The Hunza River Valley is located at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level, between the two highest mountain ranges on Earth: the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram. This area on the border of India and Pakistan is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world by high mountains and dangerous glaciers. But it is deservedly considered an “oasis of youth.” After all, this is where fragments of the amazing Hunza people live.
There is a lot of evidence that there is an amazing tribe on Earth, whose representatives never get sick, look young and live surprisingly long. They call themselves Hunza, or Hunzakut. According to various sources, their number ranges from 15 to 87 thousand people. The Hunzakut live in very harsh conditions in northern India, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, 100 kilometers from the northernmost city of India, Gilgit. Geographical isolation allowed them to maintain their natural habits and way of life, which was formed over thousands of years.
It is curious, but the Hunza, unlike neighboring peoples, are very similar in appearance to Europeans. It is possible that the founders of their first communities were merchants and warriors from the army of Alexander the Great, who settled here during a campaign through the mountain valleys of the Indus River.
The capital of this district is Karimabad. More than 95% of the population is Muslim, the dominant language is Burushaski. The relationship of this unique language with any other language or language family in the world has not yet been established. The Hunza River was a natural barrier for two medieval principalities - Hunza and Nagar. Since the 17th century, these principalities were constantly at odds, stealing women and children from each other and selling them into slavery. Both of them lived in well-fortified villages.
The Hunza people live not far from the Kalash tribe and are similar in appearance to them. Both the Hunza and the Kalash have many blue-eyed and fair-haired people.
You can pass through these rocky massifs only through narrow passes, gorges and paths. Since ancient times, these routes were controlled by principalities, which imposed significant taxes on all passing caravans. Among them, Hunza was considered one of the most influential. Under the influence of the Hunzakuts there was a gorge along which the route from Xinjiang to Kashmir ran. Here they were engaged in regular robberies and extortions from merchants and travelers.
Therefore, they were feared by both the Kashmiri troops in the south and the nomadic Kirghiz in the north. So the Hunza were far from being as peaceful as they are described in European sources. However, they became famous not for their belligerence, but for their amazing health and unique longevity.
People of this tribe live on average up to 120 years, and even at the age of a hundred they work and go to the mountains. Their 40-year-old women look like young girls, and at 60 they are still very active. They say that Hunza women are able to give birth even at 65 years old.
Magic diet
It is traditionally believed that the talented English military doctor Robert McCarrison first told Europeans about the Hunza. At the beginning of the 20th century, he treated patients for seven years in this godforsaken area, and supposedly in all these years he did not meet a single sick Hunzakut. He recorded only a few broken bones and inflammation of the eyes.
In fact, one of the first explorers of the area was British Colonel John Biddelph, who lived in Gilgit from 1877 to 1881. This military man and part-time researcher of a wide profile wrote a voluminous work “Tribes of the Hindu Kush”, in which, along with other nationalities, he described the Hunzakuts. Other scientists have written about their amazing health and longevity.
Most of them concluded that the secret of the Hunza's longevity lies in their nutritional system. Protein consumption among mountaineers is at the lowest level of the norm, and a forced diet leads to longevity. If a person eats incorrectly, then the mountain climate will not save him from illness. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Hunza neighbors are constantly sick and live half as long.
Local residents see their secret to longevity in vegetarianism, physical labor and constant movement. Their main foods are vegetables, grains and fresh fruits. The only fruit they dry is apricots. Some vegetables are consumed raw, some are stewed. They eat only black bread. Moreover, when threshing grains, the bran is not thrown away, but is used together with flour.
Some grain crops are consumed in the form of sprouted grains. Milk and dairy products, salt, treats and alcohol are consumed in extremely small quantities. It must be admitted that the Hunza are not strict vegetarians. However, the use of animal food is very modest. Most of them only eat meat once or twice a year. Since most of the Hunza are Muslims, they never consume pork or blood.
Once a year, when the trees do not bear fruit, the tribe experiences a period of starvation. It can last from two to four months. Hunza call it “hungry spring”. At this time, residents drink water infused with dried apricots. This diet has been elevated to a cult and is strictly observed. Interestingly, days of forced fasting do not bother or bother anyone. The Hunza live at this time as intensely as on “well-fed” days. Apparently, forced fasting is a powerful stimulus for cleansing the body and maintaining health.
In spite of diseases
In fact, the opinion that Hunzakuts practically do not get sick is not entirely true. They really don't know about cancer, heart disease, diabetes and premature aging. McCarrison worked as a surgeon in Gilgit from 1904 to 1911 and, according to him, did not find any digestive disorders, stomach ulcers, appendicitis, colitis or cancer among the Hunzakuts. However, he focused his research on diseases associated exclusively with nutrition. Many other diseases remained outside his field of vision.
Father and son
In 1964, a group of American cardiologists visited this area. They examined 25 people aged 90-110 years and came to the conclusion that they had absolutely everything normal: blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart function.
But not everything is as rosy as many journalists or adherents of vegetarianism try to imagine. For example, Colonel David Lorimer, who lived in Hunza for two years (1933 and 1934), noted in his book: “After winter, the children of the Hunzakuts look exhausted and suffer various types skin diseases that go away only when the soil produces its first crops.” The reason for this, in his opinion, was a lack of vitamins.
The American scientist John Clark was even more specific. In 1950, he went to the principality, where he worked for a total of 20 months and kept detailed statistics on the treatment of local residents. During this time, he received 5 thousand 684 patients (the population of the principality at that time was less than 20 thousand people). That is, approximately a quarter of the Hunzakuts needed treatment.
What diseases were these? “Fortunately, most had easily diagnosed diseases: malaria, dysentery, trachoma, ringworm, skin rash, and so on,” the doctor noted. In addition, Clark described one case of scurvy and diagnosed serious dental and eye problems among the Hunzakuts, especially among the elderly. Their teeth hurt from the almost complete lack of fat and vitamin D in their food. Problems with their eyes arose due to the fact that the houses were heated “black”, and the smoke from the fire corroded their eyes over the years.
