Big Family and Friends Celebrating Outside at Home. Diverse Group of Children, Adults and Old People Gathered at a Table, Having Fun Conversations. Preparing Barbecue and Eating Vegetables.
‘Blue Zones’ are distinct regions on Earth – Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Ikaria in Greece, and Loma Linda, California – recognized for their extraordinary number of healthy and long-aged individuals.
The inhabitants in these areas reach the age of 80 and beyond more often, due to a variety of lifestyle factors including a wholesome local diet, active living, low levels of stress, robust social interactions, and minimal incidence of diseases. Their surrounding environment significantly influences their life spans as the rate of chronic diseases is low.
For instance, residents of Ikaria, Greece follow a Mediterranean diet containing olive oil, red wine, and local vegetables. The oldest men in Sardinia work on farms in mountainous Ogliastra and consume ample red wine. Okinawa is recognized for its long-living women who consume soy-based foods and practice Tai Chi. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, the diet revolves around beans and corn tortillas, with most individuals leading physically laborious lives. The citizens of Loma Linda, California, are strict vegetarians, community-oriented, and religious.
However, Saul Newman, a researcher at University College London, contends the ‘Blue Zones’ concept, dismissing it as a result of poor data quality. He suggests that issues like pension fraud, inaccuracies in record keeping, and unreliable birth or death records better explain the incredible longevity in these regions.
Despite the controversy, these areas remain documented as Blue Zones. Dan Buettner, the founder of the Blue Zone concept, alongside his team, identified these regions and studied the lifestyle habits of their people. The ‘Power 9’, as these habits are termed, encompass strategies like eating fewer calories, stopping consumption at 80% fullness, and having the smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening.
More than 70 American communities now participate in the Blue Zones Project, which aims to boost community health by encouraging a Blue Zone-style lifestyle. These communities have reported significant drops in obesity and smoking rates, and consequential savings in healthcare.
