A phenomenon of the Hunza tribe that scientists cannot explain (9 photos). Lifestyle and nutrition of the long-lived Hunza people

The Hunza River Valley is located on the border of India and Pakistan, it is also called the “oasis of youth”.

Why? The life expectancy of local residents is 110-120 years.

They almost never get sick and look young. Their longevity still baffles researchers. We will tell you more about the life of the mountain people.

The inhabitants of the Hunza Valley, unlike neighboring peoples, are very similar in appearance to Europeans.

According to legend, the dwarf mountain state was founded by soldiers of the army of Alexander the Great during his Indian campaign.

The Khunzakuts are amused by the fact that someone else is called mountain people. After all, they settled near the famous “mountain meeting place” - the point where the three highest systems of the world converge: the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram. Today, Hunza is administered by the Pakistani Ministry of Kashmir and Northern Territories Affairs. One of the main attractions of Hunza is the glacier, which is wide cold river descends into the valley.

They have their own language - Burushaski (Burushaski, whose relationship has not yet been established with any of the languages of the world, although everyone here knows Urdu, and many speak English). They profess Islam, but not the one to which we are accustomed, but Ismaili is one of the most mystical and mysterious in religion.

Therefore, in Hunza you will not hear the usual calls to prayer. Turning to God is a personal matter and time for everyone.

Hunzas bathe in ice water even in 15-degree frost, they play outdoor games up to a hundred years old, their 40-year-old women look like girls, at 60 they maintain a slim and graceful figure, and at 65 they still give birth to children. In summer they eat raw fruits and vegetables, in winter - sun-dried apricots and sprouted grains, sheep cheese.

Something else is interesting: during the “hungry spring” (the period when the fruits have not yet ripened; lasts 2-4 months), they eat almost nothing and only drink a drink made from dried apricots once a day. Such a fast has been elevated to a cult and is strictly observed.

The Scottish doctor McCarrison, who first described the Happy Valley, emphasized that protein consumption there is at the lowest level of the norm, if it can be called normal at all. The daily calorie content of Hunza averages 1933 kcal and includes 50 g of protein, 36 g of fat and 365 g of carbohydrates.

In the book “The Hunza - a People Who Know No Diseases,” R. Bircher emphasizes the following very significant advantages of the nutrition model in this country:
- first of all, it is vegetarian;
- a large amount of raw foods;
- vegetables and fruits predominate in the daily diet;
- natural products, without any chemicals, and prepared preserving all biologically valuable substances;
- alcohol and treats are consumed extremely rarely;
- very moderate salt intake;
- products grown only on native soil;
- regular periods of fasting.

To this must be added other factors that contribute to healthy longevity. But the method of nutrition is undoubtedly very significant and decisive here.

In 1984, one of the Hunzakuts, whose name was Said Abdul Mobud, arrived at London Heathrow Airport. He bewildered the emigration service workers when he presented his passport. According to the document, Hunzakut was born in 1823 and turned 160 years old. The mullah who accompanied Mobud noted that his ward is considered a saint in the country of Hunza, famous for its long-livers. Mobud has excellent health and sound mind. He remembers events well since 1850.

About your secret to longevity local residents They say simply: be a vegetarian, always work physically, constantly move and do not change the rhythm of life, then you will live up to 120-150 years. Distinctive features Hunzas as a people with “full health”:

1) High ability to work in a broad sense words. Among the Hunzi, this ability to work is manifested both during work and during dancing and games. For them, walking 100–200 kilometers is the same as for us taking a short walk near the house. They climb steep mountains with extraordinary ease to convey some news, and return home fresh and cheerful.

2) Cheerfulness. The Hunzas laugh constantly, they are always in a good mood, even if they are hungry and suffering from the cold.

3) Exceptional durability. “The Hunzas have nerves as strong as ropes, and thin and tender as strings,” McCarison wrote. - They never get angry or complain, are not nervous or impatient, do not quarrel with each other and with complete peace of mind endure physical pain, trouble, noise, etc.”

Positive psychology 12.01.2012

If you are used to snacking in cafes and restaurants fast food, you like to organize “belly celebrations” for yourself, don’t forget about moderation in strong drinks - I think that you shouldn’t read this article then.

But nowadays, many people think about the right and healthy eating. Today I want to continue the topic of longevity and tell you about the amazing Hunza tribe who do not know what diseases are . Can you imagine this?

The inhabitants of this tribe live in very harsh conditions in northern India in the Himalayas, on the banks of the Hunza River. This place has a very beautiful name - Happy Valley. For the first time, the talented English doctor Mac Carrison, who treated patients in these areas at the beginning of the last century, spoke about this tribe. All the tribes that live there do not shine with health - tuberculosis, typhus, diabetes, Graves' disease, hereditary cretinism, plague, cholera, syphilis. And among the Hunza, everyone was healthy (several bone fractures and inflammation of the eyes).

