Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLife Expectancy of the Hunza PeopleHow the Hunza People Keep Free From IllnessWhat We Can Learn From the Hunza People
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Life Expectancy of the Hunza People
How the Hunza People Keep Free From Illness
What We Can Learn From the Hunza People
TheHunzapeople, who live in the Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan, are among groups of long-lived people around the world. In the early 1970s, National Geographic ran an extensive series of articles investigating claims of these long-lived people.
As a result, the Hunza people and region became fascinating case studies on health and longevity. They remain so today as people seek ways to boost their own health and live longer lives.
This article explains who the Hunza people were and some of the general insights about health that were attributed to their lifestyle, diet, and the water they drink. It also explains how their lives have changed and why the myth of Hunza health “secrets” may simply be a matter of choices.
Shehzaad Maroof / Getty Images
Hunza was once an idyllic destination for American and European backpackers in the 1980s and 1990s. The six tribes from Hunza now live a blend of traditional and modern, technology-driven lives.
Why Are the Hunza Long-Lived People?
Studies of the Hunza people zero in on their high levels of exercise as a key to health. The environment in which the Hunza live is mountainous and has extremely rough terrain. The villages are incredibly isolated and built into the cliffside; some villages are more than 1,000 years old, with rough passages, steep ridges, and long walking journeys to their agricultural fields.
But there are other factors to their health, and it’s not entirely true that they avoid disease. A 2021 study focused on hypertension (high blood pressure) included 425 people from five Hunza villages and found about one in three had high blood pressure, with a number of cases linked todiabetes.
The Hunza, however, were known to:
On the other hand, certain cultural habits (like salty tea consumed in winter) can lead to negative health impacts among Hunza people, who are not immune to the consequences.
Studies of the Hunza people have offered a number of theories about their longevity, including access to water that’s loaded with minerals andantioxidantproperties. That’s been cited as a health and longevity advantage for other mountain-dwelling people across the world.
Other health benefits of the Hunza lifestyle include diet, exercise, and social connection.
They also eat a lot of grains — wheat,barley, and millet — andchapati,their daily bread. What they don’t eat are processed foods, which may help to explain their low levels of oxidative stress and oxidative-related health disorders like diabetes and high cholesterol.
What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet, and What Foods Should You Eat?
Exercise Daily
The health benefits of exercise are well-documented, quite apart from the lived experience of the Hunza people. These benefits include:
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Researchers find that the Hunza people benefit from social connection in a culture that has historically been low in stressors and prioritized its community and relationships. That remains the case, although life is changing (climate impacts, for example) and becoming more complex.
The associated mental health benefits came from a strong sense of identity within Hunza villages, and the underlying values may apply in your life.Consider making time for your mental and spiritual well-being, engaging in hobbies and activities that you enjoy, and staying connected with family and friends.
Summary
Researchers have long been interested in the Hunza people, with some studies on their health and longevity going back 100 years or more. While some of the claims about the Hunza have reached a mythic status, there is evidence for their long lifespans and underlying lifestyle reasons for them.
Hunza live in a remote mountain region and have remained isolated though technology is changing their day-to-day lives. That’s often meant a more physically demanding life, with lots of exercise, as well as healthier plant-based diets and water sources. Lower stress levels also may have protective health effects, and it’s among the strategies drawn from the Hunza people that may offer benefits in your life, too.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Asan, Joseph Kum. “Examining the cross-cultural differences that affect longevity globally and strategies that will enhance longevity in Nigeria.” Humanus Discourse 1.3 (2021).Akhter, S.Identity negotiation and self construction: A case study of Bericho community in Hunza.Pakistan Journal of Social Research. 2023;05(02):594-604. doi:10.52567/pjsr.v5i02.1142Ganguly D, Goli S.The Wheel of Health: The Source of Long Life and Health among the Hunza.Demography India.48(2):121-124.Tabassum R.To study the prevalence of hypertension and determination of risk factors and associated practices in the valley of Hunza. Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad. 2021.Mayer F.Water and human health - Insights, concepts, hopes, dreams.Japan Journal of Medicine. 2020; 3(1): 423-431. doi:10.31488/jjm.153.Bano R, Khan A, Mehmood T, Abbas S, Khan MZ, Shedayi AA,et al.Patterns of livestock depredation and Human-wildlife conflict in Misgar valley of Hunza, Pakistan.Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 7;11(1):23516. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02205-2.Salehi B, Azzini E, Zucca P, Maria Varoni E, V. Anil Kumar N, Dini L,et al.Plant-derived bioactives and oxidative stress-related disorders: A key trend towards healthy aging and longevity promotion.Applied Sciences. 2020; 10(3):947. doi: 10.3390/app10030947Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A.Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise.Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018;5:135. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135Sylow L, Richter EA.Current advances in our understanding of exercise as medicine in metabolic disease.Current Opinion in Physiology. 