Despite the common misconception about Lebanese being unhealthy due to population, Bloomberg’s 2017 Healthiest Country Index says otherwise. Out of all the countries in the Middle East, Lebanon came in first place. Out of the 163 countries ranked in the world, Lebanon came in 32nd place. Two major factors contribute to this high ranking, Lebanese cuisine and Lebanon’s health care – according to
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Lebanese Cuisine
Lebanese cuisine includes a lot of grains as well as the traditional drink known as Arak – which is anise-based. Lebanese cuisine also has a limited amount of animal fats. But has quite a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic – which are important for healthy diets. Garlic and lemon are one of the 2 best things to consume to detox.
Lebanese Health Care
Lebanon has 9 medical schools. As a reference, Canada has 17 for a population just under 10 times the size of Lebanon’s. The World Health Organisation recommends one doctor for every 1,200 people. In Lebanon, we have 1 doctor for every 350 citizens. The index graded the 163 countries based on things like life expectancy, causes of death and health risks. Risks that range from high blood pressure and tobacco use to malnutrition and the availability of clean water. These are the top 10 healthiest countries:
- Italy
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Singapore
- Australia
- Spain
- Japan
- Sweden
- Israel
- Luxembourg