Nevertheless, in 1963, a French medical expedition visited Hunza, which conducted a population census and found that the average life expectancy here was 120 years, which is twice the level of Europeans. In August 1977, at the International Cancer Congress in Paris, a statement was made that “the complete absence of cancer occurs only among the Hunza people.”
It seems that the Hunza actually have enviable health and can rightfully be considered the only relatively healthy people in the world. For them, walking 100-200 kilometers is a common thing. They easily climb steep mountains and return home fresh and cheerful.
They say that the Hunza laugh constantly and are always in a good mood; they never get nervous or quarrel with each other. Considering their exceptional poverty and the absence of any impressive property, their optimism, humor and consistently serene mood become understandable. Thanks to this, the Hunzakuts can be considered the happiest people on Earth.
Most likely, the secret is in their diet.
There is one tribe on Earth that knows neither cancer nor cardiovascular diseases and has exceptional longevity. Members of this tribe live in harsh conditions in northern India in the Himalayas, on the banks of the Hunza River. This place is called very beautifully - Happy Valley. 
This tribe was first spoken about by the English doctor Mac Carrison, who treated patients in these areas at the beginning of the 20th century. Almost all the tribes there do not shine with health - tuberculosis, typhus, diabetes, Graves' disease, hereditary cretinism, plague, cholera, syphilis. And among the Hunzas everyone was healthy(not counting fractures and inflammation of the eyes).
The territory of their residence is cut off from the rest of the world by mountains. People of this tribe live on average up to 120 years, and at the age of 100 they are still working in the fields!
The main features of the Hunzas are: optimism, calm, humor and hospitality. The Hunza are governed by a king and a council of elders; They dont have no police, no prisons. There are no violations of public order or crimes in this society!
People who have lived to old age enjoy great respect and unquestioned authority. Senile dementia and decrepitude are completely unusual for them.
The Hunza people themselves very poor. In the mountains, every piece of land is worth its weight in gold. It rains rarely and there is little snow, so the area is characterized by a lack of water.
The cows there are small, skinny goats and sheep graze on rocky mountain slopes and produce little milk ( less than two liters per day, and then only immediately after calving), and it contains little fat. Sheep do not produce milk at all, and goats produce very little. Animal meat is sinewy and completely fat-free.
In winter, the Hunzas sleep in stone houses with no windows (there is only one opening), and on stone benches. Livestock is kept right in the hallways.
Naturally, they have no wood for heating. The fire in the hearths is maintained with the help of dry branches and leaves. Food is cooked on such a fire; wash and wash clothes only cold water
. The Hunza do without baths, hot water and soap. 
During the winter months, people eat meager supplies of cereals (directly in the grains) and dried apricots, but at the end of winter food runs out.
In the spring, the Hunza people fast. This period, lasting about 2–3 months, they call "hungry spring". Food arrives as the new crop ripens.
What do the Hunzas eat?
Basic food products - vegetables, grains, fresh fruits. Compotes and jams are not prepared.
The only fruit that is dried for the winter is apricots, and this is because the oil necessary for cooking is prepared from apricot kernels.
Favorite fruits are apricots and blueberries. Spinach (the most favorite dish), carrots, lettuce, turnips, peas, cabbage, and pumpkin are grown. Some vegetables are consumed raw, some - stewed.
Bread - only black.
When threshing grains, the bran is not thrown away, but is used together with flour. Grow barley, millet, wheat and buckwheat. Some grain crops are consumed in the form sprouted grains.
The Hunza are not vegetarians though Meat is eaten only on holidays. The cattle graze in the valley and do not know any other food other than grass. After the cattle are slaughtered, the meat is eaten immediately.
Made from Hunza grapes wine, but it is drunk only on special occasions.
The Hunza eat twice a day - lunch and dinner. Only children have breakfast.
Despite all this, the Hunzas have enviable health. According to reliable scientific research, Hunza is the only healthy and happy people in the whole world.
Most of us make enough efforts every day to always be young and energetic, to maintain health and vital activity for a long time. Surprisingly, there is a secluded corner on our planet where the Hunza people live, whose population, without really trying, lives for a hundred years or more. They manage to live a long life easily and simply, as a matter of course.
This amazing “oasis of youth” is located in the inaccessible mountains between Pakistan and China, at an altitude of more than 2 thousand meters above sea level, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush. Of the 14 mountain peaks on the planet, whose height is more than 8000 meters, 5 are located here.
In appearance, the locals, the Hunzakuts, are not at all like their Asian neighbors; they are more reminiscent of Europeans. This fact gives historians reason to believe that the founders of life in these parts could have been people from the army of Alexander the Great, who remained here for an eternal settlement after military campaigns. Getting to these places is quite difficult. This caused almost complete isolation from civilization.
Hunza people. Nutritional Features
I think I won’t be wrong if I say that talking about long-livers in the mountains is primarily associated with clean mountain air, fertile highland pastures, clear spring water from stone springs, and fresh milk from sheep grazing high in the mountains. All this is an unaffordable luxury for the Hunza people.
Life in the settlement of centenarians is the most primitive. No civilized person would dream of such a thing, despite the fact that people here easily overcome the century mark, living to be 110, 120, sometimes 150 years old, while remaining absolutely healthy and completely free from illness. From the outside, their life is more reminiscent of the ascetic solitude of hermits than the self-sufficiency of happy mountaineers. The Hunza people live poorly, their food and life are simple and uncomplicated. There are no forests, lush meadows or fertile land in this area. Each one is more or less suitable land plot planted fruit trees(of which the dominant place is given to apricot), vegetables and potatoes. The settlement experiences an almost constant shortage of water: insufficient snow and rainfall, which mainly falls only in winter time, affects land fertility. This is why water is especially valued. Livestock - cows, goats, sheep, grazing on rocky slopes, are not impressive in terms of fatness and fat content. Dairy and meat products are rarely eaten. 
