Icelanders — One of the Healthiest Communities in the World
When we think about Iceland, we imagine a beautiful place with an exotic lifestyle and scenic landscapes. However, what most of us don’t know is that the Icelanders not only have the privilege of enjoying the natural beauty but also live an amazingly long life to fully experience this fortune.
Life expectancy is a measure of the average number of years a newly born child is expected to live. This number is based on the latest demographics of the region considering the mortality rates at different ages within the population. The mortality rates have been constantly decreasing over the past few decades due to the improvement of lifestyle and healthcare. This, as a result, increases the individual life expectancy at a worldwide level.
With a life expectancy of 83.1, Icelanders have higher longevity than most countries in the world, surpassing even the Japanese. On compiling the mortality data in Europe from 2004 to 2013 and using it to calculate life expectancy, it was observed that natives of Iceland and Switzerland live the longest lives. The men were noted to have an average life expectancy of 79.1 and were closely followed by Liechtenstein, Sweden, Italy, and Norway. The same study showed that the French and the Spanish have the longest life expectancy among European women. Icelandic women had the 6th highest life spans in all of Europe with a life expectancy of 82.7 years. On comparing, it is noteworthy that the women here seem to outlive men. Not just the adults but also the infants seem to be extraordinarily healthy too. Iceland seemed to have an infant mortality rate of 1.9 per 1,000 live births which was the lowest in all of Europe.
The Genetic Factor
The longevity that Icelanders possess seems to stem from their food, culture, and genetics. Kari Stefansson, the founder of deCODE genetics, believes that it is primarily genetic. His company obtained genetic information of Icelanders above 90 years of age and compared their genes. They saw that they had more genetic similarity among one another than with the remaining younger population. They concluded that genetics, which also is important for controlling other factors such as nicotine and alcohol dependence, is the key to their long life. Icelanders had to live in very difficult conditions until the 19th century facing a lack of comfort and having tough working conditions. These, Stefansson says, have passed down through the survivors of those times and have given rise to the currently living healthy population. Their socioeconomic status drastically upgraded during World War II, which some experts believe to be a contributing factor to the healthy life of Icelanders.
You Are What You Eat
Icelanders have another huge advantage that favors their health — food. Icelandic diet focuses hugely on seafood. Their seafood consumption quantity is about four times that of Americans. This Icelandic diet goes back to more than a thousand years ago. They imbibed fish in their daily diet, hence genetically developing through positive selection into a race that, with their diet, leads to the healthy life of Icelanders.
Eating like an Icelander will ensure you get plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids which is found in abundance in fish like salmon and tuna. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are known to play an important role in maintaining good mental health and preventing depression, anxiety, and mental stress. When you eat fish, the Omega-3 is absorbed into the body and converted into derivatives of prostaglandins, which can reverse inflammation. They also help in the proper transmission of impulses through your nerves and help your neurons grow and remain healthy. A study by Harvard showed a 28 percent reduction in heart attacks with Omega-3 supplementation, hence suggesting that Omega-3 is crucial for the overall human well-being.
Fish contain the highest amount of Vitamin D than any other food. Dietary supplementation of Vitamin-D is crucial for proper nerve functioning. A 3-ounce slice of fish can fulfill the daily required amount of Vitamin D that you need, even in the absence of sunlight. This is how they cope with the total lack of sunlight for seven entire months. This keeps them healthy by preventing their body by providing abundant nutritious lean meat with Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin-D along with the required dietary protein.
It must also be noted that Icelanders not only have increased seafood consumption but also eat less red meat. When they do, it is always wild-grown animals which have a higher natural lean protein content and provide more complex nutrition.
The Importance of Lifestyle
Icelanders are not known for heavy drinking or smoking. It is believed that they have a low chance of being alcohol or nicotine-dependent due to their genetics. Alcohol was banned here for much longer than other countries. The ban on beer was lifted only in 1989. As a result, they do not have a societal setup revolving around a bottle of wine or a crate of beer. Of course, they have the lowest rate of liver cirrhosis among all countries.
Icelandic smoker numbers have been reducing through the years. These reduction rates have noted to be more beneficial to men, adding 6 years to their lives, than women with just a 4-year increase in their life expectancy. This also prevents them from being exposed to second-hand smoke, which has been proved to be as harmful as direct smoking.
Icelanders believe in being active. From hiking and mountaineering to going to the gym, physical fitness always has importance in their lives. They do physically challenging activities even when they are old. This keeps their mind and body alert, young, responsive, and healthy. Another factor contributing to the healthy life of Icelanders is their close-knit communities. Living with their families keeps them happy, content, and cared for. Hence, Icelanders enjoy their long lives by taking good care of themselves and the people around them.
To learn more about Icelandic history and lore, check out our article on folklore on this Arctic Isle.
Originally published at https://eupterra.com on September 3, 2019.