{"id":15267,"date":"2024-10-24T09:02:40","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T09:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=15267"},"modified":"2024-10-24T09:26:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T09:26:06","slug":"do-people-in-blue-zones-really-live-longer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=15267","title":{"rendered":"Do People in \u2018Blue Zones\u2019 Really Live Longer?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<p id=\"article-summary\" class=\"css-79rysd e1wiw3jv0\">The premise is catchy, but some think it\u2019s based on faulty data.<\/p>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1r7ky0e\">\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The concept is simple and alluring: There are special regions around the world \u2014 called blue zones \u2014 where people regularly remain vibrant and active into their 90s and 100s, thanks to a simple set of behaviors that anyone can follow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It\u2019s sensible enough to sound convincing, and ambiguous enough to support a health and longevity empire. In the 20 years since blue zones were first introduced, the Blue Zones brand (now trademarked) has spawned eight books, a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81214929\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Netflix series<\/a>, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebluezonesstore.com\/\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">product partnerships<\/a> (Langers Blue Zones iced tea, Bush\u2019s Blue Zones canned bean soups) and a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/01\/21\/business\/blue-zones-homes-builders.html\" title>multimillion dollar program<\/a> for other cities to become \u201cBlue Zones certified\u201d \u2014 all in the name of helping people attain their longevity goals, ostensibly by mimicking the lifestyle habits of the individuals living in each region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But not everyone is buying into it. Some experts \u2014 one in particular \u2014 are questioning whether the blue zones themselves, those bastions of health, might be too good to be true.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-1u37br4 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-d82a135\">Where did the idea of blue zones come from?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The term \u201cblue zone\u201d was first used in 2004 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15489066\/\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">in an article<\/a> published in the academic journal Experimental Gerontology, about centenarians in Sardinia, Italy. In the paper, the researchers used the color blue to shade portions of a map of the island denoting where people had exceptional longevity. They speculated that this may be attributed to nutrition and lifestyle, or it could be thanks to \u201cthe high rate of inbreeding\u201d in the isolated regions, which conceivably led to protective genetic characteristics becoming more prevalent in the population.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Dropzone-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The idea gained momentum the following year, when National Geographic reporter Dan Buettner used the phrase in <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bluezones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Nat_Geo_LongevityF.pdf\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">a feature story highlighting<\/a> three regions \u2014 Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and Sardinia \u2014 where <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/orcls.org\/ocs\/\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">research<\/a> <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/adventisthealthstudy.org\/studies\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">had found<\/a> people lived longer and more healthily than average.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the article, Mr. Buettner attributed the longevity and vitality of the regions\u2019 citizens to their healthy behaviors. People from these places, he concluded, were more likely to eat a nutritious diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, get plenty of physical activity, prioritize family and community and not smoke cigarettes. Drinking in moderation, not eating too much, managing stress, having a purpose in life, dedication to religion and good genes were other factors mentioned.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1336jj\">\n<div class=\"css-121kum4\">\n<div class=\"css-171d1bw\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-asuuk5\">\n<div class=\"css-7axq9l\" data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1dv1kvn\" id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F10%2F24%2Fwell%2Flive%2Fblue-zones-longevity-aging.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F10%2F24%2Fwell%2Flive%2Fblue-zones-longevity-aging.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1g71tqy\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F10%2F24%2Fwell%2Flive%2Fblue-zones-longevity-aging.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F10%2F24%2Fwell%2Flive%2Fblue-zones-longevity-aging.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The premise is catchy, but some think it\u2019s based on faulty data.The concept is simple and alluring: There are special regions around the world \u2014 called blue zones \u2014 where people regularly remain vibrant and active into their 90s and 100s, thanks to a simple set of behaviors that anyone can follow.It\u2019s sensible enough to sound convincing, and ambiguous enough to support a health and longevity empire. In the 20 years since blue zones were first introduced, the Blue Zones brand (now trademarked) has spawned eight books, a Netflix series, product partnerships (Langers Blue Zones iced tea, Bush\u2019s Blue Zones canned bean soups) and a multimillion dollar program for other cities to become \u201cBlue Zones certified\u201d \u2014 all in the name of helping people attain their longevity goals, ostensibly by mimicking the lifestyle habits of the individuals living in each region.But not everyone is buying into it. Some experts \u2014 one in particular \u2014 are questioning whether the blue zones themselves, those bastions of health, might be too good to be true.Where did the idea of blue zones come from?The term \u201cblue zone\u201d was first used in 2004 in an article published in the academic journal Experimental Gerontology, about centenarians in Sardinia, Italy. In the paper, the researchers used the color blue to shade portions of a map of the island denoting where people had exceptional longevity. They speculated that this may be attributed to nutrition and lifestyle, or it could be thanks to \u201cthe high rate of inbreeding\u201d in the isolated regions, which conceivably led to protective genetic characteristics becoming more prevalent in the population.The idea gained momentum the following year, when National Geographic reporter Dan Buettner used the phrase in a feature story highlighting three regions \u2014 Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and Sardinia \u2014 where research had found people lived longer and more healthily than average.In the article, Mr. Buettner attributed the longevity and vitality of the regions\u2019 citizens to their healthy behaviors. People from these places, he concluded, were more likely to eat a nutritious diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, get plenty of physical activity, prioritize family and community and not smoke cigarettes. Drinking in moderation, not eating too much, managing stress, having a purpose in life, dedication to religion and good genes were other factors mentioned.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0log into\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0subscribe\u00a0for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?\u00a0Log in.Want all of The Times?\u00a0Subscribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15269,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15267"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15270,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15267\/revisions\/15270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}