The territory of their residence is isolated from the whole world by mountains. People of this tribe live on average up to 120 years, and at the age of 100 they still work in the fields and go to the mountains. 40-year-old women look like young girls; at 60 they still look young and are very active. Women are capable of giving birth to children even at 65 years old. This people is very small in number (only 15 thousand people)

What are their character traits? Above all, optimism, calmness, humor and hospitality. The Hunza are governed by a king and a council of elders; they have neither police nor prisons. The fact is that in this society there are no, and there are no, violations of public order and crimes. People who have lived to old age enjoy great respect and unquestioned authority. Senile dementia and decrepitude are completely unusual for them. Interesting fact— the people of the tribe are similar in appearance to Europeans.

The Hunza people themselves are very poor. In the mountains, every piece of land is worth its weight in gold. Fruit trees, vegetables and potatoes - every piece of land is occupied. It rains rarely and there is little snow, so the area is characterized by a lack of water. The cows there are slightly larger than St. Bernards, skinny goats and sheep graze on mountain slopes covered with stones, they produce little milk (less than two liters per day, and then only immediately after calving), and it contains little fat. Sheep don't give milk at all, goats give very little. Animal meat is sinewy and completely fat-free.

In winter, the Hunzas sleep in stone houses, where there are no windows (there is only one opening), and they sleep on stone benches. Livestock is kept right in the hallways. Naturally, they have no wood for heating. The fire in the hearths is maintained by dry branches and leaves. Food is cooked on such a fire; wash and wash clothes only cold water. There are no animal fats, no olives to obtain vegetable oil.

The Hunza manage without baths, without hot water and without soap. And, as can be understood from all this, they cannot have enough food, even of plant origin. IN winter months people live on meager supplies of cereals (directly in grains) and dried apricots.

By the end of winter, food runs out. In the spring, the Hunza people fast. They call this period, lasting about 2-3 months, the “hungry spring.” Food arrives as the new crop ripens. It is interesting that these days of forced fasting do not bother or disturb anyone; the Hunzas do not restrict labor activity and life there flows just as intensely as on other, well-fed days. In summer they mainly feed on apricots and other fruits. The diet is completely free of white flour and sugar; only a little table salt is consumed.

The Hunzas do not know how to read and write. Only members of noble families, the king and his entourage, who studied in religious Muslim schools, can read and write. They have no poetry in their language, no sculpture, no painting, no wood carving, they do not know the weaving skills of their neighbors. The musicians' families belong to a different tribe.

During the 8-10 warm months, the Hunza live on outdoors. It is considered an axiom that marriages between close relatives are harmful. Representatives of this people marry only members of their small nation. Nobody else's blood flows in their veins. The only exception is royal family.

What do the Hunzas eat? The main food products are vegetables, grains, fresh fruits. Compotes and jams are not prepared. The only fruit that is dried for the winter is apricots, and this is because the oil necessary for cooking is prepared from apricot kernels. Favorite fruits are apricots and blueberries. Spinach is grown (most favorite dish), carrots, lettuce, turnips, peas, cabbage, pumpkin. Some vegetables are consumed raw, some are stewed.

Bread - only black. Moreover, the grain is consumed in its entirety. When threshing grains, the bran is not thrown away, but is used together with flour. They try not to keep flour for a long time, because then it loses its nutrients. Bread is eaten with all dishes; by the way, it is very tasty. Barley, millet, wheat, and buckwheat are grown. Some grain crops are consumed in the form of sprouted grains.

Milk and dairy products are consumed very little as a delicacy. The Hunza are not vegetarians, although they eat meat only on holidays. The cattle graze in the valley and do not know any other food other than grass. After the cattle are slaughtered, the meat is eaten immediately, on the same day, leaving nothing for later. Wine is made from Hunza grapes, but it is drunk only on certain occasions.

The Hunza eat twice a day - lunch and dinner. Only children have breakfast. In this area there are no factories producing cigarettes, tobacco, wine, soft drinks, no restaurants, pastry shops, cafes, or snack bars. Everyone eats what is served in the house - the most simple food and not large quantities .

Despite all this and despite everything, the Hunzas have enviable health. According to reliable scientific research,Hunza is the only healthy and happy people worldwide .

What is meant by the expression “full health”?

High performance in the broad sense of the word . Among the Hunzi, this ability to work is manifested both during work and during dancing and games. For them, walking 100 - 200 kilometers is the same as for us taking a short walk near the house. They climb steep mountains with extraordinary ease to convey some news, and return home fresh and cheerful;
Cheerfulness . The Hunzas laugh constantly, they are always in a good mood, even if they are hungry and suffering from the cold;
Exceptional durability . “The Hunzas have nerves as strong as ropes, and thin and tender as a string,” wrote McCarison. They never get angry or complain, don’t get nervous or show impatience, don’t quarrel with each other, and endure physical pain, trouble, noise, etc. with complete peace of mind.

Interesting McCarison's experience , which is scientifically known as the "Konur Experiment" - after the location of his laboratory. The researcher divided thousands of experimental rats into three groups according to three population groups: “Whitechapel” (an area of London), “Hunzas” and “Hindus”. They were all kept in the same conditions, but the Whitechapel group received the food that Londoners eat (i.e., what Europeans eat) - white bread, white flour products, jam, meat, salt, canned food, eggs, sweets, boiled vegetables, etc. “Hunza” rats received the same food as the people of this tribe. Rats are “Indians” - food typical of Hindus and residents of the East. McCarison studied the health of an entire generation on three different diets and discovered an interesting pattern.

