What are the secrets of the inhabitants of the “blue zones”, these regions of the world with the highest concentration of centenarians?

In the 1980s, Stamatis Moraitis, a young man of Greek descent who had lived his entire adult life in the United States, was diagnosed with lung cancer. His life expectancy is estimated at 6 months. He then decides to return to Ikaria, his home island, to live out his final months in the land of his ancestors. Against all odds, the years pass and leave Stamatis safe. He died almost 40 years later at the age of 103. What factors then explain this exceptional survival? Could the setting of Ikaria have something to do with it? American journalist Dan Buettner asks this question. For nearly 30 years, man has investigated what we call the “blue zones,” these regions of the world where we find the highest concentration of centenarians. The fruits of his labor can be discovered in a documentary series entitled 100 years of abundance. the secrets of the blue beltsavailable on Netflix from August 29.

To understand and discover the factors contributing to the longevity of these inhabitants, he traveled to Sardinia, Japan, Greece, California and Costa Rica. He compiled hundreds of scientific studies on the diet, geological conditions and history of these peoples. Therefore, he interviewed doctors to decipher the health benefits of these different lifestyles. Finally, he performed a life-size experiment. creating a blue belt in the United States in 2009 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. A year after transforming the lives of the inhabitants, according to the learned instructions, the average life expectancy occurred. growth by 2.9 years. Here are the main lessons to remember.

Play sports without thinking about it

In all areas studied by Dan Buetner, physical activity is an integral part of residents’ lives, and naturally so. Centenarians do not seek to “exercise for the sake of exercising,” but rather live in an environment that leaves no room for a sedentary lifestyle. In Sardinia, for example, steep rural paths force residents to climb and descend hills for their daily journeys. On the Japanese island of Okinawa, home to the highest concentration of centenarians in the world (81 centenarians per 100,000 in 2015, compared to 20 in the U.S., according to a 2015 study called the Okinawa Centenarian Study), the houses are not functioning. furnished with very little furniture. Sitting and standing up several times a day, locals have gotten into the habit of doing exercises similar to squats every day to strengthen their core muscles, flexibility and sense of balance.

The documentary also mentions the important daily manual labor carried out by blue belt residents. They lead active and industrious lifestyles, giving pride of place to agriculture, gardening, and even cooking, “natural” sources of physical activity, but are increasingly robotic in our societies.

A balanced plant-based diet

A diet consisting primarily of unprocessed fruits and vegetables and providing all the necessary nutrients is another component of blue zone lifestyle habits. The local diet is based on three staple foods: black beans, pumpkin, and corn. All are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, combining to provide all the nutrients called amino acids that animal proteins provide, minus the cholesterol and fat. Another example cited in the documentary is in Loma Linda, California, where the Adventist religious community is notable for its longevity. Men live an average of 7.3 years longer than the rest of California men, and women live 4.4 years longer than their counterparts. Only 5% of their daily calories come from meat, fish and poultry, three times less than the average American.

The importance of social relationships

Another guarantee of longevity, according to Dan Buetner’s research, is close social relationships that are carefully maintained. All the blue zones he visited are above all communities where social ties are extremely strong. However, surrounding ourselves with people with healthy lifestyle habits would help us adopt these same behaviors. “Having a vegetarian or vegan around us lets us know how to implement this diet in a healthy way, for example,” notes Dan Buettner. This is also the conclusion of the longest-ever study of happiness and health, led by American Psychiatry chief Robert Waldinger. Asked Madame Figaro in June he emphasized. “Having good relationships not only makes us happier throughout our lives, but also allows us to live longer and stay healthier as we age.”

In turn, bad lifestyle habits are also contagious. A 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and featured in a documentary by Dan Buetner shows that if one of our friends is obese, our chances of becoming obese increase by 57%. Loneliness and smoking will also be communicative between friends and loved ones.

The strength of social ties also takes on its full meaning at the end of life, a period during which isolation is particularly harmful. In Sardinia, residents have the norm of taking care of their elders. Nursing homes do not exist. Family members take turns cooking, serving and making friends with the elders.

Inclusion in society, of all ages

The last pillar of longevity corresponds to our vision of aging. There is no separation of active people and retirees in blue zones. On the island of Okinawa, the word “retirement” is not part of the vocabulary. Instead, residents talk about their “ikiga,” their mission of faith to always stay active and give meaning to their existence. Therefore, they continue to participate in community activities, even centuries later. They are also very involved in society. “We constantly make them feel that we need them, that they matter,” comments journalist Dan Buettner. In Loma Linda, California, retirement exists as in the rest of the country, but older people remain very active, especially with high levels of participation in volunteer activities. Therefore, the journalist identifies this way to prevent premature decline and to counteract the severe disconnect between active life and retirement in our societies.