Sardinian Wine ELIXIR OF LIFE!

Across the world there are a few hot spots where scientists have discovered unusually high rates of longevity among people who have spent their lives in these regions.  Icaria – Greece, Okinawa – Japan, and Sardinia – Italy are considered “Blue Zones”, a term coined by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain during their demographic studies which led to a publication in the Journal of Experimental Gerontology. 

Sardinia Italy ranks at the top of the list, with the Nuoro Province having the highest concentration of male centenarians in the world. Sardinia is now known as “the place where people live the longest in the world”. 

So what’s their secret? 

Scientist believe that many factors play into their longevity, including regular physical activity, lower levels of stress, more time with family and friends, and their Mediterranean diet which consists mostly of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds, with meat consumed sporadically, the vast majority of which, being fish and lean meat. In Sardinia, it’s customary to drink a small 3 oz serving of wine around 4 times per day, starting with breakfast and ending with a late afternoon social hour in the village. 

According to researchers, light to moderate consumption of alcoholic products, such as wine, champagne, beer and other alcoholic beverages, have shown to provide some benefits to overall health, such as a reduction in cardiovascular problems. Dr. Kawas spoke about her findings and the keys to longevity at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual conference in Austin, Texas. She revealed that nonagenarians who consumed approximately two glasses of beer or wine a day were 18 percent less likely to experience a premature death than those who abstained.

Sardinians take it a step further, reaping the health benefits from a particular type of wine that is grown and produced in Sardinia, called Cannonau. Sardinia’s distinctive garnet red Cannonau wine is made from the sun-stressed Grenache grape. Cannonau wine has two to three times the level of artery-scrubbing flavonoids as other wines. Small doses of this antioxidant-rich beverage throughout the day could explain fewer heart attacks and lower levels of stress among people in this region of the world.

So, to summarize…relax more, take walks, make time to socialize with friends and family, eat a healthy diet and lay off the meat, and DRINK WINE!