Animals from the Whitechapel group have suffered from all the diseases that affect the inhabitants of London, from childhood diseases to chronic and senile ailments. This group turned out to be quite nervous and warlike; the rats bit each other and even bit their “compatriots” to death.

Rats are “Indians” for health reasons and general behavior turned out to be similar to that the people who were personified in this experiment.

And the “Hunza” rats remained healthy and cheerful, spending time playing and relaxing.

What can be learned from these observations?

First of all: neither climate, nor religion, nor customs, nor race have any noticeable influence on health - only food matters .
Food, and not anything else, can transform healthy people in patients: it is enough to remove from the diet some substances that are considered, in the opinion of most people, of little importance, i.e. enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, microelements, fatty acids, which are found only in flora and which are beneficial only when consumed in their natural form .
The amount of food and its calorie content have nothing to do with health. The composition of food is important .
Even a person's morale can suffer if the diet lacks certain nutrients.

Rats that lived in peace and friendship with each other became aggressive and devoured each other when they were deprived of nutritious food necessary for health. This indicates that any social unrest, revolutions, wars depend on the malnutrition of people.

Food that does not correspond to human nature, and not its lack, as politicians claim, is to blame for the poor state of society. Thus, the quality of food, its composition, quantity, method of consumption and combinations influence the preservation of health, protect against diseases, and preserve youth.

Mental health also depends on the quality of nutrition. peace of mind, absence of neuroses and mental disorders. I wish everyone health and longevity.

71 comments

Answer

Galina
16 Mar 2014 at 12:18

Answer

Alice
11 Sep 2012 at 17:40

Answer

Maksim
16 Feb 2012 at 16:53

Answer

There are articles circulating online talking about the Hunza tribe, which supposedly has phenomenal health and longevity. One of the articles can be found, an even more mythologized version.

But this, of course, is just a fiction. The journalists who wrote the articles did not bother to check the information and chased the sensation and the next stories about miracles.

The Hunza tribe is an interesting tribe, but also very primitive. For example, they do not have a clear concept of time and they even did not understand the concept of measurement in general. Everything was built and sewn inaccurately for them, and they didn’t even see it as a problem.

They “measure” years not only by duration, but also by wisdom. And if a person is considered wise, then this adds “years” to him - and that’s how they end up with people who are 120 years old. In other words, this is not real age.

Dr. Clark also exposes the myth that the residents are vegetarians. It's just that the vast majority of travelers come to the Hunza Valley during summer season. However, at other times of the year, the Hunza eat meat. Another thing is that this area is so poor that they eat it extremely rarely, because they simply cannot afford to eat it more often.

So, the Hunza tribe is very interesting for its history and tradition and its relative isolation from modern civilization. But somehow special health or, alas, they do not have longevity. These are fairy tales for adults.

Sources:

Dr. Clark's book is available
You can read basic information on Wikipedia.
Detailed analysis with references to historical data and to numerous exploratory campaigns in the Hunza Valley.

The Hunza River Valley (the border of India and Pakistan) is called the “oasis of youth.” The life expectancy of the inhabitants of this valley is 110-120 years. They almost never get sick and look young.

1. This means that there is a certain way of life that approaches the ideal, when people feel healthy, happy, and do not age, as in other countries, by the age of 40-50. It is curious that the inhabitants of the Hunza Valley, unlike neighboring peoples, are very similar in appearance to Europeans (as are the Kalash, who live very close by).

According to legend, the dwarf mountain state located here was founded by a group of soldiers from the army of Alexander the Great during his Indian campaign. Naturally, they established strict combat discipline here - such that residents with swords and shields had to sleep, eat, and even dance...

2. At the same time, the Hunzakuts treat with slight irony the fact that someone else in the world is called highlanders. Well, in fact, isn’t it obvious that with full right this name should be borne only by those who live near the famous “mountain meeting place” - the point where the three highest systems of the world converge: the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram. Of the 14 eight-thousander peaks on Earth, five are located nearby, including the second after Everest K2 (8611 meters), the ascent of which in the mountaineering community is valued even more than the conquest of Chomolungma. And what can we say about the equally famous local “killer peak” Nanga Parbat (8126 meters), which buried a record number of climbers? And about the dozens of seven- and six-thousanders literally “crowding” around Hunza?

It will be impossible to pass through these rock masses unless you are a world-class athlete. You can only “seep” through narrow passes, gorges, and trails. Since ancient times, these rare arteries were controlled by principalities, which imposed significant taxes on all passing caravans. Hunza was considered one of the most influential among them.

3. In distant Russia about this “ lost World“Little is known, and for reasons not only geographical, but also political: Hunza, along with some other valleys of the Himalayas, ended up on the territory over which India and Pakistan have been fiercely disputed for almost 60 years (the main subject remains the much more extensive Kashmir).

The USSR, to be safe, always tried to distance itself from the conflict. For example, in most Soviet dictionaries and encyclopedias the same K2 (another name is Chogori) is mentioned, but without indicating the area in which it is located. The local, quite traditional names were erased from Soviet maps and, accordingly, from the Soviet news lexicon. But here’s what’s surprising: everyone in Hunza knows about Russia.

