Healthy Aging: Blue Zones and What We Can Learn From Them

It was 2015 when I first learned about blue zones while taking my Holistic Nutrition Certification. I was first introduced to it by reading Healthy at 100 by John Robbins, a review of the blue zone research. After getting my Nutrition certification and heading back to University the study was referenced a few more times in courses around healthy aging, positive psychology and in the nutrition classes that I took to complete my bachelor’s degree in Sports Health and Physical Education. As someone that is interested in living as healthy as possible for as long as possible these blue zones peak my interest. So in this week’s blog, we’ll be looking at what blue zones are, what we can learn from them, and I’ll share some of my critiques of the research. 

First and foremost let’s start by explaining what blue zones are. Blue Zones are defined by areas that have a population that reaches the age of 100 at a rate 10 times greater than the average lifespan of the United States.  With the global average life expectancy of 73 years old, with the average for men being 71 and for women being 76 years of age, reaching 100 is quite the feat. In a Danish twin study from 1996, the study found that only 20% of your longevity comes from your genes, meaning that the remaining 80% is impacted by your lifestyle. The goal of the blue zones studies done by National Geographic and the National Institute of Aging in 2004 was to find what exactly these places had in common that might explain why they lived so long. There are 5 areas that were found to be blue zones; Okinawa Japan, Ikaria Greece, Sardinia Italy, Nicoya Costa Rica, and Loma Linda United States. It was found that 9 things were found to be consistent between these areas: 

1. Move naturally: the longest-lived people were consistently active, but not in the ways we often think we have to be. Their activity is more about daily chores like gardening, walking (the men who lived the longest were in Sardinia where shepherds walked long distances daily) and even sitting on the floor. It’s more about setting up your environment rather than going to the gym to encourage regular movement without thinking about it. 
2.  Purpose: This is called by many names. Ikigai In Okinawa or Plan de Vida by the Nicoyans. This sense of purpose or the reason “why I wake up in the morning”, which is the translation of Plan de Vida, seems to add 7 years to their life expectancy.
3. Downshift: stress is not something that is exclusive to those who don’t make it to 100.  The difference it seems is how they handle stress and how their communities support resting and setting aside time to shed stress by napping, praying or time in the community. 
4. 80% rule: Also known as ”Hara Hachi bu” is a Confucian mantra that is 2500 years old that the Okinawans live by. They prevent overeating by stopping when they are 80% full. Although, less ritualized small meals are common in other blue zones especially when it comes to meals later in the day. 
5. Plant slant: a common theme when it comes to the diets of blue zone populations is that their meals consist mostly of plants and little to no meat or animal proteins. The diets seem to be focused on beans, whole grains, fruits and veggies, if meat is included the serving size is small, about the size of a deck of cards (3-4 oz). 
6. Wine at 5: With the exception of the Adventist community in Loma Linda, most blue zones consume alcohol regularly in moderation. Moderate drinkers seem to outlive non-drinkers in these blue zones. 
7. Belonging: All but 5 of the 263 centenarians that were part of the blue zone study were part of a faith-based community. While specific faith-based practices didn’t seem to matter, what did matter was that they were regularly part of services. With those attending weekly services adding 4-14 years to life expectancy. 
8. Loved ones first: this ties back into having a close-knit community by having family living close by and maintaining close ties with family and loved ones. 
9. Right tribe: outside of having close ties with family, it’s also important to have a group of close trusted friends that support healthy behaviours. In Okinawa, groups called “Moais” consist of 5 friends that are committed to supporting each other for life. Close friend groups seem to have an impact on healthy and unhealthy behaviours that can have lasting impacts. 

There are a few themes that can be pulled from these common characteristics of the longest-lived people. Having a supportive community in the form of friends, family, ideology, and social norms that encourage community building, stress reduction, belonging and living your purpose is key to living the longest. Secondly, nutrition that is focused on plant-based diets with smaller meals, especially in the evenings contributes to positive health outcomes. Lastly, having movement built in as part of your lifestyle rather than something that you have to go “do”  in a gym. 

While the study has some great things that we can all look to add to our lifestyles, there are also some things that I would take with a grain of salt. My criticism comes from the encouragement of consuming alcohol. While I am not opposed to the occasional alcoholic drink, recent research has shown that there is no healthy level of alcohol consumption. All consumption of alcohol comes with risks and negative impacts on our health. They credit the flavonoids found in the wines as what can provide health benefits, however, there are many other sources of beneficial flavonoids that don’t include the negative health impacts of alcohol.   These include fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee and chocolate just to name a few. The Wine at 5 is also linked to the Downshift characteristic, which makes sense when the community comes together to have a drink and chat about the day, yet I am curious whether or not the benefit comes from the relaxation that comes with having a drink with friends or the actual drink that is being consumed. 

There is a lot to be gleaned from this study in ways to live as healthy as possible as long as possible. Some changes may be harder to make as they are more dependent on the social norms and the larger built environment that are normally out of our control. Yet focusing on what you can do like eating more plants, building a supportive community around you, managing your stress, and including regular exercise throughout your day can all increase your chances of having a long healthy life. If you are looking for support in building a lifestyle that will meet your long and short-term health goals, I am here to help. You can reach out to me through the contact page linked below.

Sources:

1. Buettner, D., & Skemp, S. (2016). Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(5), 318-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616637066
2. Kreouzi, M., Theodorakis, N., & Constantinou, C. (2022). Lessons Learned From Blue Zones, Lifestyle Medicine Pillars and Beyond: An Update on the Contributions of Behavior and Genetics to Wellbeing and Longevity. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177_15598276221118494
3. Canada’s Guidance of Alcohol and Health