24 THE MIRACLE OF VíAVIENTÉ
DISCOVERY & CONFIRMATION
Other researchers noted that the Vilcabamba elderly shared five unusual characteristics: • They were not overweight, and in fact were relatively thin • They had lower blood pressure than expected; rarely hypertension • They had lower than usual blood cholesterol values • They had lower heart rates, especially after exertion • Measurements of the Vilcabambans’ bone structure showed the usual bone loss common with aging in other populations, but they appeared to be free of symptoms of osteoporosis, like spinal curvature, pain and fractures common in other populations.5
Secrets of Long Life At the invitation of the Ecuadorian Government, I visited Vilcabamba in November 1981 as an unbiased medical journalist to obtain samples of water, food and hair for analysis, to try to determine why the villagers were living to such an old age in perfect health. Laboratory analysis of the samples I collected revealed that the Vilcabamba water and food contained:
Dr. Morton Walker. D.P.M.
“...optimum amounts of trace minerals and other elements deemed necessary for maintaining a balanced body chemistry.”6 In my book Secrets of Long Life – How to remain healthy, sexual and actively working beyond 100, which I published upon my return from Vilcabamba, I reported my belief that the Vilcabambans’ health practices could be adapted for increasing the life expectancy of Western industrialized people. I concluded that the Vilcabambans’ long lives were due to what they ate, the balanced minerals in Vilcabamba drinking water, the amount of exercise in their daily activity, maintaining sexual intimacy well into advanced age, a pollution-free environment and peace of mind that permeates their outlook on most situations.
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