In general, the Hunza people are vegetarians. In winter they feed on cereal reserves and dried apricots, and in the spring they switch to wild herbs and cultivated vegetables. There is a general period of fasting (the so-called fasting), when instead of food for several months (from 2 to 4) the population drinks only apricot water once a day. This system is adhered to by all residents, and it is observed with appropriate cultic religiosity.
Basic dietary rules of the Hunza people :
1. Daily consumption of raw vegetables in large quantities, especially spinach and any greens.
2. Fruits in the diet should also be only fresh.
Nobody prepares jam and compotes for the winter, despite the problems of nutrition in winter. The most revered fruit is the apricot, which is completely used as food, right down to the oil contained in the seeds. There are so many of them during the apricot season that only some varieties are eaten; some are dried, mined, and even built at home using apricot juice instead of water.
3. Bread is consumed exclusively black; it is prepared from coarse cereal flour and bran. Often the grains are simply eaten in. The settlers do not produce or use white flour.
4. All prepared dishes contain practically no pure sugar and salt.
5. Dairy products in the food system - in moderation.
6. Meat dishes are generally allowed only on religious holidays. Animals are bred exclusively for use on the farm, and their meat is used when they have already served their working life.
7. Absent alcoholic drinks, except for the wine of one’s own production from harvested grapes, which is allowed to be consumed in exceptional cases.
8. Moderation in diet and regular fasting are observed due to the shortage of cultivable land. 
The daily diet of an adult does not exceed 1900 calories, of which proteins account for only 50, fats - 36, carbohydrates - 365. Hunzakuts mainly consume proteins plant origin(from wheat and barley grains), potatoes are eaten with the skin, which is also rich in proteins and also contains the necessary mineral salts. The need for potassium and iron is met with fresh and dried apricots. The daily menu includes ground grains, fruits, herbs, apricots, legumes (protein-rich beans, peas and lentils); in winter, the Khunzakuts eat sheep cheese.
Hunza people. Personal hygiene and self-care
The houses of the Hunzakuts are tiny, primitive and devoid of amenities. They are made of stone, without windows, with a single opening that serves as both a chimney and ventilation. Local residents try to save heat in their homes in this way. Since there are no forests in the vicinity, they heat their homes in winter with dry branches. Food is prepared on the same hearth. Due to the lack of firewood, Hunzakuts are washed in cold water no soap. They wash and wash themselves with cold water. Researchers have found that their body is so hardened that the settlers can easily swim in water at a temperature of -15 degrees.
All family members live together from generation to generation and also run a joint household together. In winter, livestock are driven into the hallway of the house and kept there until spring. But for most of the year (8-10 months), the settlers live in the open air, in the fresh air, where their entire adult life takes place: work, rest, holidays, weddings, conceiving children and death itself.
To us, civilized people, accustomed to comfort, showers, hot baths, gels, this way of life seems simply impossible.
However, the settlers surprise with their adaptability to nature, health and appearance:
1. Women in their forties look like teenagers. They remain slender, elegant and graceful until the age of 60, and at the age of 65 they are still able to give birth to a child.
2. Old people whose age has exceeded 100 years can easily do field work all day long.
3. Almost every man is ready for long treks of 100-200 kilometers along winding and steep roads in the mountains. Eyewitnesses claim that for them, covering a long distance high up a mountain is the same as for us moving along own home. They are physically strong and resilient, they are reputed to be the best guides and porters in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, they can, without stress, quickly climb high into the mountains only to hand over the vest and return to the foot, remaining calm and cheerful.
4. Hunzakuts have almost perfect health, live without illness or toothache, and not a single case of cancer has been recorded among them.
5. Scientists believe that nutrition is the secret to the longevity of this amazing people. Not the mountain air, not the clean terrain, not physical activity, but the food of the Hunzakuts!
According to the conclusion of gerontologists, only reducing the amount of food taken by one third can increase by 10%. Eliminating white bread, sugar, sweets, boiled or canned vegetables helps the body not to age and stay healthy for a long time. The Hunzakuts themselves consider vegetarianism, an active lifestyle, constant physical labor and an extraordinary rhythm of life, which gives energy and strength, to be the reason for their longevity.
Interesting facts about the Hunza people
1. Currently, the population of the settlement is about 20 thousand people.
2. The people are ruled by a king, and there is also a respected council of elders.
3. In everyday life there are no violations of public order and crimes, so there is no need to maintain police and prison.
4. They do not suffer from old age diseases, they do not have dementia, insanity and physical inactivity. Even after crossing the hundred-year mark, they work in the fields and are able to travel long distances on foot.
5. There is no consumer sentiment among the people; envy, hoarding and gluttony are alien to them. Obviously, this is why the residents are always calm, welcoming, friendly, optimistic and full of humor, hospitable and cordial towards guests and visitors. They often laugh, being mostly in a good mood, which is not spoiled by either hunger or cold. They do not show anger, displeasure, or quarrel with each other.
6. Despite favorable climate mountains, the life of Hunza's neighbors is half as long, which gave scientists grounds to assert that the secret of extraordinary longevity lies in the food system and a very low protein intake!
7. The fact of constant marriages within the boundaries of one settlement is also surprising. There is no incest with other nations, there is no foreign blood in the Hunza offspring, and the children do not have diseases associated with consanguineous marriages.
8. The people are actually engaged only in agriculture; folk crafts, education, culture and writing are completely undeveloped.
9. The water in Hunza is pearl-colored, with tiny suspended particles dissolved in it. It looks beautiful in the river, but in a glass of water it looks like a cloudy yellow mixture.
10. The capital of the district is Karimabad. The Hunzakuts speak the Burushaski language, the relationship of which has not been established with any language family in the world.
Agree that the way of life of the Hunza people is unlikely to suit anyone from the civilized world. But it is worth thinking about what is the cause of their health and our diseases, their extraordinary ability to work and our decrease in activity in adulthood, their longevity and relatively early age death with us.
