The Quest For Longevity – Are The Blue Zones The Fountain Of Youth?

By Jim On April 22, 2009 Under Longevity

Yesterday I was doing my early morning treadmill intervals while watching CNN. I normally listen to music and occasionally glance at the TV to make sure I’m not missing anything. This morning Anderson Cooper was reporting on Greek Island where hearty and healthy 96 year old men were having robust sex with women half their age! This looked interesting – was this the island where the fountain of youth was discovered?

[The Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica is one of the Blue Zones - a real-life Fountain of Youth where people reach age 100 at rates significantly higher than the rest of us and on average live longer healthier lives.]

I plugged in and listened. The story was about the “Blue Zones” small geographic pockets inhabited by the world’s longest lived populations. Dan Buettner launched the Blue Zones Quests in 2005 to study and research these rare regions and to share what they can tell us about living longer and healthier lives.

OK, So The Fountain Of Youth Is A Fantasy

But how about a more practical and predictable reality. Would you like to add ten healthier and more fulfilling years to your life? Of course! This I learned is what the Blue Zones Quest is all about.

So Far Buettner And His Team Have Explored Two Blue Z One Regions

These are Okinawa, Japan and the Nicoya peninsula in Costa rica. Buettner has also written about two other Blue zones Sardinia Italy and Loma Linda California. In each of these regions people reach age 100 at rates significantly higher than the rest of us and on average live longer healthier lives. They also suffer from about one fifth of the heart disease and cancer found in America.

Lifestyle Habits Play A Greater Role Than Genetics

Diet, exercise, spiritual values even mental attitude are important determining factors. Based on Blue Zones research, nine key factors can help produce the same results for many of us.