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A high-carb diet may explain why Okinawans live so long[1]

高醣飲食或許能解釋沖繩人長壽的原因

Emerging evidence suggests a 10:1 ratio of carbohydrates to proteins may protect the body from the ravages of ageing

新證據顯示，碳水化合物與蛋白質10：1的比例能保護身體免於老化的摧殘

The search for the “elixir of youth” has spanned centuries and continents – but recently, the hunt has centred on the Okinawa Islands, which stretch across the East China Sea. Not only do the older inhabitants enjoy the longest life expectancy of anyone on Earth, but the vast majority of those years are lived in remarkably good health too.

「長生不老藥」的找尋已經跨越了幾個世紀和無數個大陸，但是最近，搜索行動卻集中在橫跨東海的沖繩群島上。這些年長的居民們不僅享有比地球上其他人都還要長壽的生命，絕大多數的人在這些年中還活得非常健康。

Of particular note is the number of people who reach 100 years of life. For every 100,000 inhabitants, Okinawa has 68 centenarians – more than three times the numbers found in US populations of the same size. Even by the standards of Japan, Okinawans are remarkable, with a 40% greater chance of living to 100 than other Japanese people.

那些活過百歲的人數更是特別值得注意。在沖繩，每十萬居民中，就有68位百歲人瑞；在相同的數量下，其超出了美國所能找到的3倍。即使是按照日本的標準，沖繩的數量也相當驚人。與其他日本人相比，他們活過百歲的可能性要高出4成。

Little wonder scientists have spent decades trying to uncover the secrets of the Okinawans’ longevity – in both their genes and their lifestyle. And one of the most exciting factors to have recently caught the scientists’ attention is the peculiarly high ratio of carbohydrates to protein in the Okinawan diet – with a particular abundance of sweet potato as the source of most of their calories.

不怪乎科學家花費數十年的時間試圖在沖繩人的基因和生活方式中找出他們長壽的秘密。其中一個最近引來科學家們特別關注的驚人因素就是在沖繩人的飲食中，碳水化合物與蛋白質的比例特別高，多數的卡路里來源為攝取特別大量的番薯。

“It is quite the opposite of current popular diets that advocate a high protein, low carb diet,” says Samantha Solon-Biet, who researches nutrition and ageing at the University of Sydney. Despite the popularity of the Atkins and Paleo diets, however, there is minimal evidence that high-protein diets really do bring about long-term benefits.

在雪梨大學中研究營養與老化的Samantha Solon-Biet說：「這與目前推薦吃高蛋白、低醣類的流行飲食相反。」儘管阿特金斯飲食和原始人飲食很受歡迎，但是少有證據能夠證明高蛋白的飲食確實能夠帶來長期的好處。

So could the “Okinawan Ratio” – 10:1 carbohydrate to protein – instead be the secret to a long and healthy life? Although it would still be far too early to suggest any lifestyle changes based on these observations, the very latest evidence – from human longitudinal studies and animal trials – suggest the hypothesis is worth serious attention. According to these findings, a low protein, high carbohydrate diet sets off various physiological responses that protect us from various age-related illnesses – including cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. And the Okinawan Ratio may achieve the optimal dietary balance to achieve those effects.

這樣說的話，碳水化合物與蛋白質10：1的「沖繩比例」才是長壽健康的秘訣嗎？雖然憑藉這些觀察結果還遠遠無法給出任何改變生活方式的建議，但是從人類縱向研究與動物試驗中最新的證據表明這個假說值得認真關注。根據這些研究結果，低蛋白、高醣類的飲食能夠引起各種保護我們免受與老化相關疾病的生理反應，這些疾病包括癌症、心血管疾病和阿茲海默症。而沖繩比例或許能達到最佳的膳食平衡進而達到這些效果。

Much of this research comes from the Okinawa Centenarian Study (OCS), which has been investigating the health of the ageing population since 1975. The OCS examines inhabitants from across the Okinawa prefecture, which includes more than 150 islands. By 2016, the OCS had examined 1,000 centenarians from the region.

這個研究大部分是來自於沖繩人瑞研究（OCS），該研究自1975年以來一直在調查老年人口的健康狀況。OCS對包含了150多個島嶼的沖繩縣的居民進行調查。到了2016年，OCS已經在當地調查了1000名人瑞。

Rather than suffering a prolonged demise, the Okinawan centenarians appeared to have delayed many of the usual effects of ageing, with almost two thirds living independently until the age of 97. This remarkable “healthspan” was evident across many age-related diseases. The typical Okinawan centenarian appeared to be free of the typical signs of cardiovascular disease, without the build-up of the hard “calcified” plaques around the arteries that can lead to heart failure. Okinawa’s oldest residents also have far lower rates of cancer, diabetes and dementia than other ageing populations.

沖繩人瑞似乎延緩了許多老化的常見現象，而非久經病魔的糾纏，幾乎有三分之二的人都能獨自生活到97歲。這種驚人的「健康期限」在許多與年齡相關的疾病中都相當明顯。典型的沖繩人瑞似乎不會出現心血管疾病的典型病徵，動脈周圍不會積聚可能導致心衰竭的「鈣化」硬斑塊。與其他地區的老年人口相比，沖繩最年長的居民們患有癌症、糖尿病和失智症的機率也都要低得多。