What do the residents of Ikaria primarily engage in as their main occupation?

Agriculture
The main areas of employment are agriculture, livestock farming and, to a lesser degree, fisheries.
Explore the nutritional and lifestyle habits of Ikarians with our quiz!
Agriculture
The main areas of employment are agriculture, livestock farming and, to a lesser degree, fisheries.
Agios Kirykos
The island of Ikaria is home to picture-perfect mountainous and seaside villages. Agios Kirykos is the capital and main port of the island.
8,500
Ikaria has a permanent population of approximately 8,500 inhabitants and the majority of them lead an old-fashioned, traditional way of life.
The Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet has gained popularity in recent years and for good reason – it has held the title of the best diet since 2019 by the U.S. News & World Report. But it’s not just a passing trend. The Mediterranean diet is a lifestyle that focuses on real food, sustainability, and longevity.
The Ikarians follow a unique and extreme version of the Mediterranean diet, which explains their long life expectancy. Islanders prioritise vegetables, whole grains, fruits, fish, olive oil, goat’s milk and cheese, and wine when it comes to their nutrition.
20%
Islanders prioritise vegetables, whole grains, fruits, fish, olive oil, goat’s milk and cheese, and wine when it comes to their nutrition. Furthermore, they consume a higher amount of legumes, potatoes, coffee, herbal teas, wild greens, and fish only sporadically, with meat eaten only once or twice a week. Healthy fats derived from olive oil contribute to the island’s renowned longevity, and the diet has been associated with positive health outcomes.
The place where people forget to die
Today, Ikarians are almost entirely free of dementia and some of the chronic diseases that plague Americans; one in three make it to their 90s. A combination of factors explains it, including geography, culture, diet, lifestyle and outlook. They enjoy strong red wine, late-night domino games and a relaxed pace of life that ignores clocks. Clean air, warm breezes and rugged terrain draw them outdoors into an active lifestyle. Thanks to these conditions, Ikaria has been called the place where people forget to die.
Coffee
Greek people love coffee and consume 5.4 kg per person annually. It is even more than is drunk by the French, English and Americans! A strong liking for coffee is also not an exception on the island of Ikaria and these long-livers use the very drink as one more secret of their longevity. Recent studies show that drinking two to three cups of Turkish-style Ikarian coffee daily reduces mortality rates for both men and women.
117 years old
According to the locals, in the 1950s an Ikarian lady Fani Gerali not only lived until the age of 117 but also remained youthful in appearance. It was reported that she had grown seven new teeth and a head of black hair.
4 tablespoons a day
The best extra-virgin olive oil in Greece is often cloudy, thick, and deep golden green. The consumption of at least four tablespoons of olive oil per day, as is typical for the people of Ikaria, may reduce the risk of heart disease by 30%.
It’s feta
The Ikarians make a protein-rich probiotic by fermenting goat’s milk with rennin, which is known as Bioactive Ikarian feta cheese. This cheese is high in gut-friendly bacteria that possess anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. It is commonly used in Greek salads, as well as vegetable stews and other dishes by the Ikarians.
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