What’s the secret to longevity and robust health? We’re dying to know and have been conjecturing for thousands and thousands of years. As early as the 5th century BC, Greek historian Herodotus wrote, in Histories, of a mythical spring that restores youth and vitality to anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. And during the early Crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries, fabled king and clergyman, Prester John, was said to have ruled a powerful and prosperous land that boasted its own fountain of youth. Four hundred years later, the 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León was said to have “discovered” Florida through his obsession with finding the fountain of youth during explorations of the “new world”.
Five hundred years after Ponce de León set foot in Florida, the fountain is as elusive as it ever was. Enter The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest.
Dan Buettner, its author, is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and tv personality. He and his team set out to find the world’s oldest populations and understand why and how they aged.
Dan Buettner, one of the founders of Blue Zones LLC, describes the organization as an institute of “career demographers, epidemiologists, geriatricians, and other scientists with expertise in the study of aging who have identified and extensively studied the world’s longevity “hot spots”, often referred to as “blue zones”” (1). He defines blue zones as “geographically defined areas with a disproportionately high number of exceptionally aged people, especially nonagenarians and centenarians” (1). Those five geographical areas, “discovered” between 2004 and 2009, are Ikaria, in Greece, Loma Linda, in California (specifically the Seventh Day Adventist community there); Sardinia, in Italy, Okinawa, in Japan, and Nicoya, in Costa Rica.
Buettner and his team looked at location, diet, and lifestyle. They found several commonalities among the populations there — a strong sense of community, a mostly plant-based diet, and regular daily activities — and created a lifestyle and health brand (Blue Zones®) that purports to help others achieve long and healthy lives, wherever they are. It’s turned into a big business which includes numerous books, meal planners, food and beverage products, on-demand classes and tutorials, ready-to-heat meals, and targeted marketing campaigns to increase awareness and sales.
Buettner identified nine specific lifestyle habits that are shared by those living in the blue zones which he calls Power9®
- Move Naturally — integrate activities into their daily routines, such as gardening, yardwork, household chores
- Purpose — know their sense of purpose, reason for being
- Downshift — take a break during the day, siestas, meditation/prayer, happy hour
- 80% Rule — don't eat to fullness, stop eating when they are 80% full
- Plant Slant – beans, legumes, and plant-based foods are primary sources of nutrition. Fish and seafood factor in smaller amounts and red meat is less than once per week.
- Wine — drink 1 to 2 glasses of wine per day. The belief is that moderate drinkers have the advantage over nondrinkers.
- Belong — be part of a faith-based community/attending weekly service
- Loved Ones First — support and care for aging family members, committing to a life partner
- Right Tribe — maintain vibrant social networks
They all resonate, but are they truly the answer? Buettner’s theories and findings notwithstanding, the data to support some of those findings have been called into question — primarily how age statistics had been collected and verified in areas where written records are sketchy and unreliable (2).
Oxford University research fellow (and IgNobel prize recipient), Dr Saul Justin Newman, discovered many flaws in the data collection. He states, “In many instances centenarians were dead, missing or essentially pension-fraud cases.” In fact, his research found that, according to a 2010 Japanese government review, 82% of centenarians living in Japan were actually already dead (3). He further explains that “the highest rates of achieving extreme old age are predicted by high poverty, the lack of birth certificates, and fewer 90-year olds. Poverty and pressure to commit pension fraud were shown to be excellent indicators of reaching ages 100+ in a way that is ‘the opposite of rational expectations’” (4). Furthermore, Puerto Rico, which is in the top 10 blue zone regions in the world, had to scrap and restart its existing system of birth certification due to rampant corruption, theft, forgery, and incompetence (6).
Looking deeper at data, such as that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Newman found that life expectancy among the Adventists in Loma Linda, CA — deeply religious and vegetarian — to be unremarkable, even below average when compared to other neighborhoods in America (5). But most interesting is the data out of Okinawa which points to gross misrepresentation. Lifestyle habits there contradict most of the tenets of Power9®. Specifically, Okinawans “are overwhelmingly atheist, have extremely high rates of divorce, and have double the poverty rate of the national average. In government surveys, Okinawans ate copious quantities of meat for decades and had the highest male body mass index since 1975 compared with other prefectures” (5).
The underlying ideas that Buettner puts forth about the path to health — community vs isolation, whole-food vs processed food diets, and regular activity vs inactivity — are all sound and make good sense. They confirm what we already know — eat good food and live a meaningful and intentional life with people you care about. We just need to temper our expectations.
While these recipes may not hold the secret to longevity, they are delicious, nutritious, and fortifying. What more can you ask for?
Caldo De Pescado
Popular in coastal towns throughout Latin America, this light and brothy seafood soup is a staple in many kitchens. Traditionally, whole fish or fish heads, fresh from the market, are cut into large pieces and add depth of flavor to the soup. Chunks of boneless fish fillets and good quality fish stock or clam juice is a great alternative.
Sesame-Crusted Salmon Bowl
Sesame seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, are high in fiber, protein, minerals, iron, and calcium, and promote overall good health. Paired with omega-3 rich salmon and calcium rich broccolini, this dish is the definition of good living.
Greek Orzo with Salmon Feta, and Spinach
This Greek-inspired recipe is the perfect mash-up of spanakopita (spinach pie) and pasta salad. Sautéed ground salmon burger is tossed with orzo, spinach, feta, olives, tomatoes, and dill for a delicious and nutritious all-in-one meal.
Seared Tuna with Lemon, Garlic, and Herbs
Omega-3 rich albacore tuna is lightly seared and dressed with salmoriglio — a southern Italian sauce flavored with heart-healthy olive oil, garlic, lemons, and herbs.
Blackened White Fish Tacos
Spicy blackened fish and fruit salsa is a classic California taco combination and one we think you’ll thoroughly enjoy.
Sources:
2. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/704080v3.full
3. https://science.anu.edu.au/news-events/news/dr-saul-newman-has-uncovered-secret-living-110
4. https://tinyurl.com/593mrmvx
5. https://tinyurl.com/mvveh8fv
6. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.06.24313170v1.full
