Alan Maisel, a cardiologist and professor at the University of California at San Diego, had long believed a moderate diet, exercise and refraining from smoking were the keys to a long and healthy life. So the first time he went on vacation to Acciaroli — a small village on the southern end of Italy’s Amalfi Coast — in August 2012, he got a bit of a shock.
“I was at the beach, and I saw all these leathernecked, tanned people in their 90s and 100s who looked nine months pregnant and were smoking cigarettes,” the doctor tells The Post.
Intrigued, he began asking questions, and soon found out that the town was home to an extraordinary number of elders. The mayor bragged that they had more 100-year-old residents than any other place in the world.
“Things didn’t seem to add up: [They were] smoking and fat, but so relaxed and unstressed … At first, I asked if it was the Mediterranean diet, but they do that all over Italy.”
Had Maisel stumbled upon the Fountain of Youth? Acciaroli has a population of only 2,000, yet the village boasts some 300 elders who have reached the age of 100 — and about 20 percent of those centenarians have reached 110. Furthermore, the area has low rates of Alzheimer’s and heart disease — despite a diet filled with cigarettes and wine.
Now Maisel and researchers at UC San Diego have teamed up with the Sapienza University of Rome to figure out why Acciaroli’s residents live so long.
“This place has never been studied before,” says Maisel. “It’s never been infiltrated or expatriated, so we’re planning on looking at their gene pool, doing blood tests, observing their habits — seeing what’s what.”
While the study just launched in March, Maisel has already gleaned some clues from the village’s elders and their way of life. One secret: “Everybody eats rosemary — they all grow it, they use it as a garnish, they use it in oils,” says Maisel. The herb, which home cooks use to garnish pastas and marinate seafood, has long been linked to preventing diseases such as Alzheimer’s and improving brain function and memory. It releases a chemical compound that’s shown to increase blood flow to the brain and head, boosting concentration.Please click here to continue reading
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