DISCOVERY & CONFIRMATION
THE MIRACLE OF VíAVIENTÉ
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from animal sources. Needless to say, one sees no obesity among the elderly in Vilcabamba, neither were there signs of under-nutrition.” 4 Vilcabamba is a tranquil community that allows its inhabitants freedom from most of the stress that confront modern society. Certainly this lack of stress contributes to their longevity. Dr. Leaf also recorded that regular sexual activity is an important factor in reaching extreme old age. In Vilcabamba, part of the natural flow of life is the continuation of sexual activity throughout the elder years. By the mid-1970s, the long-lived Vilcabambans had become the focus of global scientific excitement. In 1974, filmmaker Gene Ayers released his film titled Valley of the Old Ones. David Davies’ book The Centenarians of the Andes was published in 1975 in Great Britain. McGraw Hill released Dr. Leaf’s book Youth in Old Age the same year. The following year, Rodale Press published Grace Halsell’s book Los Viejos – Secrets of Long Life from the Sacred Valley. And a second documentary film was released titled, Longevity – To Live to Be 140. Each one of the scientists involved in documenting the vitality of the Vilcabambans confirmed that many of the villagers were well past 100 years of age. But more than their longevity was of interest. All of the elderly inhabitants were healthy, active and mentally alert. On February 27 – 28, 1978, the National Institute on Aging and the Fogerty International Center sponsored an international meeting concerning Vilcabamba. Dr. Alexander Leaf was appointed co-chairman of the workshop, which included researchers from Japan, Canada, France, Ecuador and the United States who had worked in Vilcabamba. Their findings showed that the importance of Vilcabamba was not simply in the area of longevity but also in the apparent good health of its elderly. Addressing the health aspects, Dr. Miguel Salvador reported that 44% of the elderly in Vilcabamba showed normal electrocardiograms, and only 30% showed definitely abnormal electrocardiograms, compared to 80% to 90% abnormality in other Ecuadorian and American populations. © 2009 GP Publishing - All Rights Reserved