The centenarians of the mountain valley say about their secret that everything is very simple: you need to be a convinced vegetarian, constantly engage in physical labor, move a lot, lead an active lifestyle, and then you will definitely live to 120, or even 150 years.
I wish you to be healthy, live long and always happily!
Once upon a time there was a fine fellow; I didn’t see any fun in my village; I went to a foreign land and cried.
Since ancient times, people have dreamed of a better life. This was reflected in fairy tales, legends, and parables. The saying “it’s good where we are not,” which is still heard at almost every step, shows that, although modern people they no longer have to plow hard (in every sense of the word) like their ancestors, the desire for a better life - to the edges where the rivers are milky and the banks are jelly - has not disappeared.
Fairy tales have become modernized, and people, despite access to information, still believe esotericists and gurus and brush aside reality at the first opportunity.
There are many modern myths, but one of them touched me directly. On the RuNet and in general on the Internet, you quite often come across texts about the mysterious country of Hunza, where people do not know diseases and live long because they eat right and do not eat meat. In the Russian versions, these texts have almost the same content and set of photographs. Such texts are especially popular among vegetarians.
Therefore, below is the myth about Hunza with its complete, as M. Bulgakov wrote, exposure (I quote excerpts while maintaining the style and recommend paying attention to what is in bold):
There is an amazing tribe on Earth, whose members don't know any diseases. They live in very harsh conditions in inaccessible highland region in northern India, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, on the banks of the Hunza River, 100 kilometers from the northernmost city of India, Gilgit, and call themselves the Hunzakuts. First the talented English military doctor Mac Carrison told Europeans about them at the beginning of the 20th century 14 years treating the sick in this God-forsaken area.
All the tribes that live there are not very healthy, but over all the years of work McCarrison I have not met a single sick Hunzakut. Even toothache and visual impairment are unknown to them. In 1963, a French medical expedition visited the Hunzakuts. With the permission of the leader of this tribe, the French conducted a population census, which showed that the average life expectancy of the Hunzakuts was 120 years. They live for more than 160 years, women, even in their old age, retain the ability to bear children, do not visit doctors, and there are simply no doctors there.
After McCarrison, another scientist, Dr. Ralph Bircher, began studying the Hunzakuts, who devoted years to researching the life of this small people (there are only 15 thousand of them).
All European observers noted that the only difference between the Hunzakuts and their neighbors was their diet, which was based on whole-flour wheat cakes and fruits, mainly apricots. All winter and spring they do not add anything to this, since there is nothing to add. A few handfuls of wheat grains and apricots are all the daily food.
The Hunzakuts are characterized, first of all, by optimism, calmness, humor and hospitality. They are ruled by a king and a council of elders, and have no police or prisons. The fact is that in this society there are no violations of public order and crimes. People who have lived to old age enjoy great respect and unquestioned authority. Senile dementia and decrepitude are completely unusual for them.
The text fragments highlighted in bold, and not all of them are highlighted, do not correspond to the truth. They say that the primary source of this text about Shangri-Le or one of the variations of such a text was “The Week” (a newspaper supplement to Izvestia), in whose issue at the end of 1964 an article reprinted from the French magazine “Constellation” appeared.
In one variation or another, these texts circulate on the Internet and continue to acquire fantastic details. Patience ran out when my photographs of Hunza appeared in one of these tales.
The Valley of Hunza, as the emirs of the principality saw it
From the terrace of the royal palace - Baltit Fort
However, let's return to McCarrison. He worked as a surgeon in Gilgit from 1904 to 1911 and, according to him, did not find any digestive disorders, stomach ulcers, appendicitis, colitis or cancer among the Hunzakuts. However, McCarrison's research focused on diseases only related to nutrition. Many other diseases remained outside his sight. And not only for this reason.
This photo, taken by me in Hunza in 2010, has appeared in a number of fables. Tomatoes are dried on a wicker dish
First, McCarrison lived and worked in the administrative capital of the Gilgit Agency. This work is restricted from traveling abroad, since there are plenty of sick people in Gilgit, plus those who came from nearby villages.
The doctors who served here occasionally made detours around the territory under their jurisdiction, which was truly gigantic for one doctor, without staying anywhere for long. Occasionally - once a year and only during the season - when the passes are free of snow. At that time, there was no road to Hunza, there were only caravan trails, the journey was very difficult and took 2-3 days.
And what kind of patient, especially a seriously ill one, will be able to walk more than a hundred kilometers in the terrible heat in the summer (tested it myself) or in the very unpleasant cold in the winter to see a European, especially a British (!) doctor? After all, in 1891, the British carried out a successful military operation to seize the principality, annexed it to the British Empire, and it can be assumed that the Hunzakuts had no special reasons to love the British.
A street in Gilgit today. Already in spring the temperature here can reach plus 40 degrees
If we add to this little things like the fact that, for example, Muslim women with gynecological problems would never and under any circumstances at that time (and even now, I suppose) would not go to a male doctor, and even an infidel one, then it is obvious that the statistics that I collected talented doctor McCarrison, is far from the real state of affairs in the Principality of Hunza. This was later confirmed by other researchers, whose works were discussed by advocates of vegetarianism and healthy image lives are either deliberately kept silent, or, most likely, they are simply not known about them. I will return to these works a little later...
Those searching for the land of Shangri-La in Hunza suggest that perhaps the Hunzakuts were spared diseases due to the fact that they live in inaccessible areas and generally have almost no contact with foreigners. This is not true. At first these regions were difficult to reach for Europeans. As for recent times, since the 1970s there has been no talk of any isolation - the Karakoram Highway - the main trade route between Pakistan and China runs through Hunza.
View of the oldest part of Hunza - Altit Fort and the houses around it. On the other side of the Hunza River, the Karakoram Highway
But there was no isolation before. There are not many passes in the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains through which you can get from Central Asian countries to India and back. Branches of the Great Silk Road along which caravans passed passed through such passes. One of these branches - from Xinjiang to Kashmir - was controlled by the Hunzakuts (from Altit Fort the gorge is very clearly visible in both directions), they were engaged in regular robbery and collecting tribute from caravans and travelers.
