TODAY.AZ / Society

"Great number of centenarians in Azerbaijan linked with natural foods and genetics"

30 June 2010 [17:00] - TODAY.AZ
The Great number of centenarians is more in Azerbaijan compared to the regional countries. Great number of centenarians is linked with natural foods and genetics, experts say.
More than 20 centenarians live in the Lerik region, located in the south of Azerbaijan. Director of the Lerik Museum of Longevity Dilara Fatullayeva told Trend  that clean air, lifestyle without stress are a key factor in longevity.

"Centenarians ate only natural foods, were far from the stresses and lived an active life. They were not aware of the events in the world.And they also were not subjected to stress," said the director.

Fatullayeva said that today many environmental problems, not always pure food ingredients, and the tension and stress shorten the life of many people. According to Fatullayeva, creation of such a museum in Lerik is not accidental. The district has gained international fame of the centenarians.

Fatullayeva said that formerly more than 500 long-livers lived in the district. The Museum has collected more than 2,000 exhibits, including interesting information and photos, about 50 Lerik people, whose age exceeds 100 years. The Museum contains 40 photographs of French photographer Frederic Lashop, who demonstrated them in his exhibition in Paris entitled "A trip to centenarian country".

Fatullayeva said that a resident of Lerik Shirali Muslimov lived 169 years, and his compatriot Mahmud Eyvazov - 152 years. According to the Museum director, Eyvazov, who lived 152 years, had an active lifestyle until his death, all the time engaged in labor. Formerly the people did not go beyond the village, where they were born and their relationship with nature was strong, Parliamentary Social Policy Committee Chairman Hadi Rajabli told Trend.

"The gradual distancing of people from nature, technological development shortens people's lives, it becomes shorter compared with previous periods," Rajabli said.

According to Rajabli, who mentioned the role of genetic factors in longevity, there are such kinds, representatives of which live more than 100 years. There is shortening in the life of these people due to the fact that these kind mixes with others. Rajabli said that for several years, the age in Azerbaijan increased by eight months to 72.8 years old.

The average age in Germany and Japan is about 80 years, Rajabli said adding that people should make their life more active and disengage from a passive lifestyle to increase this figure.

Longevity is in the genes of Azerbaijani people, Senior Scientist of longevity physiology laboratory of the Physiology Institute of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Sevinj Huseynova told Trend. She said food, air and water are important for longevity.

Huseynova said the relevant bodies study the phenomenon of longevity in the north-west, south of Azerbaijan and the Absheron peninsula. One can observe the active centenarians - those over 100 years, in the southern region of Azerbaijan.

"Those who live in that region have an active life. Very few of them suffer hypertension. Many people aged over 100 years live in the north-west Azerbaijan," Huseynova said.

Ecology and life without the stress are the basic conditions for longevity, she said. Based on the official statistics, Japan and the Scandinavian countries occupy the first places on longevity, which takes special care of the centenarians. The Azerbaijani President signed an order in connection with the certification of long-lived and  the provision of care for these people in 2004.

Azerbaijan registered 2,639 centenarians in 1989, among whom there were more women. Based on the State Statistics Committee's data, the figure was 2, 307 in 2001. Today, they are less by 2,000 people.


/Trend/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/70428.html

Print version

Views: 2865

Connect with us. Get latest news and updates.

Recommend news to friend

  • Your name:
  • Your e-mail:
  • Friend's name:
  • Friend's e-mail: