People in some parts of the world live longer, healthier, and sometimes just happier. Doctors are interested in the reasons for the positive effects. Researchers have now found out why people from isolated mountain villages live longer and healthier.
Why did the poor villagers live and live longer?
Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have analyzed the inhabitants of Greek villages. It was found that people from some isolated mountain villages carry a special gene in their bodies.
The genetic option, according to recent studies, reduces the level of harmful fats and cholesterol in the blood. Doctors published the results of their study in the journal Nature Communications.
People from some Greek mountain villages are generally very old and healthy. Residents also rarely suffer from cardiovascular disease. The risk of developing serious diseases in rural people from Greece is 7 times lower than in urban ones. Specialists tried to find out what causes health benefits.
Rural people often live healthy until old age
Despite a diet rich in animal fat and cheese, people in some mountain villages in northern Crete are less likely to die from myocardial infarction. Therefore, experts asked what is so special about these villages, called Zonyana and Anogia.
Few people leave or visit these isolated villages. The authors explain that residents tend to live to old age. Heart problems, heart attacks and strokes, and generally all types of cardiovascular diseases are especially rare in these villages.
The diet of residents does not change much, although they consume a lot of lamb and local cheese from Crete. Typically, such a diet is the source of many health complications, scientists explain. Cheese and red meat in large quantities are the main causes of blockage of blood vessels by plaques.
Does genetics protect villagers from heart disease?
Consuming foods rich in saturated fats raises blood cholesterol. High levels of LDL in the blood, in turn, increase the risk of heart disease and strokes. Therefore, the researchers wondered whether the genetics of the villagers protects against heart disease.
Currently, scientists have identified a new genetic variant that protects the heart. This gene allows residents to consume a lot of fatty foods without much harm to their health. Low concentrations of harmful fatty acids are very important to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, doctors explain.
Such a genetic variant, apparently, is found only in a population of two mountain villages. The authors explain that among thousands of Europeans who have undergone genome sequencing, only one person in Italy has the same gene.
The genome of the villagers was investigated
Scientists have arranged the entire genome of 250 villagers to understand the essence of the puzzle. They took blood samples and extracted DNA. Then they analyzed the three billion letters that make up the human genome.
Conclusion: the diet and genes of people from this village have an impact on life expectancy. The physical activity of the Greek inhabitants was relatively small, therefore, did not play a role in longevity.
The results of modern research will help to better understand the role of genetic variants in the development of complex diseases in the future. This may give an idea of why some people develop heart disease, while others do not.
Scientists cannot explain why the identified variant is present among the villagers. Presence may be related to the lifestyle of the villagers. Isolated media or genes passed down from generation to generation can also be the cause.
Researchers plan to explore other isolated societies, such as the Amish in the United States and the Inuit in northern Greenland. It is important to investigate any unknown health benefits of such isolated people.
The data obtained can be issued in the form of recommendations for urban people from countries from around the world. Some experts believe that certain eating habits of Greek residents have a significant impact on their body.
