L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano L ife expectancy in I t a l y i s a m o n g t h e h i g h e s t i n the world: with a n a v e r a g e o f 84.01 years, the Belpaese is the 6th longest-living coun- try in the world, after the f a m o u s l y l o n g - l i v i n g F a r East (Hong Kong and Japan t o p t h e l i s t , f o l l o w e d b y Macao and Singapore) and Switzerland. To give you an idea, the US is only 46th, w i t h a n a v e r a g e l i f e expectancy of 79.11 years. A l o t h a s b e e n w r i t t e n about the reasons for Ital- ian people's longevity, with most agreeing that a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to what we eat, lies at the heart of it all. However, there is also some- thing genetic, as it has been proven by studies carried o u t i n s o m e a r e a s o f t h e country, like Sardinia and Cilento, where most of our over-100s come from. There is, however, anoth- e r p l a c e w e s h o u l d k n o w about if we want to have a full picture of Italy's longest- living areas, the small lake- side village of Limone sul Garda. In recent weeks, attention to this beautiful hamlet of Lake Garda, in the region of Lombardia, has been brought by an article penned by Silvia Marche- tti of CNN Travel: a very i n t e r e s t i n g r e a d , i n d e e d . But what are the secrets of Limone sul Garda's people to keep healthy and young? Well, according to scientific l i t e r a t u r e , t h e r e i s m o r e than lifestyle involved: it's all down to a gene. But before getting to the nitty-gritty, let's say some- thing about this quaint, pic- turesque place, so inspiring and beautiful even Goethe wrote about it in his famous Italian Journey. Limone sul Garda is known as one of the most characteristic vil- lages on the lake, and for its many lemon groves. How- ever, its name doesn't come f r o m t h e s e f l a v o r s o m e , bright-yellow citrus fruits, but rather from the Latin word limen, which means border. Lemons were likely introduced in the area by the friars of the convent of San Francesco di Gargnano, who brought them from the L i g u r i a n r i v i e r a . F r o m there, cultivation expanded around the whole area. Today Limone sul Garda, which counts a year-round population of about 1,000, but over 1 million visitors every year, is also known for being one of the places in I t a l y w h e r e p e o p l e l i v e longer and better. What dif- f e r e n t i a t e s i t f r o m o t h e r areas like Cilento in Cam- pania or the Ogliastra in Sardinia is that these char- acteristics are not typical of the area as a whole, but of the village only. According to scientists, it's all down to a gene. A f e w y e a r s a g o , r e s e a r c h e r s f r o m s e v e r a l Italian universities found out that part of Limonesi is blessed with a special gene, called A1 Milano gene L i m o n e , w h i c h m a k e s them more resilient against cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The gene, who is found only among l o c a l s f r o m t h e v i l l a g e , makes their bodies better at digesting foods traditionally associated with high choles- terol. The contains a pro- tein, called apolipoprotein, which helps keep the blood fluid and eliminate bad fats from it. Research, which started 4 0 y e a r s a g o , e v e n t u a l l y identified the gene thanks to the work of a team still l e d t o d a y b y p r o f e s s o r Cesare Sirtori, of the Uni- v e r s i t à d e g l i S t u d i d i Milano, who discovered and n a m e d t h e g e n e . O f t h e 1,000 people living today in Limone, 500 were born and bred there. Among them, according to CNN Travel, 60 have the gene. Sirtori con- firms that people with the A-1 Milano gene have very low levels of HDL choles- terol, between 7-15 when n o r m a l r a t e s a r e u s u a l l y a r o u n d 4 0 - 6 0 , a r e s u l t brought, science says, by the gene itself. Now, HDL cho- lesterol is considered good for the body, so low levels of it are not necessarily a good t h i n g , h o w e v e r , i n A - 1 Milano carriers, it has posi- t i v e h e a l t h e f f e c t s , a s explained by Sirtori to CNN. When, in 2000, Sirtori's team carried out lab tests with the gene, they found out that it greatly diminish- es the risk of blood clots in carriers. The gene was dis- covered by chance when a Limone resident had been involved in a car accident in Milan and, upon checking his blood parameters, doc- t o r s n o t i c e d t h e r e w e r e "positive" anomalies. W h i l e s t u d i e s o n Limone's special gene con- tinue, some have developed an interest in its history and why it can be found only in the village.CNN reported that hotelier Antonio Girar- di, whose family has been living in Limone since the 1700s, believes the environ- ment and local produce may be the cause of this fortu- n a t e g e n e t i c m u t a t i o n . Thanks to the lake's mitigat- ing effects, the climate is mild all year round and vir- t u a l l y e v e r y t h i n g c a n b e grown locally. A diet based on local extra virgin olive oil and plenty of fish - both sta- ples of the Mediterranean diet, which is well known for its health benefits - are also considered key by Girardi. Whichever the origin of t h e g e n e , t h e p e o p l e o f Limone sul Garda seem to have a special insurance on t h e i r h e a l t h , c o u r t e s y o f their ancestors. Hopefully, r e s e a r c h w i l l m a n a g e t o transfer the benefits of the Limone gene also to those w h o w e r e n ' t b o r n i n t h i s beautiful - and healthy! - corner of Northern Italy. FRANCESCA BEZZONE The quaint village of Limone sul Garda may hold the secret to longevity (Photo: Snicol24/Dreamstime) Aging well is all down to a gene: the case of Limone sul Garda ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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