“In the spring of 1889, the thirst for travel again seized me, but my superiors did not allow the trip,” writes Captain Younghusband of the British Army at that time, “I had to die of boredom and blow dust off my uniform. And just when my torment reached its limit, a telegram arrived from London from the Foreign Office with an order to conduct reconnaissance of the northern borders of Kashmir in the area where the country of the Hunzakuts or Kanjuts, as the inhabitants of Xinjiang call them, is located. The Khunzakuts constantly raided neighboring countries. Not only the people of Baltistan feared them, but also the Kashmiri troops in Gilgit, that is, in the south, and the Kirghiz nomads in the north were in fear of an attack.
When I was in that area in 1888, I heard a rumor about another daring attack on a caravan of Kirghiz, a large number of whom the Hunzakuts either killed or captured as slaves. The Kirghiz could no longer tolerate it and petitioned the Chinese emperor, but he remained deaf to the requests. Then the nomads asked Britain for help, and as a result I was tasked with negotiating with the Emir of Hunza.”
Younghusband failed to reach an agreement with the emir. Emir Safdar Ali, who was sitting on the throne of Hunza at that time, was cruel and stupid. Younghusband later recalled that the emir considered the British queen and the Russian tsar almost equal to themselves as the emirs of the neighboring principalities. The ruler literally said the following: “My principality is only stones and ice, there is very little pasture and cultivated land. Raids are the only source of income. If the Queen of Britain wants me to stop robbing, let her give me subsidies."
That is why the British began a military campaign against Hunza - its ruler began to establish too strong ties with Russia and China, counted too much on the help of these empires, and felt too unpunished when engaging in robberies. For which he paid. The course of the military operation is wonderfully described in the book “Where Three Empires Meet” by Edward Knight.
So the Hunzakuts were far from being as peaceful as the vegetarians would like. However, about what is happening in Hunza now there are no police or prisons, since in this society there are no violations of public order and crimes, everything is correct... The authors of the Hunza myth attribute these features to the vegetarianism of the Hunzakuts and only forget to mention that there is almost no crime in all of Gilgit-Baltistan. Although in Lately There were a few unpleasant exceptions, for example, .
Gilgit-Baltistan on the Aga Khan Foundation map (excluding Chitral). There was only one British doctor for this entire territory
The north of Pakistan is one of the calmest regions of the country - this can be read in any tourist brochure, and this is true due to the small population and the remoteness of the territories from large cities.
Among the entire volume of available literature about Hunza, it made sense to choose those documents whose authors were not oriented towards esotericism or vegetarianism and who lived for a long time in Hunza and were engaged in observations and research. The vast majority of travelers came to Hunza for a short time and, as a rule, only during the season, that is, in the summer.
As a result of the search, John Clark’s book “Hunza. Lost Kingdom of the Himalayas" (John Clark "Hunza - Lost Kingdom of the Himalayas"). Clark is an American scientist who went to the principality to search for minerals in 1950. This was his main goal; in addition, he planned to organize a woodworking school and introduce the Hunzakuts to the achievements Agriculture USA and set up an infirmary or mini-hospital in the principality.
In total, Clark spent 20 months in Hunza. Particularly interesting is the statistics on the treatment of Hunzakuts, which he, as befits a real scientist, scrupulously kept.
And this is what he writes: “During my stay in Hunza, I treated 5 thousand 684 patients (the population of the principality was less than 20 thousand people at that time).” That is, more than a fifth, or even a fourth, of the Hunzakuts needed treatment. What diseases were there? “Fortunately, the majority had easily diagnosed diseases: malaria, dysentery, helminthic infestations, trachoma (chronic infection eye caused by chlamydia), trichophytosis (ringworm), impetigo (skin rash caused by streptococci or staphylococci). In addition, Clark described one case of scurvy and diagnosed serious dental and eye problems among the Hunzakuts, especially among the elderly.
ABOUT skin diseases in children caused by a lack of vitamins, Colonel David Lorimer (David Lockart Robertson Lorimer), who represented the British government in the Gilgit Agency in 1920 - 1924 and lived in Hunza from 1933 to 1934, wrote: “after winter, the children of the Hunzakuts look emaciated and suffer from various a type of skin disease that only goes away when the land produces its first crops.” The colonel, by the way, was a wonderful linguist; he authored, among others, three books “Grammar”, “History” and “Dictionary” of the Burushaski language (The Burushaski Language. 3 vols.), which is spoken by the Hunzakuts and which is not included in any language group.
Problems with the eyes, especially among older Hunzakuts, were caused by the fact that the houses were heated “black”, and the smoke from the fireplace, although it was discharged through a hole in the roof, still ate the eyes.
A similar roof structure can be seen in the villages of Central Asia. “Through this hole in the ceiling not only smoke escapes, but also heat,” wrote Younghusband.
Well, and as for vegetarianism... Not only in Hunza, but also - again - throughout Gilgit-Baltistan, people live poorly and eat meat only on major holidays, including religious ones. By the way, the latter are still often associated not with Islam, but with pre-Islamic beliefs, echoes of which are very much alive in the north of Pakistan. The ritual in the photo below, if performed anywhere in Central Pakistan, where orthodox Muslims live, would lead to murder for obscurantism.
The shaman drinks the blood of a sacrificial animal. Northern Pakistan. Gilgit area, 2011. Photo by Afsheen Ali
If it were possible to eat meat more often, the Hunzakuts would eat it. Again, the word from Dr. Clark: “by slaughtering one sheep for a holiday, a large family can afford to eat meat for a whole week. Since most travelers only visit Hunza in the summer, ridiculous rumors have arisen that the country's inhabitants are vegetarians. They just can afford to eat meat for an average of two weeks a year. Therefore, they eat the whole killed animal - brain, bone marrow, lungs, tripe - everything goes into food with the exception of the trachea and genitals."
