Food and health longevity

Abstract

Japan has the longest life expectancy in the world. It was an average 85.59 years for women and 78.64 years for men and 77.2 years for women and 71.9 years for men in average health expectancy in 2004. As the diet becomes more westernized, the number of patients with diabetic, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular diseases due to the metabolic syndrome is increasing. In 2002, our university was selected as a COE21st century participant by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Our program is entitled "Center of Excellence for Evolutionary Human Health Sciences". The aim of this program is to obtain and provide significant information for maintaining human health through research/education on food and medicine. The combined use of specialized foods and medicines will enhance the effectiveness and decrease the adverse effects of medicines. Safety evaluation methods will be developed for the combined use, thus establishing a novel academic field for human health sciences. We call this "borderless sciences of food and medicine" (yaku-shoku dogen). © 2007 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.