Two captains

Many locals respectfully call the Baltit fort, which hangs from a cliff above Karimabad, “the castle”. It is already about 700 years old, and at one time it served the local independent ruler as both a palace of peace and a fortress. While not devoid of impressiveness on the outside, Baltit seems gloomy and damp from the inside. Dimmed rooms and poor furnishings - ordinary pots, spoons, a giant stove... In one of the rooms there was a hatch in the floor - under it the world (prince) of Hunza kept his personal prisoners. There are few bright and large rooms, perhaps only the “balcony room” makes a pleasant impression - it offers a majestic view of the valley. On one of the walls of this room is a collection of antique musical instruments, on the other - weapons: sabers, swords. And a saber donated by the Russians.

In one of the rooms hang two portraits: the British captain Younghusband and the Russian captain Grombchevsky, who decided the fate of the principality. In 1888, at the junction of the Karakorum and the Himalayas, a Russian village almost appeared: when a Russian officer Bronislav Grombchevsky arrived on a mission to the then world of Hunza Safdar Ali. Then on the border of Hindustan and Central Asia was walking Big game, an active confrontation between two superpowers of the 19th century - Russia and Great Britain. Not only a military man, but also a scientist, and later even an honorary member of the Imperial Geographical Society, this man had no intention of conquering lands for his king. And there were only six Cossacks with him then. But still, the talk was about the speedy establishment of a trading post and a political union. Russia, which by that time had influence throughout the Pamirs, now turned its gaze to Indian goods. So the captain entered the Game.

Safdar received him very warmly and willingly concluded the proposed agreement - he was afraid of the British pressing from the south.

And, as it turned out, not without reason. Grombchevsky's mission seriously alarmed Calcutta, where at that time the court of the Viceroy of British India was located. And although special envoys and spies reassured the authorities: there was hardly any need to fear the appearance of Russian troops on the “top of India” - the passes leading from the north to Hunza were too difficult, and, moreover, covered with snow for most of the year - it was decided to urgently send a detachment under the command of Francis here Younghusband.

4. Both captains were colleagues - “geographers in uniform”; they met more than once on Pamir expeditions. Now they had to determine the future of the ownerless “Khunzakut bandits,” as they were called in Calcutta.

Meanwhile, Russian goods and weapons slowly appeared in Hunza, and even ceremonial portrait Alexandra III. The distant mountain government began diplomatic correspondence with St. Petersburg and offered to host a Cossack garrison. And in 1891, a message came from Hunza: the world of Safdar Ali officially asked to accept him and all the people into Russian citizenship. This news soon reached Calcutta; as a result, on December 1, 1891, the Younghusband mountain riflemen captured the principality, Safdar Ali fled to Xinjiang. “The door to India is slammed shut on the Tsar,” the British occupier wrote to the Viceroy.

So Russian territory Hunza counted itself for only four days. The ruler of the Hunzakuts wished to see himself as Russian, but never received an official answer. And the British gained a foothold and stayed here until 1947, when, during the collapse of the newly independent British India, the principality suddenly found itself in territory controlled by Muslims.

Today Hunza is governed by the Pakistani Ministry of Kashmir and Northern Territories Affairs, but the failed exodus is fondly remembered Big Games stayed.

Moreover, local residents ask Russian tourists why there are so few tourists from Russia. At the same time, although the British left almost 60 years ago, their hippies still flood the territory.

Apricot hippies

5. It is believed that Hunza was rediscovered for the West by the hippies who wandered around Asia in the 1970s in search of truth and exoticism. Moreover, they popularized this place so much that even ordinary apricots are now called Hunza Apricot by Americans. However, the “flower children” were attracted here not only by these two categories, but also by Indian hemp.

One of the main attractions of Hunza is the glacier, which descends into the valley like a wide, cold river. However, on numerous terraced fields they grow potatoes, vegetables and hemp, which is smoked here and added as a seasoning to meat dishes and soups.

As for the young long-haired guys with the words “Hippie way” on their T-shirts - either real hippies or retro lovers - they mostly gobble up apricots in Karimabad. This is undoubtedly the main value of the Khunzakut gardens. All of Pakistan knows that only here do the “Khan fruits” grow, which ooze fragrant juice even on the trees.

Hunza is attractive not only for radical youth - mountain travel enthusiasts, history buffs, and simply those who simply want to get away from their homeland come here. The picture is complemented, of course, by numerous rock climbers...

6. Since the valley is located halfway from the Khunjerab pass to the beginning of the Hindustan plains, the Khunzakuts are confident that they control the path to the “upper world” in general. To the mountains as such. It is difficult to say whether this principality was really once founded by the soldiers of Alexander the Great or whether it was the Bactrians - the Aryan descendants of the once united great Russian people, but there is certainly some mystery in the appearance of this small and distinctive people in their surroundings. He speaks his own Burushaski language (Burushaski, whose relationship has not yet been established with any of the languages of the world, although everyone here knows Urdu, and many speak English), professes, of course, like most Pakistanis, Islam, but a special one. sense, namely Ismaili, one of the most mystical and mysterious in religion, which is professed by up to 95% of the population. Therefore, in Hunza you will not hear the usual calls to prayer blaring from the speakers of the minarets. Everything is quiet, prayer is a personal matter and time for everyone.

