Longevity capital

What are Blue Zones, and are they real?

- FE FEATURES

O YOU KNOW there are regions on our planet where people live longer and healthier lives than average? There are five places in the world called the Blue Zones, where the healthiest, longest-living population lives - Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.

People living in blue zones have an exceptionally long life beyond the age of 80 due to a combination of factors affecting their lifestyle. Factors such as physical activity, low stress, rich social interactions, a local whole-foods diet, and low disease incidence help in longevity. The geographically marked areas have been identified for having low rates of chronic disease, and the environmental influences like diet and lifestyle play a huge role in determining the lifespan. For instance, people living in Ikaria island in Greece eat a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, red wine and homegrown vegetables. The Ogliastra region of Sardinia has older men living in the mountainous regions and working on farms and drinking lots of red wine.