Living to 100: What the "Blue Zones" Taught Us About Longevity

Understanding Longevity: Lessons from the Blue Zones

When it comes to understanding longevity, the best evidence for lifestyle habits to take us to 100 and beyond comes from the “Blue Zones.” These 5 regions have the longest-lived humans in the world, but more importantly, these populations enjoy continuous health and the lowest disease rates in old age. Individuals in these zones remain healthy into their 90s, and sometimes past 100, more frequently than anywhere else on earth.

Research on the Blue Zones was first published in the November 2005 issue of National Geographic. The 5 regions are located in:

• The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica
• Okinawa in Japan
• Sardinia in Italy
• Ikaria in Greece
• Loma Linda, California, where the Seventh Day Adventists reside

Common Traits of Blue Zone Populations

While all of these areas have vast regional differences, they all have some things in common that contribute to their long and vibrant lives:

1. Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet

They eat a primarily whole food, plant-based diet that incorporates beans or legumes. Meat comprises less than 5% of total calories on average and is completely avoided by the Blue Zone residents in Loma Linda, California, who are strict vegetarians. It’s worth noting that they also live an average of 10 years longer than their North American counterparts.

Other groups tend to eat meat about 5 times or less per month. Portion sizes are 3-4 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards. For example:

• Okinawans in Japan sometimes acquire up to 67% of total calories from locally grown purple sweet potatoes.
• Women in Okinawa are the longest-lived humans in the world.
• The Seventh Day Adventists in California are the longest-lived group for the combined genders, with many consuming no animal products at all and abstaining from alcohol.

2. Strong Familial and Social Relationships

Residents in all 5 Blue Zones have very strong familial and social relationships. They place great value on community and do not experience the widespread isolation during their elderly years that is sadly becoming more common in Western societies. Older and younger people live together, with grandparents often living with their grandchildren and playing a role in their upbringing and care.

3. Consistent Physical Activity

They are all consistently active in their own ways. Physical activity is an inherent part of daily life, including:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Cooking
• Hiking
• Climbing stairs
• Gardening

4. Sense of Purpose and Meaning

They feel their lives have an innate sense of purpose and meaning. Many have a strong spiritual or faith-based practice, but the denomination didn’t matter.

5. Avoidance of Smoking

None of the populations in the Blue Zones smoke.

6. Moderate Caloric Intake and Periodic Fasting

They don’t have a high caloric intake, and many participate in periodic fasting. For example:

• In Okinawa, they tend to stop eating when they are 80% full to prevent overconsumption.
• Throughout the Blue Zones, they have their larger meals earlier in the day and their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening, often engaging in intermittent fasting.

7. Adequate Sleep

They get adequate sleep, including short daytime naps in Ikaria and Sardinia. They don’t typically have strict set times to go to work, sleep, or wake up, taking a more intuitive approach by simply listening to their bodies.

Additional Factors

Other factors that commonly appeared during the study included:

• Empowering women
• Maintaining a low body weight
• High walkability score in their cities
• Drinking wine in moderation with evening meals (except in Loma Linda, California)
• Managing stress effectively

Conclusion

Despite living in different parts of the world, these commonalities have enabled the Blue Zone residents to extend their lives and experience vitality well into old age. By incorporating some of these strategies into our daily lives, we increase the chance of living a longer, healthier, and happier life that is innate with purpose and more likely to be free of disease.