Health

The Hunza bathe in icy water even at 15 degrees below zero, play outdoor games until they are a hundred years old, their 40-year-old women look like girls, at 60 they maintain a slim and graceful figure, and at 65 they still give birth to children. In summer they eat raw fruits and vegetables, in winter - sun-dried apricots and sprouted grains, sheep cheese.

The Hunza River was a natural barrier for the two medieval principalities of Hunza and Nagar. Since the 17th century, these principalities were constantly at odds, stealing each other’s women and children and selling them into slavery. Both lived in fortified villages. One more thing is interesting: the residents have a period when the fruits have not yet ripened - it is called the “hungry spring” and lasts from two to four months. During these months they eat almost nothing and only drink a drink made from dried apricots once a day. Such a fast has been elevated to a cult and is strictly observed.

The Scotsman lived in close proximity to the Hunza Valley for 14 years. He came to the conclusion that diet is the main factor in the longevity of this people. If a person eats incorrectly, then the mountain climate will not save him from illness. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Hunza neighbors, living in the same climatic conditions, suffer from a wide variety of diseases. Their lifespan is half as long.

7. McCarrison, returning to England, carried out interesting experiments on large quantities animals. Some of them ate the usual food of a London working-class family (white bread, herring, refined sugar, canned and boiled vegetables). As a result, a wide variety of “ human diseases" Other animals were on a Hunza diet and remained absolutely healthy throughout the experiment.

In the book “The Hunza - a People Who Know No Diseases,” R. Bircher emphasizes the following very significant advantages of the nutrition model in this country:

First of all, it is vegetarian;
- a large amount of raw foods;
- vegetables and fruits predominate in the daily diet;
- natural products, without any chemicals, and prepared preserving all biologically valuable substances;
- alcohol and treats are consumed extremely rarely;
- very moderate salt intake;
- products grown only on native soil;
- regular periods of fasting.

To this must be added other factors that contribute to healthy longevity. But the method of nutrition is undoubtedly very significant and decisive here.

8. In 1963, a French medical expedition visited Hunza. As a result of the population census she conducted, it was found that the average life expectancy of the Hunzakuts is 120 years, which is twice as high as that of Europeans. In August 1977, at the International Cancer Congress in Paris, a statement was made: “In accordance with the data of geocarcinology (the science of studying cancer diseases in different regions world), the complete absence of cancer occurs only among the Hunza people.”

9. In April 1984, one of the Hong Kong newspapers reported the following amazing case. One of the Hunzakuts, whose name was Said Abdul Mobud, who arrived at London Heathrow Airport, bewildered the emigration service workers when he presented his passport. According to the document, Hunzakut was born in 1823 and turned 160 years old. The mullah who accompanied Mobud noted that his ward is considered a saint in the country of Hunza, famous for its long-livers. Mobud has excellent health and sound mind. He remembers events well since 1850.

Local residents speak simply about their secret to longevity: be a vegetarian, always work physically, constantly move and do not change the rhythm of life, then you will live up to 120-150 years. Distinctive features of the Hunzas as a people with “full health”:

1) High ability to work in the broad sense of the word. Among the Hunzi, this ability to work is manifested both during work and during dancing and games. For them, walking 100–200 kilometers is the same as for us taking a short walk near the house. They climb steep mountains with extraordinary ease to convey some news, and return home fresh and cheerful.

2) Cheerfulness. The Hunzas laugh constantly, they are always in a good mood, even if they are hungry and suffering from the cold.

3) Exceptional durability. “The Hunzas have nerves as strong as ropes, and thin and tender as strings,” McCarison wrote. “They never get angry or complain, don’t get nervous or show impatience, don’t quarrel among themselves and endure physical pain, trouble, noise, etc. with complete peace of mind.”

HUNZA IS A PEOPLE WHO KNOW NO DISEASE AND LIVES UP TO 120 YEARS.

On our Earth there is amazing tribe vegetarians, whose members do not know diseases and have average duration life of 110-120 years. Although, there are also those who are over 160. They live in the north of India in the Himalayas in very harsh conditions, on the banks of the Hunza River, 100 kilometers from the northernmost city of India, Gilgit. Their 40-year-old women look like girls, at 60 they maintain a slim and graceful figure, and at 65 they even give birth to children :) They call themselves Hunzakuts.

They speak simply about their secret to longevity: be a vegetarian, always work and physically move constantly, do not change the rhythm of life.

The Hunz (Burishi, Hunzakut) are an Indo-European people (now there are a little more than twenty thousand of them) living in the highlands of Kashmir, under the control of Pakistan. Most live in the Hunza River valley, at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. This valley of indescribable beauty, surrounded by high altitudes of more than 6 thousand meters, is called Happy. Its residents, including those over 100 years of age, work in the fields, make long mountain treks, and play outdoor games.

