It is claimed that in these regions of the world there is a trend towards healthy longevity. However, some experts are skeptical.
The term “blue zones” positions itself as a reference in terms of longevity And healthy life to the point that the Blue Zones brand exists and there are even commercial products that allude to this concept.
These are regions of the world in which, Its inhabitants are said to generally live between 90 and 100 years, in favorable health conditions. .
This, to a large extent, due to a series of behaviors and habits which relate to aspects ranging from nutrition and physical activity to community relations.
However, Some experts wonder whether people living in “blue zones” actually live longer. .
How was the term “blue zones” born?
Information collected by the New York Times they assure that The first time the term was used was in 2004, in an article published in the academic journal Experimental gerontology .
The objective of the researchers was analyze “extreme longevity” on the island of Sardinia, Italy .
In the study, the authors they marked the parts of a map in blue in which they identified that the inhabitants lived longer.
“The estimated life expectancy in the “blue zone” is higher than in the rest of the island’s territory especially for men, and the male/female ratio among centenarians born in this area is 1.35 compared to 2.43 in the rest of Sardinia,” the 2004 article read.
Although the authors acknowledge that they do not know “the specific mechanism by which people living in this territory were more likely to achieve extreme longevity”, They commented on some reviews .
As well as suggesting it could be due to factors such as diet and lifestyle, They stated that “an alternative and interesting hypothesis” is “the high rate of endogamy” in isolated regions. .
In this sense, They said it could have contributed to certain protective genetic characteristics being more widespread.
A year after sharing this work, in November 2005, the American journalist National geographic Dan Buettner, used the term in an article titled Secrets of a long life which was published in the magazine of said media.
In the note, he highlighted the cases of three regions: Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California, United States) and Sardinia (Italy) .
Previously published research has stated that In these places, residents tended to live longer and healthier lives compared to the average.
Buettner wrote that people in these areas followed a nutritious diet – with a significant presence of fruits and vegetables – they practiced more physical activity and tried to maintain close ties with their family and the community .
He also reported that They did not eat in large quantities, controlled stress, defined a purpose in life and had faith in religion. among other points.
In an interview with New York Times published in 2024, Buettner said “people in the ‘blue zones’ don’t do any of the things” that many do. in order to prolong its longevity.
“They don’t diet and crossfitnor do they go on Instagram and take supplements, nor do they go to Tulum to get stem cells. None of these longevity checks. But somehow they live about 10 years longer “.
Much of what the “blue zones” present It’s linked to being in “the right environment” he added.
Buettner was the one started with the Blue Zones brand, which sold in 2020 to Adventist Health.
From what he said, Since the publication of his original article, he has joined forces with a wide range of scholars develop the term “blue zones”.
He said that among the professionals who contributed in this field we find demographers, epidemiologists and geriatricians .
Why some experts question the concept of “blue zones”
In recent years, One of the voices that has most challenged what he sees as the concept of “blue zones” is Saul Justin Newman. senior research fellow at the Center for Longitudinal Studies, University College London.
In 2019, shared a article preprint in which he referred to the field of longevity, which was updated to 2024 .
Until now, His writings have not yet been published in a journal reviewed by other scholars. according to the Times.
Newman said areas with high numbers of centenarians and supercentenarians – that is, people aged 110 or older – have in common a poor record keeping system .
The researcher did not specifically focus on analyzing “blue zones”, but rather examined databases from the United States, France, England, Italy and Japan .
This way, searched for points in countries where more centenarians and supercentenarians lived .
Its review ensures that, even if there were encounters, These points did not completely coincide with the “blue zones”. .
Newman explained in statements retrieved by the aforementioned American newspaper: “I discovered that They all came from poor areas that generally suffered disastrous outcomes in old age and had some of the worst life expectancies. of their country. »
“Everything indicated that These high densities of supercentenarians were simply due to poverty and fraud. “.
According to the researcher, Low literacy rates and record-keeping problems contributed to lack of birth certificates at the beginning of the last century.
ensures that Many older people probably don’t really know their age which cannot be verified without legitimate documents.
At the same time, he maintains that some deaths may not have been recorded by the deceased’s relatives which would contribute to believing that they continue to age.
However, so far, THE the hypothesis presented by Newman was not widely accepted by other academics.
What Dan Buettner Said About Blue Zone Issues
Buettner said in the interview with Times that He was not surprised that some of the claims about centenarians turned out to be false. .
However, He stressed that this does not happen in regions that he and his team of researchers have classified as “blue zones.” .
In this sense, he emphasized that They make numerous trips to the region to check files .
In the same way, assured that their methods are rigorous and that they use different sources of information, in addition to conducting interviews both the people concerned and their families.
After Newman shared his article, Buettner’s collaborators published a response letter in which They said four of the “blue zones” were “fully validated by strict demographic criteria”. .
These places are: Okinawa, Sardinia, Icaria (Greece) and Nicoya (Costa Rica) .
“Newman, in his preprints not revised, omits or misinterprets the rigorous age verification and statistical analysis involved in identification ‘blue zones'”, the letter reads.
What to Consider About ‘Blue Zones,’ According to a Longevity Expert
Director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein Faculty of Medicine, Nir Barzilai, said in a conversation with the Times that, Beyond the validation of “blue zones”, the term has been used to disseminate certain habits favorable to longevity. .
Among the latter, we find some like take care of your diet, practice regular physical activity and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with the community.
The specialist on the subject said: “Are blue zone concepts consistent with what we know about aging? Of course” .
He nevertheless emphasized that “blue zones” and the theories that defend them do not necessarily have a scientific character .
In the words of Barzilai: “This is not a study, but a an observation. One that is consistent with what we think we know about aging. But it’s not a science “.
It is good to remember that If you have any doubts about your health, it is always advisable to contact a specialist to assess your case. particular and the best ways to remedy it.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
