CAN WE REVERSE ENGINEER LONGEVITY?
The ability to live a long, quality and sustainable life, is a factor we all aspire. A thought of how the modern world can easily jeopardize this aspiration, amounts to a cold sweat down the spine. This is based on the fact that the rise of chronic illnesses such as heart disease were the leading cause of death in 2024 according to WHO.
Is there a way we can avoid all these and get our health back on track? Is there a way we can prevent this and increase our chances of living longer?
According to https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/usa/united-states/life-expectancy, life expectancy in 2023 of an average American was 79.25 years, that of an African was 64.11 years, that of a European was 79.09 years and that of an Asian was 74.20 years. Certain key factors have contributed to this.
A great example is, in 1960, men in America would be expected to live until age 66.6 on average, while women lived to age 73.1. A survey conducted in 2015 found that the life expectancy of the average men had risen to 77.0 and of their female counterparts to 81.7. An increase of roughly 10 years. This is attributed to advancement in medical technology, improvement in healthcare access, better living conditions and economic growth.
There are certain places in the world known as the Blue Zone regions as stated by Dan Buettner a National Geographic Explorer in a project he led in 2004. These regions have recorded the highest demographics of centenarians (People who live upto 100 plus years) in the world. What are some of these regions?
- Sardinia, Italy.
- Ikaria, Greece.
- Okinawa, Japan.
- Loma Linda, California.
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.
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| Sardinia, Italy. |
Most of these regions, like Sardinia, Italy are based on mountainous areas. Moving from one point to another takes energy which keeps residents engaged. Manual labour is a common practice in all these regions. People still farm and do gardening manually. In Loma linda, California, going for nature walks is part of their routine.
This can be implemented in other regions in various ways.
b) Nutrition.
Freshly sourced foods is a strong pillar for these blue zone regions. Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy have a mediterranean type of lifestyle which highly promotes sea foods, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and olive oil. This limits consumption of processed foods hence boosting their health.
Hara hachi bu, is a concept used in Okinawa, Japan. It means eat until you are 80% full. In high-insight, this is a great way for controlling excess calorie consumption.
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| A body composition test tends to be the most precise way to determine this. This is seconded by a BMI test. |
c) Purposeful living.
Ikigai is a term borrowed from Okinawa, Japan to mean having a reason to wake up every morning. This is a pillar to all these blue zone regions. It means setting goals that reason with your value, passion, ability and working towards them with intention. In Loma Linda, California, faith gives them a purpose to live and embrace life. This acts as a motivation to face daily challenges
This could be a good foundation for everyone especially with the modern challenges leading to depression, frustrations and lack of motivation to chase dreams.
d) Social support and family ties .
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| In his research at Okinawa, Dan Buettner came across a group of ladies that had known each other for 97 years. The average age of the group was 102 years, meaning they had know each other since they were about 5 years of age. |
Moai is a term borrowed from Okinawa, it is a concept of a group of old friends who have known each other since childhood and have been together ever since. The purpose of them being in this state is to provide emotional, financial, health, social and spiritual needs. This enhances the sense of belonging.
In Sardinia, Italy, the bond between family members is really tight. Older adults live with their families and help in raising the grandchildren. Having such a structure that they can fall back to in case of anything, helps in their prolonged life.
Effect of social isolation can have detrimental effect on our mental and Physical health. In this 2023 article https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10121112/, the cases of suicidal thoughts in March and July of 2020, and suicidal attempts in February - July 2020 were found to be significantly higher in comparison to data from 2019. The covid-19 restrictions of socializing and interacting with fellow humans highly contributed to this.
If we can find activities or mechanisms that can bring people together to socialize, share their griefs and challenges, then we can be steps ahead of the curve. If men can find social groups they are in sync with, I strongly believe the high rate of suicide cases in men will subside.
e) Rest and recovery.
Loma Linda, California is a seventh day adventist region. On Friday evening, they routinely down their tools and embark on them once the period is over. This becomes a good time to rejuvenate and tap into their spiritual realm.
In Ikaria, Greece, taking naps in the early afternoon is a common practice. This becomes a great way to recharge then continue the day with energy.
We all can organize some time off from our day to day routines. This could be through doing something different, taking a complete break or indulging in what's known as active rest.It will help boost not only our physical health but our mental one as well.
Here are key details about the Blue Zone Regions:
a) Okinawa, Japan.
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| Yanbaru village in Okinawa, Japan. |
It's referred as land of the Immortals. This is due to its resident's remarkable longevity. According to the explorer's research, it was found that key factors really help in this. One, is their culture of eating. They embrace foods such as vegetables, tofu, sweet potatoes, fish, limited meat and diary. As they eat, they practice a routine called Hara hachi bu, which translates to, eat until you're 80% full. This is a great way to control calorie intake. Ikigai is another practice that they hold onto. This means, having a reason to wake up every morning, purposeful living. Moai, is also in their practice. This means a social support group that forms a long life bond among its members, providing social, emotional and at times financial sport when need be. Okinawa's subtropical climates makes it ideal for residents to engage in physical activities and to easily go about their business all year long. The region is less populated and the sceneries make the atmosphere quite conducive for this.
b) Sardinia, Italy.
They do live a mediterranean-type of lifestyle and it's quite evident in their cuisines. This entails a wide variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, seafoods, red meat, herbs and spices. The lifestyle helps to reduce consumption of processed foods. Consumption of Cannonau wine which is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols which promote heart health is high there. The region is based on a mountainous area which promote physical activities. It is a region where men have been said to leave longer as women. The aspect of community bond and respect to elders is highly practiced. The old adults often live with their families and help raise grandchildren.
c) Loma linda, California.
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| An ongoing church session at Loma Linda University Health church. |
It is a seventh day based community, which highlights religion being their foundation. It said that residents of this area live ten plus years than the average American. This is attributed by factors such as diet. The community leans more towards vegan type of diet which in other terms is referred to as the Garden of Eden type of diet. It based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts. The community highly discourages smoking and drinking based on faith. Purposeful living through faith, volunteer work and community involvement promotes this. Regular physical activities like walking or gardening is a common practice. Rest and sabbath has been intertwined into their routine which helps relieve stress and fatigue from daily chores.
d) Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.
A place where people easily live up to 90 years of age. It is attributed to some key factors. Nutrition tops the chart with a plant based diet which entails beans, corns, tropical fruits etc. This macronutrients are freshly sourced locally, making it difficult to rely on processed ingredients. The water consumed in this region is said to be high in calcium which helps promote strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Due to their tropical climate, sun exposure is the order of the day, increasing high vitamin D consumption. Manual labour such as farming is a common practice there. The community also promotes purposeful living and strong social connection.
e) Ikaria, Greece.
It's also known as "The island where people forgot to die". The demographic is full of centenarians - where people live upto 100 years of age. This is highly influenced by factors such as nutrition. It is based on legumes, vegetables, fish, olive oil etc. They consume herbal teas like Sage and Oregano which entails anti-inflammatory and antioxidants proportions. How they live is similar to the mediterranean lifestyle. This reduces the chances of relying on processed foods hence promoting good health.
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The slow pace of life in the region helps to relieve stress and relax. Taking naps is a common practice there. The environment is quite conducive which makes life enjoyable.
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