Since the emergence of the term Blue Zone some 20 years ago, a lot has been written and speculated about those regions in the world where residents are said to live exceptionally long and well. Now, new research confirms their existence and shows how they evolve over time.
Blue Zones, defined as “geographically and temporally defined areas with a history of disproportionately high concentrations of nonagenarians and centenarians,” have been intriguing scientists and ordinary people alike since the term was first coined. While some went looking for reasons that might explain the phenomenon, others wondered about the authenticity of the data used to determine the Blue Zones.
In their article The validity of Blue Zones demography: a response to critiques published in The Gerontologist, authors Steven N. Austad and Giovanni M. Pes now confirm the existence of the zones while simultaneously eradicating two.
By examining all health data used to determine the Blue Zones and cross-referencing them against independent documentary sources, such as civil birth and death records, church archives, genealogical reconstruction, military and electoral registries, and in-person interviews, they were able to prove that the so-called Blue Zones are (ore were) indeed characterised by both an exceptionally high concentration of people living to at least 90 years old and by prolonged good health.
“Validation of the Blue Zones, we believe, is important because there are valuable lessons to be learned, and inspiration to be gathered, from lifestyles that facilitate long, healthy lives. Documenting the disappearance of Blue Zones can be equally informative about lifestyle factors associated with worse later-life health”, the authors write.
Two Blue Zones reconfirmed
While much has been speculated about the exact reasons for people’s exceptional age and health within the Blue Zones – some of the arguments include nutrition, lifestyle, physical activity, genetics, and social connection – the authors were not able to pinpoint this any further. However, they state that isolation could somehow play a role.
“A common theme of these four classic Blue Zones is isolation. Three of the four (Sardinia, Ikaria, Okinawa) occupy all or part of islands, the fourth (Nicoya) lies on a peninsula that, until recent times, was difficult to access. The relative isolation of the islands is apparent in that each has evolved its own language or dialect relative to the mainland. Isolation makes possible cultural, and possibly genetic, uniqueness”, the article reads.
According to Austad and Pes, they were able to confirm the existence of two of the previously determined Blue Zones, being the Sardinian Blue Zone in the region of Ogliastra and the Blue Zone of Ikaria, a Greek island. Both regions complied with the requirements when the Blue Zones were first identified and still did at the time of the authors’ research.
@bluezones_ While we can't all live in a blue zones region, we can be inspired by blue zones residents like Anna to live better, longer in our own towns. In our work building healthier, stronger communities, Blue Zones focused on “life radius,” or the area close to home where we spend 90% of our lives. Learn more about the life radius approach to optimizing the living environment at the link in our bio. Tap the 💙 button if this video resonates with you! Video by @annakatsas https://www.bluezones.com/live-longer-better/life-radius/ #bluezones #bluezoneslife #livebetterlonger #aging #longevity #Greece #Ikaria #liferadius
♬ original sound – Blue Zones
However, the Blue Zones of Okinawa in Japan and Nicoya in Costa Rica no longer qualify as such according to Austad and Pes. They find that by studying those disappearing Blue Zones, scientists could learn more about the factors that have a negative impact on our life expectancy and overall health, especially when focusing on what changed in those zones over the years.
Recently, scientists have argued that new Blue Zones may be appearing in the Netherlands, Rugao (China), and the Caribbean Island of Martinique. The authors indicate that research will be needed to confirm that thesis but studying the local way of life could shed some light on the underlying reasons for the deviating biological realities.