And one more thing: “since the Hunzakut diet is poor in fats and vitamin D, they have bad teeth, a good half have barrel-shaped rib cage(one of the signs of osteogenesis imperfecta), signs of rickets and problems with the musculoskeletal system.”
Hunza indeed a nice place. There is a fairly mild microclimate here, which is created by the surrounding mountains. Here, indeed, was one of the few points where three empires – Russian, British and Chinese – met quite recently. Unique prehistoric rock art is still preserved here, there are plenty of six- and seven-thousanders at arm's length, and yes, wonderful apricots grow in Hunza, as well as in Gilgit and Skardu. Having tried apricots for the first time in Gilgit, I couldn’t stop and ate about half a kilo of them – unwashed, not caring about the consequences. Because I had never tried such delicious apricots before. This is all reality. Why invent fairy tales?
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Entry 15: Hunza is a country of long-lived vegetarians. This entry
HUNZA IS A PEOPLE WHO KNOW NO DISEASE AND LIVES UP TO 120 YEARS.
On our Earth there is an amazing tribe of vegetarians, whose members do not know diseases and have average duration life of 110-120 years. Although, there are also those who are over 160. They live in the north of India in the Himalayas in very harsh conditions, on the banks of the Hunza River, 100 kilometers from the northernmost city of India, Gilgit. Their 40-year-old women look like girls, at 60 they maintain a slim and graceful figure, and at 65 they even give birth to children :) They call themselves Hunzakuts.
They speak simply about their secret to longevity: be a vegetarian, always work and physically move constantly, do not change the rhythm of life.
The Hunz (Burishi, Hunzakut) are an Indo-European people (now there are a little more than twenty thousand of them) living in the highlands of Kashmir, under the control of Pakistan. Most live in the Hunza River valley, at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. This valley of indescribable beauty, surrounded by high altitudes of more than 6 thousand meters, is called Happy. Its inhabitants, including those over 100 years of age, work in the fields, make long alpine treks, and play outdoor games.
These beautiful, slender people are always cheerful, friendly, calm, hospitable and cordial, despite the harsh living conditions. Their home is tiny stone houses without windows, with one hole for the chimney. Livestock is in the same house, but behind a partition. It is likely that in such cramped conditions they are warmer, because the houses are almost not heated (there is no firewood), and the Hunzas even wash themselves only with cold water. However, they live in these stone houses only for 2-3 winter months, and spend the rest of the time on clean air where they sleep and eat and give birth to children.
At the head of this people are a king and a council of elders. It is easy for them to manage their subjects, because in this society there are no crimes, therefore there are no police or prisons. Hospitals are also practically not needed, because the Hunzakuts, unlike their neighboring peoples, never get sick. They are the only people on the planet who do not have malignant diseases, and even very old people do not suffer from senile dementia and decrepitude.
It’s interesting that other peoples who live there are not very healthy and get sick a lot. But, surprisingly, even during terrible epidemics, not a single sick Hunzakut was encountered. The Hunza are distinguished by excellent health and almost do not know what diseases are. Even toothache or visual disturbances - things unheard of in these parts - it always seemed incredible. The Hunzakuts amazed with their absolute health and fantastic endurance - they were the most tireless guides and porters in the Himalayan mountains. Almost every man can go to the market a hundred kilometers away in one day along goat paths and rocky screes...
The world first learned about them from the stories of the Scottish military doctor McCarrison, who worked in these parts for 14 years and then many scientists spent years studying this phenomenon. As a result, they came to the conclusion that the main secret of the long-livers of these places is a special food system.
One might argue: no matter what amazing diet you follow, life in a metropolis already obviously dooms us to illness, early aging and premature death! But the mountain climate is another matter...
It seems to us that if we breathe fresh, oxygenated air, drink the purest water, there are products grown in “pure” land, then it is not difficult to become a long-liver. However, how can we explain the fact that the closest neighbors of the Hunza, living in the same climatic conditions, live half as long, and are also constantly sick?..
What is the reason for the absolute health and longevity of the Hunzakuts?
Scottish physician Mac Carrison lived for 14 years in close proximity to the Hunza Valley and was the first to come to an important conclusion: diet is the most basic factor in the longevity of this people. European observers also unanimously confirm: the only difference between the Hunzakuts and their neighbors is their diet, and all because the Hunzakus are vegetarians. Protein consumption there is simply at the lowest level of normal.
If a person eats incorrectly, then the mountain climate will not save him from illness. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Hunza neighbors, living in the same climatic conditions, constantly suffer from a variety of diseases. Their lifespan is half as long.
Returning to England, McCarrison staged interesting experiments on large quantities animals. Some of them ate the usual food of a London working-class family ( White bread, herring, refined sugar, canned and boiled vegetables). As a result, a wide variety of “human diseases” began to appear in this group. Other animals were on a Hunza diet and remained absolutely healthy throughout the experiment.
Having little fertile land, the Hunza were always forced to eat sparingly. A frequent occurrence for them is periods of hunger, when the only meager food is vegetables. Residents of this region breed only those animals that are useful, and kill and eat their meat only when the animal no longer “earns” its maintenance. This meat is lean and is rarely consumed. The daily food of the Hunz is flatbreads and soups made from whole grain grains, as well as vegetables and fruits. Milk and dairy products are valued, but consumed in small quantities, since there is little pasture for cows and goats in this country. They consume very little table salt, and do not produce or consume sugar and white flour at all.
Its basis is whole wheat flatbread and fruits, mainly apricots. Nothing is added to this, since there is simply nothing to add. A few handfuls of ground wheat grains and fruits, mainly apricots - all the daily food. And this, it turns out, is enough for a full healthy life.
What do the Hunza people eat?
Fruits are the main component of the diet. In the summer they eat raw fruits and vegetables (i.e., according to the season), ground cereal grains, and in the winter - sun-dried apricots and sprouted grains, sheep cheese. The daily calorie content of hunza is much lower than usual and includes only 50 g of protein, 36 g of fat and 365 g of carbohydrates.
