8 Shared Characteristics of the World’s Longest-Living Blue Zone People

People in areas called Blue Zones generally live healthily to 100. They share principles increasing quality of life and lifespan, namely 8 common lifestyle principles.

National Geographic fellow and New York Times writer Dan Buettner discovered five “Blue Zones” where people live longest and healthiest.

These regions are;

- Barbagia, Sardinia - The mountainous highlands of inland Sardinia, home to the world’s oldest men

- Ikaria, Greece - An Aegean island with the world’s lowest middle-age mortality and lowest dementia rates.

- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica - Home to the world’s second-oldest men

- Loma Linda, California - The Seventh-day Adventists living here (a Christian denomination).

- Okinawa, Japan - Home to the world’s longest-living women.

8 shared characteristics of the world’s longest-living Blue Zone people - Secrets of longevity

1 – Natural Movement

- Blue Zone people do not run marathons or perform strenuous gym workouts. Their lifestyle involves continual natural movement.

- They live and work in environments and gardens—with few tools—that prompt constant, unthinking movement.

2 – Purpose

- Okinawans call it Ikigai , and Nikolay people call it plan de vida . Both mean knowing why you wake up in the morning; starting the day with purpose!

- People with a purpose were observed to live an average of 7 years longer.

3 – Relaxation

- Even Blue Zone people experience stress , which impairs quality of life and causes some diseases.

- The world’s longest-living people have stress-reducing habits.

- Okinawans spend a few minutes daily remembering ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians nap at midday (siesta), and Sardinians have fun.

4 - The %80 Rule

- The % 20 gap between no longer hungry and feeling full may distinguish losing from gaining weight. In other words, leaving the table before complete fullness.

- Blue Zone people eat small meals in the afternoon or early evening, then no more for the day (they have no rule of 3 main meals and 3 snacks).

5 – A Vegetable-Rich Diet

- A diet mainly of seasonal vegetables and fruit,

- Whole-grain foods,

- Goat’s milk and cheese among foods consumed,

- Local herbs in meals (chicory, fennel, etc.)

- Plenty of fluids, mainly water ,

- Fish frequently chosen,

- Little red meat

6 – Faith

- Among Blue Zone people over 100, of every 5, two belonged to religious communities.

- Research suggests attending faith-based services four times monthly extends life by 4-14 years.

7 – Family First

- Families take priority.

- Older parents (grandparents) live nearby or in the same home.

- Having elders at home was found to reduce children’s likelihood of illness or death.

- Long marriages—lifelong companionship—were also observed to extend life by up to 3 years.

8 – The Right Social Group / Good Friends

- Blue Zone people have a social circle supporting healthy behaviors.

- Okinawans created the concept of a group of five lifelong friends, moais .

- Research shows that smoking, obesity, happiness and even loneliness are contagious .

- Long-lived people’s social networks positively shape health behaviors.

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The figure below shows common and differing features of Blue Zone communities. Strong social bonds, vegetable-rich eating and no smoking are their most important characteristics

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After the discovery of Blue Zones, research confirming the importance of social integration was published. Strong social integration is the factor most positively affecting lifespan

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- What is balanced nutrition?