Have you heard about The Blue Zones? Twenty years ago, five areas around the world were identified where people supposedly lived long, happy lives free of stress and disease. A best selling book came out of some initial research: Blue Zones: Secrets of A Long Life, by Dan Buettner. Media picked up the idea. Blue Zones were much in the news.
In 2004 two researchers, Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, had zeroed in on Sardinia’s Nuoro province with a high concentration of male centenarians. The actual numbers are less than exciting, however. Out of a population of 2,500, there were 7 men over a 100 years old. Still, it’s statistically significant compared with the United States where only one man in 20,000 reaches a 100.
Dan’s book added four more Blue Zones, and extolled the dietary and lifestyle habits of these small populations that made for long life.
Here’s a summary of the somewhat less than scientific research (as later revealed) on the lifestyle habits of Blue Zone residents.
In Sardinia, demographers found a ‘hot spot’ of health and longevity.
Nicoya residents pride themselves on having a sense of life purpose: the “plan de vida”.
Loma Linda in California is home to a large group of Seventh-Day Adventists who are some of North America’s longest-lived people.
Okinawans eat a diet of soy, sweet potatoes, rice, veggies. They practice the meditative form of exercise Tai Chi.
Ikaria One in three people who live there will live to be 90 or older.
The five longevity inducing habits of Blue Zone people, as presented by The Blue Zone book, are:
1. Moderate, regular physical activity through work and daily tasks.
2. Purpose – A reason to get up and get going each morning.
3. A plant-based diet – Much less meat, much more beans and vegetables. Less food overall.
4. Moderate alcohol – One or two glasses of red wine is common practice in the Sardinian and Icarian Blue Zones. Doing so may help prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and improve sleep.
5. A rich spiritual, social or family life – Research has shown stress levels go down when one’s life is enhanced by community.
Dan Buettner gave nine factors in his book. Though a few redundant. Five is pretty much it.
Into every life a little rain must fall. Mr. Buettner’s Blue Zone book is all wet according to health and nutritionist author, Sarah Pope, and her web site Blue Zone Baloney. Ms. Pope dismantles the dietary claims of the Blue Zone and presents data that shows most of these areas have normal demographics and dietary habits.
Of the five factors making for a long life, there is only one that has been rigorously researched by actual scientists, and you are not going to like it. That is #3: Eat less. Not plants so much, but just eating less of everything over a lifetime. Severe calorie restriction has been shown in lab animals (probably because they can’t get humans to do it for any serious amount time) to decrease incidence of disease generally and increase life span by 20%.
Ms. Pope does not quibble with the benefits of regular physical activity, stress reduction and community engagement. However, the data on drink less alcohol, don’t smoke, avoid junk & processed food, and wear a seat belt show more positive effect on longevity than meatless eating.
So, a lovely idea is once again dismantled by pesky facts. But, to end on a happy statistical note, in 1980 2.8 percent of people in the US lived to age 90, today 4.7 percent do. Yay for us!
If you want to delve further into the pros and cons of The Blue Zones, do check out the web links for entertaining reading.
Steve Rapson's Tragedy Plus Time 