The Hunza rarely eat meat and drink very little milk. They obtain proteins mainly from wheat and barley (eating the whole grains of these cereals), from bread made from the same cereals, always with an admixture of bran. These grains and their husks contain proteins, calcium and mineral salts.
The Hunza eat a lot of potatoes - also with the husks, which contain proteins and valuable mineral salts.
They also eat beans, which are rich in protein, but for them beans are just one of the protein-rich foods. It turns out that the various legumes (beans, lentils, peas) from which a person obtains proteins are sufficient only if he consumes them in their full spectrum. If one type of legume is removed from the diet, the body is deprived of certain proteins important for health.
For the Hunza, fruits - whether fresh or dry - main element nutrition. Apricots are the most honorable and favorite fruit there. Even bread occupies a more modest place in their meager diet than different types apricots, which they eat whole, including the skin, pits and drops of oil contained in the pits. They even have a saying: “A Hunza woman will never follow her sweetheart where apricots do not grow.”
The chemical composition of this product is striking in the amount of metal salts: potassium salts - 305 mg in fresh pulp, more than 1000 mg in dried pulp, iron salts - 2.1 mg. Apricots contain a large amount of a substance that helps remove toxins from the body - pectin, which directly affects the speed of all metabolic processes in the body.
In combination with apples and spinach, which also form the basis of the Hunzi diet, apricots suppress the reproduction of certain types of intestinal microflora, and the effect is cumulative.
In addition to all this, the Hunzas always eat any greens they can get, including grass.
Moderation is the second component of the diet. The fact that the Hunza people are forced to spend food moderately is understandable. They have little cultivable land. By the end of winter, food runs out. Therefore, in the spring, the Hunzakuts go on a forced fast - 2-3 months - it is called the “hungry spring” and lasts from two to four months. During these months they eat almost nothing and only drink a drink made from dried apricots once a day. This diet among the Hunzakuts is elevated to a cult and is always very strictly observed.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NUTRITION:
1. Meat is allowed to be consumed only on religious holidays. The important thing is that after the slaughter of cattle, it is prepared immediately, without storing it for future use.
2. Milk and dairy products should be eaten rarely and in moderation.
3. Strong drinks are prohibited. The only exception is wine made from local grapes. It should be drunk only on special occasions.
4. Bread - only black. Flour (not separated from the bran, by the way) cannot be stored for a long time; it must be used immediately for baking. It is advisable to eat some grains (barley, millet, wheat, buckwheat) in sprouted form.
5. Vegetables and fruits should predominate in the daily diet, and vegetables are consumed raw in large quantities, and occasionally stewed.
6. Most of the diet should consist of fruits. No compotes or jam! Only fresh fruit!
7. Very moderate salt intake.
WHY ARE THEY, AND NOT US, DOOMED TO LONG LIFE?
The Hunza are a rather primitive and very poor people. No Westerner can even imagine leading a life like the one the Hunza lead, even at the cost of happiness and complete health. They live in mountainous areas, almost completely devoid of fertile soil. There are no forests there, and every piece of land is under fruit trees. There are no meadows either, so every inch of land is allocated for vegetables and potatoes. Cultivated lands experience a shortage of water: the rains there are very weak, and they only fall during three to four winter months, when the temperature drops to zero or below. And there is very little snow there. Therefore, water there is worth its weight in gold, they collect it, value every drop and use a system of canals through which water is delivered from afar.
The cows there are slightly larger than St. Bernards, skinny goats and sheep graze on the mountain slopes covered with stones. Under such conditions, animals produce very little milk and even less fat. A cow produces less than two liters of milk per day, and then only immediately after calving. Sheep don't give milk at all, goats - very little. The meat of these animals is sinewy and completely fat-free.
And people barely escape hunger, especially during the winter months. In winter they take refuge in their tiny stone houses. They have no windows (so as not to let in excess cold) and only one hole that serves as a chimney. It also provides air ventilation. There is no furniture, the family lives together: they sleep, eat and conceive on stone benches carved along the walls. Livestock are "housed" in the hallways.
Such a picture can only scare away a modern person who is so committed to hygiene. However, that's not all. Since, as already mentioned, there is no forest in the surrounding area, there is no wood for heating. The fire in the hearths is maintained by dry branches and leaves; food is cooked on it (the fire), but there is not enough fuel to heat water for washing and bathing. That's why people wash their faces (and wash their clothes) only with cold water. Moreover, there are no substances from which soap can be made. There are no animal fats, no olives to obtain vegetable oil.
This is how these people live: without baths, without hot water and without soap.
There is not enough food and plant origin. During the winter months, people lead a “vegetative” (vegetative) lifestyle, eating meager supplies of cereals (directly in grains) and dried apricots, and when spring comes, people switch to pasture, collecting herbs and vegetables, until it is time to harvest the first harvest
To complete the picture, let’s say that the Hunzas do not know how to read and write, only members of noble families, the king and his entourage, who studied in religious Muslim schools, can read and write. This people has no poetry in their language. He knows neither sculpture, nor painting, nor wood carving, nor weaving skills, which have reached high level at their neighbors. The few families of musicians who live among these people belong to another tribe.
During the eight to ten warm months, the Hunza live on outdoors. They sleep, work, have fun, get married, have children and die outside the home. The whole family, including sons, their wives, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, lives together. From a very early age, children see everything that happens at home and with their neighbors, from birth to death.
It is considered an axiom that marriages between close relatives are harmful to the physical and mental health of each individual. Representatives of this people, although they have steadily observed for centuries the prohibition of marrying within the same family and even the same village, still marry only with members of their small nation. According to oral tradition, which is passed down from generation to generation, foreign blood does not flow in the veins of this people. The only exception is the royal family, which seized power in this country 300-400 years ago.
Gerontologists say that reducing food intake by 30%, even with the same food products, can add up to 10% to our life: proper food(vegetarian) helps not to age longer and prolongs our life!
