In a remote Japanese village called Yuzurihara, many seniors in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s still squat, twist, and bend for hours a day working their rice fields — with very little of the joint "wear and tear" common elsewhere.
Researchers point to their diet, rich in a local purple sweet potato containing hyaluronan — a molecule that helps keep the fluid inside your joints thick, lubricating, and cushioning. As we pass 30, our natural hyaluronan levels decline, which is linked to the joint stiffness and discomfort so many of us experience later in life.