These beautiful, slender people are always cheerful, friendly, calm, hospitable and cordial, despite the harsh living conditions. Their homes are tiny stone houses without windows, with one hole for the chimney. Livestock is in the same house, but behind a partition. It is likely that in such cramped conditions they are warmer, because the houses are almost not heated (there is no firewood), and the Hunzas even wash themselves only with cold water. However, they live in these stone houses only for 2-3 winter months, and spend the rest of the time in the clean air, where they sleep and eat, and give birth to children.

At the head of this people are a king and a council of elders. It is easy for them to manage their subjects, because in this society there are no crimes, therefore there are no police or prisons. Hospitals are also practically not needed, because the Hunzakuts, unlike their neighboring peoples, never get sick. They are the only people on the planet who do not have malignant diseases, and even very old people do not suffer from senile dementia and decrepitude.

It’s interesting that other peoples who live there are not very healthy and get sick a lot. But, surprisingly, even during terrible epidemics, not a single sick Hunzakut was encountered. The Hunza are distinguished by excellent health and almost do not know what diseases are. Even toothache or visual disturbances - things unheard of in these parts - it always seemed incredible. The Hunzakuts amazed with their absolute health and fantastic endurance - they were the most tireless guides and porters in the Himalayan mountains. Almost every man can go to the market a hundred kilometers away in one day along goat paths and rocky screes...

The world first learned about them from the stories of the Scottish military doctor McCarrison, who worked in these parts for 14 years and then many scientists spent years studying this phenomenon. As a result, they came to the conclusion that the main secret of the long-livers of these places is a special food system.

One might argue: no matter what amazing diet you follow, life in a metropolis already obviously dooms us to illness, early aging and premature death! But the mountain climate is another matter...

It seems to us that if we breathe fresh, oxygen-rich air, drink the purest water, there are products grown in “pure” soil, then it is not difficult to become a long-liver. However, how can we explain the fact that the closest neighbors of the Hunza, living in the same climatic conditions, live half as long, and even get sick all the time?..

What is the reason for the absolute health and longevity of the Hunzakuts?

Scottish physician Mac Carrison lived for 14 years in close proximity to the Hunza Valley and was the first to come to an important conclusion: diet is the most basic factor in the longevity of this people. European observers also unanimously confirm: the only difference between the Hunzakuts and their neighbors is their diet, and all because the Hunzakus are vegetarians. Protein consumption there is simply at the lowest level of normal.

If a person eats incorrectly, then the mountain climate will not save him from illness. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Hunza neighbors, living in the same climatic conditions, constantly suffer from a variety of diseases. Their lifespan is half as long.

Returning to England, McCarrison conducted interesting experiments on a large number of animals. Some of them ate the usual food of a London working-class family (white bread, herring, refined sugar, canned and boiled vegetables). As a result, a wide variety of “human diseases” began to appear in this group. Other animals were on a Hunza diet and remained absolutely healthy throughout the experiment.

Having a little fertile land, the Hunza have always been forced to eat sparingly. A frequent occurrence for them is periods of hunger, when the only meager food is vegetables. Residents of this region breed only those animals that are useful, and kill and eat their meat only when the animal no longer “earns” its maintenance. This meat is lean and is rarely consumed. The daily food of the Hunz is flatbreads and soups made from whole grain grains, as well as vegetables and fruits. Milk and dairy products are valued, but consumed in small quantities, since there is little pasture for cows and goats in this country. They consume very little table salt, and do not produce or consume sugar and white flour at all.

Its basis is wheat cakes wholemeal and fruit, mainly apricots. Nothing is added to this, since there is simply nothing to add. A few handfuls of ground wheat grains and fruits, mainly apricots - all the daily food. And this, it turns out, is enough for a full healthy life.

What do the Hunza people eat?
Fruits are the main component of the diet. In the summer they eat raw fruits and vegetables (i.e., according to the season), ground cereal grains, and in the winter - sun-dried apricots and sprouted grains, sheep cheese. The daily calorie content of hunza is much lower than usual and includes only 50 g of protein, 36 g of fat and 365 g of carbohydrates.

The Hunza rarely eat meat and drink very little milk. They obtain proteins mainly from wheat and barley (eating the whole grains of these cereals), from bread made from the same cereals, always with an admixture of bran. These grains and their husks contain proteins, calcium and mineral salts.
The Hunza eat a lot of potatoes, also with the husks, which contain proteins and valuable mineral salts.

They also eat beans, which are rich in protein, but for them beans are just one of the protein-rich foods. It turns out that the various legumes (beans, lentils, peas) from which a person obtains proteins are sufficient only if he consumes them in their full spectrum. If one type of legume is removed from the diet, the body is deprived of certain proteins important for health.

For the Hunza, fruits - whether fresh or dry - main element nutrition. Apricots are the most honorable and favorite fruit there. Even bread occupies a more modest place in their meager diet than different types apricots, which they eat whole, including the skin, pits and drops of oil contained in the pits. They even have a saying: “A Hunza woman will never follow her sweetheart where apricots do not grow.”

The chemical composition of this product is striking in the amount of metal salts: potassium salts - 305 mg in fresh pulp, more than 1000 mg in dried pulp, iron salts - 2.1 mg. Apricots contain a large amount of a substance that helps remove toxins from the body - pectin, which directly affects the speed of all metabolic processes in the body.

