What Is A Blue Zone?
Blue zones are regions of the world with populations that exhibit exceptionally high longevity and low incidence of chronic disease. The term originated during a 2004 National Geographic study led by Dan Buettner and demographer Michel Poulain, who marked long-lived villages with a blue pen on a world map.
What Are The Criteria For Blue Zones?
In order to become a certified blue zone, an area must meet three sets of criteria: reliable documentation of birth and death rates, high national longevity compared to the rest of the world, and high local longevity.
What Are The 5 Blue Zones?
The five blue zones are located in
- Ikaria, Greece
- Okinawa, Japan
- Ogliastra Region, Sardinia, Italy
- Loma Linda, California
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
What Accounts For Longevity Of The Blue Zones?
A whole food plant-predominant diet, regular, low-intensity physical activity, and positive social connections are the main factors that account for the health and longevity of the blue zone populations.
Source
National Geographic