Stoccareddo is a village in the ''
comune'' of
Gallio,
Province of Vicenza, Italy. It is known for its 400 villagers (380 of them with the surname Baù) with great health who tend to be able to consume fatty foods without the consequences of
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
s and
heart attacks. Informally, Stoccareddo is known as "Il paese dei Baù", meaning "The Country of the Baù".
History and geography
Stoccareddo is a secluded village in the
Italian Alps that was, until the late 20th century, very isolated.
Stoccareddo was first inhabited by a family with the surname Baù about 800 years ago.
It was destroyed during
World War I, but was rebuilt during the early 1920s by its citizens. Because of its location, the villagers, mainly Baùs, were not able to mingle with any outside citizens. The continuous centuries of seclusion created a gene pool of Baùs that had good health.
Health phenomenon
Almost all of Stoccareddo's villagers have the surname Baù (pronounced ),
[ABC News: Medical Mystery: Secret to Long Life?](_blank)
/ref> and are all from the same family. Most of Stoccareddo's villagers have phenomenally good health, despite their diet of fried cheeses and other unhealthy Italian delicacies.[ 20/20: Medical Mysteries. Aired March 14, 2008] According to '' The Independent'', 38% of Stoccareddo's men have high cholesterol, as opposed to the Italian average of 21%.hypertension
Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...
(high blood pressure) affects about 33% of Italian men, but only 6.5% of Stoccareddo men.
Inbreeding
The villagers of Stoccareddo are prominent for inbreeding. Although many Baùs have children with other Baùs, they tend to marry more distant relatives and not first cousins, which can cause genetic defects.[An Alpine Shangri-La: The town that holds secret of good health - Europe, News - The Independent](_blank)
/ref> Their inbreeding over a period of over eight centuries is likely to be the reason why many citizens of Stoccareddo are so healthy, despite their unhealthy diet.
References
External links
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Cities and towns in Veneto