I have written several times about people living in Blue Zone areas, who tend to live longer than others. Here is a brief recap of previous blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Blue Zones include the Okinawans of Japan, the Sardinians of Italy, the Nicoyans of Costa Rica, the Ikarians of Greece, and the Seventh-day Adventists of Loma Linda, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is typical of these areas is that the people living there not only live to a very old age, but also enjoy their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term Blue Zone<\/em> was coined in November 2005 by Dan Buettner, who used it for the first time in a National Geographic cover story. The term refers to population groups whose members live statistically the longest and healthiest lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It seems that the environment in which a person lives plays a major role. In a suitable natural environment and surrounded by favorable social relationships, people thrive and live much longer than in conditions that are less favorable for the human species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, among Sardinians it has been observed that differences in elevation where people live are one factor explaining longevity. Those living in varied, hilly terrain may have a greater chance of reaching the age of 100 than those living in flat areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blue Zone areas are not highly urbanized; instead, long-lived people often live very close to nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nine (9) common denominators have been identified for these Blue Zone areas. These include, among others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n