The DNA of the ‘Haenyeo’ reveals how the human physique can adapt to excessive diving | Health and properly -being | EUROtoday

However robust the waves are stirred or that the wind blows, the haeneo o Women of the ocean, don’t hesitate to dive for the icy waters surrounding Jeju’s Korean island to gather abulons, seaweed or sea urchins. They can transfer at depths of 10 meters with no respiratory gear and even being pregnant. What appears an nearly supernatural area of the ocean just isn’t solely the results of a coaching that begins at 10 years. Part of their abilities are written of their genes, suggests a brand new examine of the journal Cell that unravels the halo of thriller that exists in entrance of those octogenarian girls who immerse themselves with a knife in hand and dressed solely with diving glasses and fins.

The geneticist from the University of Utah, Melissa Ilardo together with her US colleagues, Denmark and Korea in contrast the 30 -diving options with these of 30 individuals “No haeneo”Of the volcanic island, in addition to these of 31 residents of Continental Korea. The researchers in contrast the guts fee and blood stress of the resting contributors and through simulated immersions, during which they needed to include their respiratory whereas submerged the face in containers with chilly water.

The evaluation revealed on Friday not solely signifies that the inhabitants of Jeju share an ancestral lineage, two peculiar options have been additionally found within the swimmers. Its coronary heart fee slows down considerably throughout diving, an response that has been noticed in Apnea skilled swimmers. And behind that capability, scientists suspect, there may be nonetheless a genetic key to discover in any respect.

“We found an evolutionary adaptation that seems to reduce diastolic blood pressure [cuando el corazón está en reposo entre latidos]. We believe that it somehow affects its blood vessels, making them safer to swim and endure their breathing even in pregnancy, ”explains Ilardo to El País. This variant was present in 33% of the contributors of the volcanic island, however solely in 7% of the contributors of South Korea.

During simulated dives, all contributors confirmed a lower of their coronary heart fee, however within the haeneo It decreased 18.8 beats per minute (LPM) on common, in comparison with a lower of 12.6 LPM within the individuals of Jeju who didn’t dive. “This gene influences vascular inflammation, that is, how blood vessels respond to changes in blood pressure, and we believe that the protective effect comes from there,” provides the principle writer of the examine, a attribute that’s in all probability because of the coaching of the divers.

Las haeneo Not solely problem their very own physique with the stress and bodily effort of diving, but additionally face chilly temperatures, particularly throughout the lengthy and chilly winters of the island, which lengthen from December to mid -March. Despite this, these divers present a stunning tolerance to low temperatures.

What makes them so resistant? The authors of the examine counsel that this phenomenon might be defined by the presence of a gene that makes them much less weak to hypothermia, which permits them to help the intense circumstances underwater with out struggling the hostile results typical of the chilly.

A practice that’s liable to disappearing

The custom of the divers was declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2016. haeneo They have acquired recognition not just for their bodily ability and their contribution to the native financial system, but additionally as an emblem of empowerment in girls by way of matriarchal societies.

Knowledge and knowledge have been transmitted from technology to technology, the Korean Cultural Center in Argentina assures El País. “The haeneo From the island of Jeju they have established a unique culture in which coexistence with nature is valued through an ecological diving system, ”they point out. Through its lens, the French photographer José Jeuland, founder of Coco Creative Studio, has been fortunate to capture the essence of women, whose tradition is disappearing.

Jeuland clearly remembers his first visit to Jeju. “I rented a motorcycle and toured the island. Every time I saw a haeneo On the coast, I stopped. I stayed there, observing, trying to understand his routine, his life, ”he says. What surprised him most was the vitality of these women, many of whom are between 60 and 80 years old.

“They are wholesome, energetic. They appear to have an inexhaustible vitality. In many nations, when individuals retire, they have a tendency to develop into extra sedentary, however they proceed to immerse themselves in water,” he says. They, on the other hand, remain healthy. For him, it is clear that this activity not only keeps them alive, but gives them a unique vitality.

In one of his visits, Jeuland had the opportunity to photograph a group of about 20 women. The next day, one of them died during an immersion. It is a demanding activity and, since many are older, they can be overwhelmed. “It’s onerous,” he says.

Each exit to the ocean is a part of a cycle that, for them, is as pure as respiratory. For the haeneothe ocean isn’t just a office, he’s a life accomplice, an ally who has accompanied them from childhood to outdated age.