Shinkichi Tawada of Ryukyu University believes he has unraveled the secret of longevity in Japan.
He isolated the extract from a plant known in Japan as the ghetto, officially called Alpinia zerumbet. The plant has been shown to increase lifespan by one fifth.
Okinawa is known to have the highest life expectancy in the world. Perhaps it's all about the diet of the population. The ghetto belongs to the ginger family. The scientist studied this plant for twenty years. In a recent experiment with worms, the scientist gave them a plant extract every day. As a result, the worms lived on average 22.6% longer than usual.
Ghettos have long been used in traditional Okinawan dishes. It can still be found in the wild today. It is a plant with large green leaves, red berries and white flowers. It has an extremely high concentration of resveratrol, which is also found in grapes. Popular in Okinawa is mochi, a winter rice-paste dish wrapped in a ghetto leaf. It is believed to protect against colds and give strength.