The so-called ‘blue zones’ are places where the quality and life expectancy are superior.
There are five Blue Zones in the world. The term refers to those areas where the quality and life expectancy are superior to the rest. It was coined in 2000 by Dr. Michel Poulain and the Sardinian doctor Gianni Pes, who used a blue marker to indicate on a map the places with the highest number of centenarians on the planet.
A correct harmony between the environment, life, food and socialization is the key to their inhabitants having a unique and long-lived existence. In addition to Ogliastra, Okinawa, Nicoya, Icaria and Loma Linda, other enclaves share these characteristics. We review them on this map.
1. Ogliastra, Sardinia
Located in the central-eastern part of the island, this Sardinian province is home to the world’s largest concentration of centenarians. The reason? The average altitude at which it is located (403 meters) and the nutrition based on a low-fat and high-protein diet.
2. Loma Linda, California
The city has been for decades the national headquarters of health and wellness research. Founded in 1970, it is located in San Bernardino County and is home to some 9,000 vegetarian Adventists who exercise regularly and do not smoke or drink alcohol.
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3. Icaria, Greece
On this small island in the Aegean, residents live eight years longer on average than Americans, have half the rate of heart disease and almost no dementia.
4. Nicoya, Costa Rica
On this peninsula south of the border with Nicaragua, its residents have a very positive outlook on life, which would help them live longer. Nicoyan centenarians frequently visit their neighbors and tend to live with families and children or grandchildren who provide support.
5. Bama, China
This autonomous region under Chinese administration is famous for the percentage of centenarians among its inhabitants. About two million tourists visit each year in search of its secret, which is apparently based on not eating much meat and living in an area with a higher than normal magnetic field.
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6. Seoul, South Korea
By 2030, South Koreans are expected to have the highest life expectancy on the planet thanks to green economic growth, better access to health care and better medical technology.
7. Okinawa, Japan
This blue zone is famous for having the highest disability-free life expectancy in the world, so much so that in Japanese legends it is called the “Land of the Immortals.”
8. Hunza Valley, Pakistan
The valley through which the famous Karakoram Highway runs, at almost 3,000 meters above sea level, is another of the places with the highest life expectancy on the planet thanks to the social organization of its inhabitants, their high level of exercise, a healthy diet and access to water loaded with minerals and antioxidant properties.
9. Singapore
In the last 60 years, Singapore has gone from a life expectancy of 65 years to 85 and today it is one of the healthiest, happiest and longest-lived places on the planet. They even have therapeutic parks, designed to reduce stress and improve mental well-being among older adults.
10. Hong Kong
With one of the highest life expectancies in the world, 87.9 years for women, Hong Kong residents follow a healthy diet based on vegetables and seafood, the elderly live with their relatives, they have a universal health system and walking is encouraged.
