Greek Australians have second highest longevity in the world

PHOTO:Australia’s best known health reporter, Dr Norman Swan, says Greek Australians are “the second longest-lived people in the world after the Japanese” and the reason goes beyond the Mediterranean diet. Photo: northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au-Pixabay/DanaTentis.

A new health book is expected to reveal evidence supporting that Greek Australians are among those living longest lives on the planet.

Author Dr Norman Swan brought up the example speaking about the upcoming publication to 9 Channel’s Today show.

“I started writing this book for millennials because they have a lot of questions to ask about their health[…] they’re really interested in nutrition,” Dr Swan said before revealing that first generation Greek Australians are “the second longest – lived people in the world after the Japanese”.

But he says the reasons go beyond the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, speaking of “a package of stuff”.

“They have their own herb garden and vegetable garden, they’re cooking fresh and cooking turns out to be really important because it’s a chemistry set to actually make you fell healthier.”

Religion also plays a role, he contends in influencing diet.

“What elderly Greek Australians do is they fast about a 100 days a year, but it’s a vegan fast no meat, or eggs, or dairy and they do live a long time.

Marketed as “the ultimate health guide from Australia’s most trusted doctor”, his upcoming book covers a wide range of health topics including nutrition and sex, with the aim of debunking common myths and making it easier for people to lead a healthy living.

“Our minds have been filled with things to worry about from insomnia, to screen addiction, to guilt about not eating a paleo diet, to when will my eggs clap out and when will his sperm, to what really can make us live longer better? My aim is to get you to worry less and give you the information that’ll allow you to make sensible decisions, whether you’re 25 or 75,” the author promises.

Dr Swan is a doctor and award-winning journalist with nearly four decades of experience in reporting medical news in Australia.

In the past year, his voice became familiar to millions as the host of the ABC’s Coronacast, a podcast breaking down latest news and research on the novel coronavirus, reaching up to 3 million downloads monthly.

S/neoskosmos.com