Another article about this people:
THE HUNZAS ARE A RAW FOOD PEOPLE.
There is such a people in the world, although they are small in number (only 15,000 people), about whom it can be said that diseases are completely unknown to them. These are Hunzas.
These people were discovered by the talented military doctor McCarison in the vicinity of the northern border of Kashmir (India).
McCarison interacted closely with many non-affected peoples and tribes living between Tibet, China, the Pamirs, Afghanistan and today's Pakistan, and during his wanderings through these places he once encountered the Hunza people. He was amazed by their beautiful, slender physique and high performance. Among the Hunza, everyone is healthy (several bone fractures and inflammation of the eyes).
The Hunza are a very poor people. They live in mountainous areas devoid of fertile soil. There are no forests there, and every piece of land is occupied by fruit trees. There are no meadows either, so every inch of land is allocated for vegetables and potatoes. The area is characterized by a shortage of water: it rains rarely - only during three or four winter months, when the temperature drops to zero or below. And there is very little snow there. Therefore, water is worth its weight in gold. The Hunza either use a system of canals that accumulate water during rain, or deliver water from afar.
The cows there are slightly larger than St. Bernards, skinny goats and sheep graze on mountain slopes covered with stones, they produce little milk (less than two liters per day, and then only immediately after calving), and it contains little fat. Sheep don't give milk at all, goats - very little. Animal meat is sinewy and completely fat-free.
In winter, the Hunzas sleep in stone houses with no windows (only one hole), and the Hunzas sleep on stone benches. Livestock are "housed" in the hallways. Naturally, they have no wood for heating. The fire in the hearths is maintained by dry branches and leaves. Food is cooked on such a fire; wash and wash clothes only with cold water. No animal fats, no olives to obtain vegetable oil. The Hunza manage without baths, without hot water and without soap. And, as can be understood from all this, they cannot have enough food, even of plant origin.
In the winter months, people lead a “vegetative” lifestyle, eating meager reserves of cereals (directly in grains) and dried apricots, and in the spring they switch to pasture, eating herbs and vegetables until the first harvest. In summer they mainly feed on apricots and other fruits. The Hunzas do not know how to read and write. Only members of noble families, the king and his entourage, who studied in religious Muslim schools, can read and write. They have no poetry in their language, no sculpture, no painting, no wood carving, they do not know the weaving skills of their neighbors. The musicians' families belong to a different tribe.
During the 8-10 warm months, the Hunza live in the open air. It is considered an axiom that marriages between close relatives are harmful, that they affect the physical and mental health of each individual. Representatives of this people marry only members of their small nation. Nobody else's blood flows in their veins. The only exception is the royal family.
And yet, despite everything and in spite of everything, the Hunzas have enviable health. According to reliable scientific research, the Hunzas are the only healthy and happy people in the whole world.
The reason for such health lies in the nature of the diet - complete, natural and without harmful impurities. Their food, although meager, fully meets the physiological needs of the human body. Such food can only be natural berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, and edible roots.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE EXPRESSION “FULL HEALTH”?
It is determined by three aspects:
1) high ability to work in the broad sense of the word. Among the Hunzi, this ability to work is manifested both during work and during dancing and games. For them, walking 100 - 200 kilometers is the same as for us taking a short walk near the house. They climb steep mountains with extraordinary ease to convey some news, and return home fresh and cheerful;
2) cheerfulness. The Hunzas laugh constantly, they are always in a good mood, even if they are hungry and suffering from the cold;
3) exceptional durability. “The Hunzas have nerves as strong as ropes, and thin and gentle as a string,” wrote McCarison. “They never get angry or complain, do not get nervous or show impatience, do not quarrel among themselves and endure physical violence with complete peace of mind.” pain, trouble, noise, etc."
McCarison's experiment is interesting, which is known in science as the "Konur Experiment" - after the location of his laboratory. The researcher divided thousands of experimental rats into three groups according to three population groups: "Whitechapel" (an area of London), "Hunzas" and "Hindus". They were all kept in the same conditions, but the Whitechapel group received the food that Londoners eat (i.e., what Europeans eat) - white bread, white flour products, jam, meat, salt, canned food, eggs, sweets, boiled vegetables, etc. The “Hunza” rats received the same food as the people of this tribe. “Indian” rats are a food characteristic of Hindus and Easterners. McCarison studied the health of an entire generation on three different diets and discovered an interesting pattern.
Animals from the Whitechapel group have suffered from all the diseases that affect the inhabitants of London, from childhood diseases to chronic and senile ailments. This group turned out to be quite nervous and warlike; the rats bit each other and even bit their “compatriots” to death.
In terms of health and general behavior, the “Indian” rats turned out to be similar to the people they represented in this experiment.
And the “Hunza” rats remained healthy and cheerful, spending time playing and relaxing.
WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THESE OBSERVATIONS??
1. First of all: neither climate, nor religion, nor customs, nor race have a noticeable effect on health - only food matters.
2. Food, and not anything else, can turn healthy people into sick ones: it is enough to remove from the diet some substances that are considered, in the opinion of most people, of little importance, i.e. enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, microelements, fatty acids, which are only in the plant world and which are beneficial only when consumed in their natural form.
3. The amount of food and its high energy value, i.e. calorie content, have nothing to do with health. The composition of the food is important.
4. Even the morale of an individual may suffer if the diet lacks certain nutrients.
Rats that lived in peace and friendship with each other became aggressive and devoured each other when they were deprived of nutritious food necessary for health. This indicates that any social unrest, revolutions, wars depend on the malnutrition of people.
Food that does not correspond to human nature, and not its lack, as politicians claim, is to blame for the poor state of society.
Thus, the quality of food, its composition, quantity, method of consumption and combinations influence the preservation of health, protect against diseases, and preserve youth.
Mental health, peace of mind, the absence of neuroses and mental disorders also depend on the quality of nutrition.
