Do these environmental factors and food choices — a hyperlocal twist on the Mediterranean diet, which also includes olive oil and fresh vegetables — explain why so many people here, both men and women, live past 90?
Researchers who just concluded a preliminary study of Acciaroli’s nonagenarians and centenarians believe they could be part of the equation.“They use rosemary on everything they cook,” said one of the researchers, Dr. Alan S. Maisel, a cardiologist and professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
Of the area’s inhabitants, about one in 60 is 90 or older, according to the researchers. That rivals other so-called blue zones, like Sardinia and Okinawa, with unusually large concentrations of very old people. In the 2010 census, about one in every 163 Americans was 90 or older.
Some studies have shown that rosemary can aid brain function, and the researchers think the variety grown in Acciaroli might have especially high concentrations of beneficial substances.
The older adults also demonstrate a robust sexual appetite, according to another researcher, Dr. Salvatore Di Somma, a professor of medicine at Sapienza University in Rome. “At 95, they have brains more like someone who is 50, and at 50, you’re still thinking a lot about sex,” he said.
The genetic makeup of the people in this insular area is probably a factor as well. The study found many unidentified metabolic compounds in the locals that warrant further investigation, Dr. Maisel said.“Have we discovered the Fountain of Youth? No,” Dr. Maisel said. “But we’re asking the right questions.”
He added, “The potential is there to live longer than 110, if we do it right.”
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