Why does Japan have such a high life expectancy, even though a ton of people smoke cigarettes?
I understand that diet plays a large part, but I would imagine that one of the leading causes of death in Japan is lung cancer. People live till their 80s in Japan, yet you see a ton of people smoking cigarettes, which is horrible for your lungs and greatly increases the rate of lung cancer. It's not just the smokers either; second-hand smoke is probably rampant in Japan. If this is true, how come so many people live such long lives?
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Factors such as a low rate of heart disease associated with a traditional low fat diet may be one of the reasons why Japan have high life expectancy rate despite of more people smoking cigarettes.
An Article in About.Com Updated April 19, 2009
Japanese men have less lung cancer even though they smoke more
The lower incidence of lung cancer in Japan, despite a higher smoking rate than the United States, is known as the “Japanese smoking/lung cancer paradox.” The debate is not about smoking, since we know that smoking causes lung cancer. The debate is about why Japanese smokers have a lower incidence of lung cancer, even though they smoke more. The answer is most likely a combination of reasons that include:
•Lower alcohol consumption by Japanese males
•Lower fat intake by Japanese males
•Higher efficiency of filters in Japanese cigarettes
•Lower levels of carcinogens in Japanese cigarettes
•Genetic factors that result in Japanese men being less prone to developing lung cancer
•Earlier age of smoking onset in American men
•Lifestyle factors other than smoking
Certainly, genetic factors are beyond our control, but American men who wish to lower their risk of lung cancer may want to consider limiting their alcohol intake and consumption of high-fat foods.
http://lungcancer.about.com/od/causesofl…
My mother was a heavy smoker. When my mother was dying of lung cancer in palliative care, I made a number of sketches of her. I could not look at ...
