Here are longevity secrets from the healthiest places on Earth

health

by Gavin Newsham

In 1999, writer Dan Buettner read an article from the World Health Organization that revealed that the people of Okinawa, Japan had the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world.

Four years later, he read a Danish study of twins showing that only 20% of how long we live is determined by genes.

Intrigued, Buettner began looking for places similar to Okinawa.

“I thought there must be other heterogeneous populations with very long longevities,” he told The Washington Post.

“I thought if I could find commonalities, it might offer some insights for the rest of us.”

In his latest book, “Blue Zones Secrets to Living Longer: Lessons from the Healthiest Places on Earth” (Dreamscape Media), Buettner revisits the five places on Earth he identified — or “Blue Zones” — where locals live much longer than Elsewhere on the planet: Nuoro in Sardinia, Italy, Ikaria in Greece, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Okinawa in Japan, and Loma Linda in California.

This endeavor has been 20 years in the making, and the idea has since expanded to include books on healthy eating and lifestyle, as Buettner seeks to share the secrets of what he calls “super centenarians” in the Blue Zones.

In conjunction with a new series on Netflix, Buettner now reveals the ‘Power 9’ behaviors in the Blue Zones – the key traits that help these people live longer

From a sense of purpose to strong social connections, from prioritizing family to following a largely plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, it’s design for a long, healthy life.

But as Buettner explains, life in the Blue Zones is also changing as the arrival of ultra-processed foods, high fat, sugar and salt – along with access to modern technology such as mobile phones – changes the fundamental nature of residents’ lifestyles.

In fact, one of the original blue zones, Okinawa in Japan, can no longer be classified as such.

“Most of the longevity phenomenon in the blue zones will disappear within half a generation,” Buettner says.

“But we know the plan and it is still in place.”

However, it is no coincidence that these people in the Blue Zones not only live the longest, but are also among the happiest people in the world.

Buettner says this is evidence that advanced years do not necessarily mean a poorer quality of life.

“I’ve interviewed hundreds of 99-year-olds and have never met someone who doesn’t want to live to be 100,” Buettner says.

“All the Blue Zones are in the top 20% of the happiest places in the world and Nicoya is in the top 1%.

“Remember, the same things that help you get to 100 are the things that create happiness along the way.”