Interesting. Reminds me of the life story of a safety inspector that was born and lived in Okinawa. He basically went through a period where rice was mostly for the rich and then through WWII as a child to which americans prescribed a ration of milk and cheese to kids to improve nutritian. He was fairly short in stature and said he regretted not taking the milk and cheese as he though it would have helped him grow taller. Okinawans were famed for living a really long time though. I think the running theory at the time was due to pork and that pickle looking vegetable (can't think of the name).