It is scientifically accepted that the lives of the monks on Mount Athos and their diet prevent many serious diseases that afflict the general population. Balanced nutrition, combined with spiritual exercise, offers real and tangible results to the doctors examining their way of life. Physicians are increasingly referring to the beneficial effects of the ascetic life.

Spyros Papaioannou, Deputy Director of the Cardiology Clinic of the Athens Naval Hospital is a frequent visitor to Mount Athos and apart from taking the journey to the Holy Mountain as a pilgrim, he has also made scientific observations of the monastic life based on his examination of the clinical condition of the monks.

He confirms the general opinion that their exceptional health is a result of their ascetic lifestyle and their diet.

If you are wondering what the benefits of monastic diet are, her is a brief list:

– Reduces blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
– Helps to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure better.
– Protects against osteoporosis and various types of cancer.
– Has anti-aging properties.
– It promotes better bowel function.
– Long life. Most monks die after the age of eighty-five to ninety-five. The deaths from seventy to eighty-five are few. But there are also several monks who die after ninety-five and several cases of monks who have been living longer than a hundred years.
– Good physical condition
– Balanced psychosomatic condition, well-being
– Minimise deaths from stomach and lung cancer because monks do not smoke.
– There is virtually no case of colorectal cancer recorded in the monasteries. In the last twenty-five years, only one monk has died of colorectal cancer.
– Prostate cancer is very rare.
– Low cardiovascular incidents, as well as all heart related diseases, such as blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.