In combination with apples and spinach, which also form the basis of the Hunzi diet, apricots suppress the reproduction of certain types of intestinal microflora, and the effect is cumulative.

In addition to all this, the Hunzas always eat any greens they can get, including grass.

Moderation is the second component of the diet. The fact that the Hunza people are forced to spend food moderately is understandable. They have little cultivable land. By the end of winter, food runs out. Therefore, in the spring, the Hunzakuts go on a forced fast - 2-3 months - it is called the “hungry spring” and lasts from two to four months. During these months they eat almost nothing and only drink a drink made from dried apricots once a day. This diet among the Hunzakuts is elevated to a cult and is always very strictly observed.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NUTRITION:

1. Meat is allowed to be consumed only on religious holidays. The important thing is that after the slaughter of cattle, it is prepared immediately, without storing it for future use.

2. Milk and dairy products should be eaten rarely and in moderation.

3. Strong drinks are prohibited. The only exception is wine made from local grapes. It should be drunk only on special occasions.

4. Bread - only black. Flour (not separated from the bran, by the way) cannot be stored for a long time; it must be used immediately for baking. It is advisable to eat some grains (barley, millet, wheat, buckwheat) in sprouted form.

5. Vegetables and fruits should predominate in the daily diet, and vegetables are consumed raw in large quantities, and occasionally stewed.

6. Most The diet should consist of fruits. No compotes or jam! Only fresh fruit!

7. Very moderate salt intake.

WHY ARE THEY, AND NOT US, DOOMED TO LONG LIFE?

The Hunza are a rather primitive and very poor people. No Westerner can even imagine leading a life like the one the Hunza lead, even at the cost of gaining happiness and full health. They live in mountainous areas, almost completely devoid of fertile soil. There are no forests there, and every piece of land is under fruit trees. There are no meadows either, so every inch of land is allocated for vegetables and potatoes. Cultivated lands experience a shortage of water: the rains there are very weak, and they only fall during three or four winter months, when the temperature drops to zero or below. And there is very little snow there. Therefore, water there is worth its weight in gold, they collect it, value every drop and use a system of canals through which water is delivered from afar.

The cows there are slightly larger than St. Bernards, skinny goats and sheep graze on the mountain slopes covered with stones. Under such conditions, animals produce very little milk and even less fat. A cow produces less than two liters of milk per day, and then only immediately after calving. Sheep don't give milk at all, goats - very little. The meat of these animals is sinewy and completely fat-free.

And people barely escape hunger, especially during the winter months. In winter they take refuge in their tiny stone houses. They have no windows (so as not to let in excess cold) and only one hole that serves as a chimney. It also provides air ventilation. There is no furniture, the family lives together: they sleep, eat and conceive on stone benches carved along the walls. Livestock are "housed" in hallways.

Such a picture can only scare away modern man, so committed to hygiene. However, that's not all. Since, as already mentioned, there is no forest in the surrounding area, there is no wood for heating. The fire in the hearths is maintained by dry branches and leaves; food is cooked on it (the fire), but there is not enough fuel to heat water for washing and bathing. That's why people wash their faces (and wash their clothes) only with cold water. Moreover, there are no substances from which soap can be made. There are no animal fats, no olives to obtain vegetable oil.

This is how these people live: without baths, without hot water and without soap.
There is not enough food and plant origin. During the winter months, people lead a “vegetative” (vegetative) lifestyle, eating meager supplies of cereals (directly in grains) and dried apricots, and when spring comes, people switch to pasture, collecting herbs and vegetables, until it is time to harvest the first harvest

To complete the picture, let’s say that the Hunzas do not know how to read and write, only members of noble families, the king and his entourage, who studied in religious Muslim schools, can read and write. This people has no poetry in their language. He knows neither sculpture, nor painting, nor wood carving, nor weaving skills, which have reached a high level among their neighbors. The few families of musicians who live among these people belong to another tribe.

During the eight to ten warm months, the Hunza live outdoors. They sleep, work, have fun, get married, have children and die outside the home. The whole family, including sons, their wives, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, lives together. Children from the very early age they see everything that happens at home and with their neighbors, from the moment of birth to death.
It is considered an axiom that marriages between close relatives are harmful to the physical and mental health of each individual. Representatives of this people, although they have steadily observed for centuries the ban on marrying within the same family and even within the same village, still marry only with members of their small nation. According to oral tradition, which is passed down from generation to generation, foreign blood does not flow in the veins of this people. The only exception is the royal family, which seized power in this country 300-400 years ago.

Gerontologists claim that reducing food intake by 30%, even with the same food products, can add up to 10% to our life: proper food (vegetarian) helps us not to age longer and prolongs our life!

Another article about this people:

THE HUNZAS ARE A RAW FOOD PEOPLE.

There is such a people in the world, although they are small in number (only 15,000 people), about whom it can be said that diseases are completely unknown to them. These are Hunzas.

These people were discovered by the talented military doctor McCarison in the vicinity of the northern border of Kashmir (India).

McCarison interacted closely with many non-affected peoples and tribes living between Tibet, China, the Pamirs, Afghanistan and today's Pakistan, and during his wanderings through these places he once encountered the Hunza people. He was amazed by their beautiful, slender physique and high performance. Among the Hunza, everyone is healthy (several bone fractures and inflammation of the eyes).

