X-Message-Number: 23741
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 20:29:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: Effect of diet on centenarian survival

J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2003 Apr;49(2):133-8.
Dietary patterns and further survival in Japanese centenarians.

	We have previously reported that centenarians (persons >
or = 100 y old) in Tokyo prefer dairy products. Dietary preferences may
be associated with longevity. The aim of the present study was to
investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and further
survival in centenarians. During 1992-1999, we examined the dietary
practices of 104 centenarians (29 men and 75 women; mean age, 100.3 +/-
0.9 y) who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Dietary patterns were
classified by kappa-means cluster analysis. As clinical co-variables, we
considered activities of daily living, cognitive function, nutritional
status, presence of important disease, gender, and age at the time of the
initial survey. Survival data were recorded yearly until 2001, and then
tested with Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log rank statistic. Four
dietary patterns were identified: a pattern preferring vegetables (n =
33), a pattern preferring dairy products (n = 26), a pattern preferring
beverages (n = 10), and a pattern preferring cereals (n = 35). No
clinical variables differed between the four dietary patterns. In 2001,
28 centenarians were still alive. The survival rate for those preferring
dairy products was the highest of the four dietary patterns; in
particular, being significantly higher than the pattern preferring
beverages (p = 0.048). A dietary pattern preferring dairy products was
associated with increased survival in Tokyo-area centenarians.

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