice the world incidence.
Among local products, which are exported worldwide, wine products seem to possess an above-average amount of antioxidants; so do fruits, with three times as many flavonoids and polyphenols as GDO products. Cheeses also shine: according to current research, they contain bacilli with high pH resistance and high probiotic action.
Rounding out the picture are statistics on the dining habits of Sardinian centenarians. Men (93 percent) drink twice as much wine as the average compatriot; and along with women they habitually eat dairy products, pasta, and vegetables. But strictly Made in Sardinia.
