Perhaps the best way to answer this question is to study those people who actually do live long and healthy lives. There are regions of the world known as Blue Zones where a higher proportion of people live to 100 years or more and in generally good health. What is the secret of their longevity?
In his 2008 book entitled “The Blue Zones, Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest” (1), the explorer Dan Buettner examines this question. He reports on four Blue Zones; the Barbagia region of Sardinia, Italy; the Okinawa archipelago, Japan; the Seventh-Day Adventist community of Loma Linda, California, and the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. Since his book was published, a fifth Blue Zone, the Greek island of Ikaria, has been added to the list. The diet and lifestyle of the inhabitants of these regions have been studied and they have been found to share several features in common. These are,
1. Spending quality time with family and friends. Being socially active.
2. Eating a predominantly plant-based diet.
3. Engaging in regular low-intensity exercise.
4. Refraining from smoking.
1. Spending Quality Time with Family and Friends
There are distinct benefits in being part of an extended family and being sociable. Good habits of caring and sharing are encouraged and people look out for one another. Older members of the community are active and involved and, as a result, they have a sense of purpose and belonging. In Okinawa they call it ikigai – the reason for waking up in the morning. The elders are respected in the community and take pride in seeing their children and grandchildren grow up well. An 11-year study that followed active members of society between the ages of 65 and 92 found that those who had a strong sense of purpose lived longer and had sharper minds (2).
2. Eating a Plant-Based Diet
Eating a predominantly plant-based diet where much of the produce is fresh, locally grown and pesticide – free ensures a rich intake of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that are essential for good health. Many of these substances are anti-oxidants and serve to neutralize free-radicals and peroxides, collectively known as reactive oxygen species, that are produced in our body during oxidative metabolism. If these reactive oxygen species are not neutralized, they will contribute to physical degeneration, aging and the onset of chronic disease.
3. Engaging in Regular Low-Intensity Exercise
Regular low-intensity exercise will serve to use up excess calories, stimulate the circulation and strengthen the immune system, all of which will contribute to good health. The inhabitants of the Blue Zones are physically active virtually every day. Many of them work out of doors, in the fields or on hillsides, herding animals and tending to crops and small holdings. Spending long periods in front of a television or computer is not part of their life style. They are not sedentary, nor do they engage in occasional bursts of high-intensity exercise. It has been shown that high-intensity exercise, where the body’s energy metabolism goes into high gear, can produce a surge of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which could overwhelm antioxidant defenses, thereby increasing the risk of cell and tissue damage (3) and also weakening our immune system. It is therefore important to achieve the correct balance between ROS generation and neutralization. That’s why regular low intensity exercise coupled with a diet rich in antioxidants works so well.
4. Refraining from Smoking
It is well established that smoking is a high risk factor for certain cancers as well as for coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and chronic obstructive lung disease, all of which can reduce life expectancy (4). Therefore, refraining from smoking and from exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke will greatly reduce the risk of contracting these diseases.
© Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Adventist Health Ministry,
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677, USA
References
1) Buettner, D. (2008) The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. National Geographic Books. ISBN 1426202741.
2) Butler, R. N. (1999) The Inequality of Longevity: Life Expectancy Gap Widens Between Industrialized World and Developing Nations. Geriatrics 54, 12-15.
3) Ji, L.L. (2003) Free Radicals and Exercise: Implication in Health and Fitness. Journal of Exercise and Sport Fitness, 1(1), 15-22. http://www.scsepf.org/doc/pdf_mem_only/Free%20radicals%20and%20exercise%20implicaton%20in
%20health%20and%20fitness.pdf
4) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009) Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/
health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm
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