Greek island where people live to 100 have 'one spoonful' of this food every day

We all want to live forever - but is there anything special you can do about it - except for trying to live healthily? People who live on the Greek Island of Ikaria are part of what is known as a ‘Blue Zone’ where statistics show they live a lot longer - with a much higher proportion reaching 100.

And a common theme is a type of food which can be eaten raw - and which is increasingly being used by celebrities. One Ikaria resident said a food on the island was responsible for her family’s longevity - honey.

In an article on CNBC Diane Kochilas said: “The raw, thick, delicious honey produced by local beekeepers on the island and across Greece is intertwined with my most precious memories of life on Ikaria. I love to smell its subtle, gentle perfume wafting on the breeze, especially when the weather is warm and the bees are out and about, buzzingly busy among the wildflowers, thyme, and pine trees.

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“Honey has antibacterial qualities, contains an abundance of antioxidants, and helps the body regulate sugar levels. On Ikaria, it’s considered one of the island’s secret ingredients for longevity, and many Ikarians start their day with a spoonful.

“It’s consumed as folk medicine for coughs and sore throats. A friend in his 90s has told me the combination of honey, sage or mountain tea, ginger, and garlic were the “penicillin” of his generation. Island elders have even joked with me that it’s nature’s Viagra.“

Some celebrities have also started using it - David Beckham, has declared “honey harvesting” at his Cotswolds hives his “favourite thing to do”, The emphasis on ‘raw’ rather than refined honey is better because filtering and pasteurising honey with heat to create the product sold in supermarkets can remove nutrients such as bee pollen, which contains amino acids, vitamins A and C, enzymes and antioxidants.

A study in the journal Food Chemistry comparing raw and processed honey found that raw honey contains about 30 types of plant compound polyphenols, antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease and cancer — 4.3 times more than the processed variety. Other research has shown the enzyme glucose oxidase, which gives honey its antibacterial properties, can be destroyed by heating and filtering, although the nutritionist Hannah Hope says “processed honey still maintains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties”.

By consuming raw honey moderately, you could help increase your lifespan, experts say. Some of the vitamins found in honey include ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, niacin and riboflavin; along with minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. In a study published in the National Library of Health, the effects of honey and its mechanisms of action on the development and progression of cancer was analysed.

The study noted: “Honey is a natural product known for its varied biological or pharmacological activities-ranging from anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antihypertensive to hypoglycaemic effects. Effects of honey have been thoroughly investigated in certain cancers such as breast, liver and colorectal cancer cell lines. In contrast, limited but promising data are available for other forms of cancers including prostate, bladder, endometrial, kidney, skin, cervical, oral and bone cancer cells.

“Honey is highly cytotoxic against tumour or cancer cells while it is non-cytotoxic to normal cells. Thus, honey may serve as a potential and promising anticancer agent which warrants further experimental and clinical studies.”

Protects the heart

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide.

However, the use of honey may help to address each of the factors contributing to heart disease. For one, elevated levels of poor low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol raise the risk of heart disease.

This is because it can lead to blocked arteries, which then increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. However, studies have found that honey not only helps to lower the levels of LDL cholesterol, but it also serves to raise the levels of good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.