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Thanks to this food, many old people in Okinawa don’t need eye glasses to read

By on January 10, 2016

Many centenarians in Okinawa are able to read the newspaper without the aid of eyeglasses.

The secret is eating Beni imo or purple yam that grows in the region where the amount of ultraviolet rays is 1.5 times more than in the mainland.

Compared to people in Tokyo, the Okinawans love a  ‘nuchigusui‘ (loosely translates to natural cure) lifestyle.

People in Okinawa generally rely on bioactive constituents found in sun-drenched fruits and vegetables for the prevention and treatment of disease. Thus, it is common for children and adults to snack on purple yam more often than processed foods.

It is no wonder that in this southwestern prefecture of Japan, vast acres of land dedicated to the magnificent medicinal crop can be found.

yomitan_photo_main

Beniimo or its scientific name Ipomoea batatas is very rich in antioxidants. Eating a single piece contains double your daily requirement of Vitamin A and beta-carotene. The Lutein in it prevents eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

This purple potato tuber contains 4 times the amount of disease-fighting compounds called anthocyanin, found in blueberries. Anthocynanins belong to the flavonoid group of polyphenol phytochemicals and for generations, people have used it as a folk medicine. They are found in plant food ranging from bright red to blue-violet colors. The glycoside compounds have natural sugar in anthocyanidin molecule. The pigment known as aglycone or anthocyanidin 3 is the part that has no sugar and are most abundant in dark coloured fruits such as black currants, blueberries, strawberries, black plums, eggplants, pinot noir, cherries, red cabbage, etc.

In Asia, poor eyesight is generally associated with age, genetics and schooling. But new research suggests anthocyadines are powerful compounds that may boost cancer and cognitive function.

kitkat 紅芋口味 沖繩九州限定 12入

Purple yam flavored KitKat available in Okinawa

 

About Tracy Nakayama