Why Don’t The Amish Get Cancer?

When we think of Amish people we think of a simple life, free of modern advancements. Most of us view them as foolish for not using the advantages of convenient technology and even look down on them for not conforming to the norms of mainstream society.  But if we look at the statistics, the Amish are much healthier than the rest of America.

They virtually have no cancer, no autism, and rarely get sick. What are they doing differently from the rest of America?
A recent study published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control has revealed that Amish people have virtually no cancer within their population, and are considered the most healthy people in America. 

Researchers from Ohio State University originally launched a study on the Amish population to see whether rates of cancer would be higher due to their lack of conventional medical care. What they found, however, shocked them.

Here is why the Amish Rarely Get Sick or get Cancer

The Amish have chosen the traditional wisdom of our ancestors over our “modern” way of living. They live by the practices of past generations.

1. The Amish Don’t Get Vaccinated.

Did you know that Amish people rarely have any learning disabilities or autism. There have been only 3 cases of autism among the amish in which the kids got vaccinated.  Instead of crediting their lack of autism to the absence of vaccines, mainstream society credits it to a superior gene that the Amish possess. In spite of constant pressure from the government, the Amish still refuse to vaccinate.

2. The Amish Eat Organic, Locally Grown Food.

The Amish not only avoid prepackaged and processed food, they actually grow all of their food using  organic farming methods.  They raise their own animals; their food is natural and gmo free (the dangers of gmo). It’s important to note that they eat seasonal food during the harvest months, and save the rest by canning and fermenting.  Seasonal fruits and vegetables are nutritionally higher in value. They are filled with anti-oxidants that are of great benefit to our health. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals, which helps you stay healthy and young.  Thus, the lack of  ADHD, food allergies and asthma can be undeniably contributed to their diet. Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating

3. The Amish Eat Plenty of Healthy Fats.

The Amish have a very low obesity rate despite their high fat diet. Their eating habits by all means are not low fat. They  eat plenty of butter, meat, eggs, raw dairy. Foods like butter and raw grass fed dairy contains a lot of fat soluble vitamins such as A, E and K2. It’s important to note that Vitamin K2  is very insufficient in modern diets. All that low fat nonsense has depleted our bodies from these essential nutrients. Vitamin K2 is particularly important as it is involved in calcium metabolism.  Vitamin K insufficiency leads to many diseases such as cardiovascular disease,  osteoporosis, and even cancer.

4. The Amish People are Physically Active.

Compared to the overall 31 % obesity rate in America, the Amish only have a 3 percent obesity rate. Since they don’t use cars, or any modern technologies, their level of physical activity is very high: men averaged 18,000 steps a day and women 14,000. They walk a lot and are truly involved in physical labor which reflects in their extremely low rate of cardiovascular diseases.  Accodring to David R. Bassett, Ph.D., FACSM, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,  “The Amish were able to show us just how far we’ve fallen in the last 150 years or so in terms of the amount of physical activity we typically perform. Their lifestyle indicates that physical activity played a critical role in keeping our ancestors fit and healthy.”

5. The Amish Live Stress-Free Lives

Stress is probably the number one culprit to our health problems. When you are stressed, your cortisol levels get elevated which is extremely dangerous for your health in the long run.  Health problems associated with stress include heart disease, adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalances,  high blood sugar levels, elevated cholesterol and obesity.  The Amish live in a stress free community. They live slow paced, patient lifestyles.  They don’t compete with each other; they created a egalitarian community for themselves where their lifestyles are based on equality, cooperation and harmony. The Amish live the same way they lived 300 years ago and we can definitely can learn some lessons from them. They live toxic, free self sustainable lives. They are not plagued with various diseases and they are much healthier than the rest of America.

*Article originally appeared at Complete Health and Happiness.