2019;12:12-19Additional ReadingLongevity in Hunza land.JAMA.1961;175(8):706. doi:10.1001/jama.1961.03040080062018Outside Magazine.In Hunza, they live forever.Robbins J.Healthy at 100. Random House; 2007.Smithsonian Magazine.The Shangri-La of health food.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Asan, Joseph Kum. “Examining the cross-cultural differences that affect longevity globally and strategies that will enhance longevity in Nigeria.” Humanus Discourse 1.3 (2021).Akhter, S.Identity negotiation and self construction: A case study of Bericho community in Hunza.Pakistan Journal of Social Research. 2023;05(02):594-604. doi:10.52567/pjsr.v5i02.1142Ganguly D, Goli S.The Wheel of Health: The Source of Long Life and Health among the Hunza.Demography India.48(2):121-124.Tabassum R.To study the prevalence of hypertension and determination of risk factors and associated practices in the valley of Hunza. Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad. 2021.Mayer F.Water and human health - Insights, concepts, hopes, dreams.Japan Journal of Medicine. 2020; 3(1): 423-431. doi:10.31488/jjm.153.Bano R, Khan A, Mehmood T, Abbas S, Khan MZ, Shedayi AA,et al.Patterns of livestock depredation and Human-wildlife conflict in Misgar valley of Hunza, Pakistan.Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 7;11(1):23516. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02205-2.Salehi B, Azzini E, Zucca P, Maria Varoni E, V. Anil Kumar N, Dini L,et al.Plant-derived bioactives and oxidative stress-related disorders: A key trend towards healthy aging and longevity promotion.Applied Sciences. 2020; 10(3):947. doi: 10.3390/app10030947Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A.Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise.Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018;5:135. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135Sylow L, Richter EA.Current advances in our understanding of exercise as medicine in metabolic disease.Current Opinion in Physiology. 2019;12:12-19Additional ReadingLongevity in Hunza land.JAMA.1961;175(8):706. doi:10.1001/jama.1961.03040080062018Outside Magazine.In Hunza, they live forever.Robbins J.Healthy at 100. Random House; 2007.Smithsonian Magazine.The Shangri-La of health food.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Asan, Joseph Kum. “Examining the cross-cultural differences that affect longevity globally and strategies that will enhance longevity in Nigeria.” Humanus Discourse 1.3 (2021).Akhter, S.Identity negotiation and self construction: A case study of Bericho community in Hunza.Pakistan Journal of Social Research. 2023;05(02):594-604. doi:10.52567/pjsr.v5i02.1142Ganguly D, Goli S.The Wheel of Health: The Source of Long Life and Health among the Hunza.Demography India.48(2):121-124.Tabassum R.To study the prevalence of hypertension and determination of risk factors and associated practices in the valley of Hunza. Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad. 2021.Mayer F.Water and human health - Insights, concepts, hopes, dreams.Japan Journal of Medicine. 2020; 3(1): 423-431. doi:10.31488/jjm.153.Bano R, Khan A, Mehmood T, Abbas S, Khan MZ, Shedayi AA,et al.Patterns of livestock depredation and Human-wildlife conflict in Misgar valley of Hunza, Pakistan.Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 7;11(1):23516. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02205-2.Salehi B, Azzini E, Zucca P, Maria Varoni E, V. Anil Kumar N, Dini L,et al.Plant-derived bioactives and oxidative stress-related disorders: A key trend towards healthy aging and longevity promotion.Applied Sciences. 2020; 10(3):947. doi: 10.3390/app10030947Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A.Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise.Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018;5:135. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135Sylow L, Richter EA.Current advances in our understanding of exercise as medicine in metabolic disease.Current Opinion in Physiology. 2019;12:12-19
Asan, Joseph Kum. “Examining the cross-cultural differences that affect longevity globally and strategies that will enhance longevity in Nigeria.” Humanus Discourse 1.3 (2021).
Akhter, S.Identity negotiation and self construction: A case study of Bericho community in Hunza.Pakistan Journal of Social Research. 2023;05(02):594-604. doi:10.52567/pjsr.v5i02.1142
Ganguly D, Goli S.The Wheel of Health: The Source of Long Life and Health among the Hunza.Demography India.48(2):121-124.
Tabassum R.To study the prevalence of hypertension and determination of risk factors and associated practices in the valley of Hunza. Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad. 2021.
Mayer F.Water and human health - Insights, concepts, hopes, dreams.Japan Journal of Medicine. 2020; 3(1): 423-431. doi:10.31488/jjm.153.
Bano R, Khan A, Mehmood T, Abbas S, Khan MZ, Shedayi AA,et al.Patterns of livestock depredation and Human-wildlife conflict in Misgar valley of Hunza, Pakistan.Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 7;11(1):23516. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02205-2.
Salehi B, Azzini E, Zucca P, Maria Varoni E, V. Anil Kumar N, Dini L,et al.Plant-derived bioactives and oxidative stress-related disorders: A key trend towards healthy aging and longevity promotion.Applied Sciences. 2020; 10(3):947. doi: 10.3390/app10030947
Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A.Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise.Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018;5:135. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135
Sylow L, Richter EA.Current advances in our understanding of exercise as medicine in metabolic disease.Current Opinion in Physiology. 2019;12:12-19
Longevity in Hunza land.JAMA.1961;175(8):706. doi:10.1001/jama.1961.03040080062018Outside Magazine.In Hunza, they live forever.Robbins J.Healthy at 100. Random House; 2007.Smithsonian Magazine.The Shangri-La of health food.
Longevity in Hunza land.JAMA.1961;175(8):706. doi:10.1001/jama.1961.03040080062018
Outside Magazine.In Hunza, they live forever.
Robbins J.Healthy at 100. Random House; 2007.
Smithsonian Magazine.The Shangri-La of health food.
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