The Hunza are a very poor people. They live in mountainous areas devoid of fertile soil. There are no forests there, and every piece of land is occupied by fruit trees. There are no meadows either, so every inch of land is allocated for vegetables and potatoes. The area is characterized by a shortage of water: it rains rarely - only during three or four winter months, when the temperature drops to zero or below. And there is very little snow there. Therefore, water is worth its weight in gold. The Hunza either use a system of canals that accumulate water during rain, or deliver water from afar.

The cows there are slightly larger than St. Bernards, skinny goats and sheep graze on mountain slopes covered with stones, they produce little milk (less than two liters per day, and then only immediately after calving), and it contains little fat. Sheep don't give milk at all, goats - very little. Animal meat is sinewy and completely fat-free.

In winter, the Hunzas sleep in stone houses with no windows (only one hole), and the Hunzas sleep on stone benches. Livestock are "housed" in the hallways. Naturally, they have no wood for heating. The fire in the hearths is maintained by dry branches and leaves. Food is cooked on such a fire; wash and wash clothes only with cold water. No animal fats, no olives to obtain vegetable oil. The Hunza manage without baths, without hot water and without soap. And, as can be understood from all this, they cannot have enough food, even of plant origin.

In the winter months, people lead a “vegetative” lifestyle, eating meager reserves of cereals (directly in grains) and dried apricots, and in the spring they switch to pasture, eating herbs and vegetables until the first harvest. In summer they mainly feed on apricots and other fruits. The Hunzas do not know how to read and write. Only members of noble families, the king and his entourage, who studied in religious Muslim schools, can read and write. They have no poetry in their language, no sculpture, no painting, no wood carving, they do not know the weaving skills of their neighbors. The musicians' families belong to a different tribe.

During the 8-10 warm months, the Hunza live in the open air. It is considered an axiom that marriages between close relatives are harmful and that they affect the physical and mental health of each individual. Representatives of this people marry only members of their small nation. Nobody else's blood flows in their veins. The only exception is the royal family.

And yet, despite everything and in spite of everything, the Hunzas have enviable health. According to reliable scientific research, the Hunzas are the only healthy and happy people in the whole world.

The reason for such health lies in the nature of the diet - complete, natural and without harmful impurities. Their food, although meager, fully meets the physiological needs of the human body. Such food can only be natural berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, and edible roots.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE EXPRESSION “FULL HEALTH”?

It is determined by three aspects:

1) high ability to work in the broad sense of the word. Among the Hunzi, this ability to work is manifested both during work and during dancing and games. For them, walking 100 - 200 kilometers is the same as for us taking a short walk near the house. They climb steep mountains with extraordinary ease to convey some news, and return home fresh and cheerful;

2) cheerfulness. The Hunzas laugh constantly, they are always in a good mood, even if they are hungry and suffering from the cold;

3) exceptional durability. “The Hunzas have nerves as strong as ropes, and thin and gentle as a string,” wrote McCarison. “They never get angry or complain, do not get nervous or show impatience, do not quarrel among themselves and endure physical activity with complete peace of mind.” pain, trouble, noise, etc."

McCarison's experiment is interesting, which is known in science as the "Konur Experiment" - after the location of his laboratory. The researcher divided thousands of experimental rats into three groups according to three population groups: "Whitechapel" (an area of London), "Hunzas" and "Hindus". They were all kept in the same conditions, but the Whitechapel group received the food that Londoners eat (i.e., what Europeans eat) - white bread, white flour products, jam, meat, salt, canned food, eggs, sweets, boiled vegetables, etc. The “Hunza” rats received the same food as the people of this tribe. “Indian” rats are a food characteristic of Hindus and Easterners. McCarison studied the health of an entire generation on three different diets and discovered an interesting pattern.

Animals from the Whitechapel group have suffered from all the diseases that affect the inhabitants of London, from childhood diseases to chronic and senile ailments. This group turned out to be quite nervous and warlike, the rats bit each other and even bit their “compatriots” to death.

In terms of health and general behavior, the “Indian” rats turned out to be similar to the people they represented in this experiment.

And the “Hunza” rats remained healthy and cheerful, spending time playing and relaxing.

WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THESE OBSERVATIONS??

1. First of all: neither climate, nor religion, nor customs, nor race have a noticeable effect on health - only food matters.

2. Food, and not anything else, can turn healthy people into sick ones: it is enough to remove from the diet some substances that are considered, in the opinion of most people, of little importance, i.e. enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, microelements, fatty acids, which are only in the plant world and which are beneficial only when consumed in their natural form.

3. Amount of food and its high energy value, i.e. calorie content, have nothing to do with health. The composition of the food is important.

4. Even the morale of an individual may suffer if the diet lacks certain nutrients.

Food that does not correspond to human nature, and not its lack, as politicians claim, is to blame for the poor state of society.

Thus, the quality of food, its composition, quantity, method of consumption and combinations influence the preservation of health, protect against diseases, and preserve youth.

Mental health, peace of mind, the absence of neuroses and mental disorders also depend on the quality of nutrition.