Blue zones: Places where people live longer than average
If you are someone who pays close attention to whatever is going on in the world, you would know that with each passing day, the rate of mortality is going up. People in their youth or middle ages are now being diagnosed by chronic ailments and as such are missing out on the chance to live a full-fledged life. And this is something that not only worries the researchers worldwide but also common people like us. But do you there are actually places where most individuals live a longer and healthier life? And there’s even an unusual name for them: Blue Zones. Till date, five Blue Zones have been identified across the globe. Are you wondering how they manage to live long? Come, let’s find out.
What are Blue Zones?
It is a non-scientific term given to geographic regions that are home to some of the world’s oldest population. In other words, these are the places where people live longer and healthier lives than average. Also, these are places with large number of centenarian population. The identified blue zones are: Icaria in Greece; Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; Loma Linda in California, USA; Ogliastra in Sardinia, Italy and Okinawa in Japan.
Who discovered the Blue Zones?
It turns out that in 2004, two demographers named Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain unofficially laid down the concept of Blue Zones in one of their studies that was published in the journal Experimental Gerontology. In fact, they had identified Nuoro province in Sardinia Island as the region with highest number of male centenarians.
Building on this concept, a few years down the line, author Dan Buettner in collaboration with the National Geographic set out to study areas around the globe where people had exceptional life expectancy. The goal was simple, to find out why people lived such long lives or what habits affected their health the most. Are you wondering why the name Blue Zones was chosen? Turns out, when Buettner and his team were still looking for the areas, they drew blue circles on the maps, to help them in their study.
Life in blue zones
Buettner and his colleagues not only identified the Blue Zones but also went ahead and studied them extensively. Brace yourselves to know about what they learnt. Firstly, the common things that they figured out were, people in all the five regions enjoyed plant-based diets. Moreover, they strictly avoided overeating. They make sure that they restrict calorie consumption, engage in periodic fasting, and follow a low-alcohol regime. Okay, what else? Well, they also got plenty of exercise from their everyday activities. Apart from physiological health, the people in Blue Zones also prioritised their mental and emotional well-being. They spent a lot of time in nature and lived in close-knit families, offering them a sense of ease and comfort. Above all, Blue Zoners believe in healthy sleep schedule and ensure that they get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Now, you too know the secrets to a long and healthy life, don’t you? So, even if you can’t be a part of Blue Zones, you can definitely turn your own circle into a miniature Blue Zone.