Do you know what the so-called "blue zones" are? We talked about it here, but we'll summarize it for you. Blue Zones are areas of the world where people live unusually long, often exceeding 100 years. They are known for healthy lifestyles and strong communities.
The aura of mystery that surrounds them has captured the collective imagination, but recent investigations and critical analyzes suggest that the reality may be very different from what we have been presented so far. Let's take a closer look at why.
The mystery of the Blue Zones: truth or myth?
What do Loma Linda in California, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Nicoya in Costa Rica have in common? Originally, these areas were deemed special due to their high concentration of centenarians and supercentenarians, arousing great interest and curiosity.
Everything was born from a study precisely on the Sardinian population, which highlighted an incredible reality. On the island, the number of centenarians is 15 times higher than in the rest of Italy. From there other confirmations (true or presumed), a Netflix documentary and the birth of a real economy: the blue zone diet, supplements for taking substances like the inhabitants of the blue zones and so on.
Today, the legitimacy of these blue zones has been called into question. The demographer Saul Newman of the University of Oxford highlighted in a paper (that I link to you here) possible inconsistencies and errors in longevity data in these areas. In particular, it has raised questions about the validity of age records, especially for older individuals.
The Okinawa paradox
Taking Okinawa as an example, the image of a healthy diet and a peaceful lifestyle is contradicted by Japanese national statistics showing high rates of child poverty in that area, infectious diseases e violent crimes.
Contrary to claims of low consumption of meat and processed food, Okinawa is known for its high consumption of canned meat and massive presence of fast food with their load of junk food. What do we have here, then: blue zones or food swamps?
Do three clues prove it? Tower Hamlets and the USA
Newman's analysis also identified contrary cases: those of unsuspected "Blue Zones" in the midst of veritable infernos of degradation. Tower Hamlets, an area of London known for poverty and high crime, would be (data in hand) the blue zone of the United Kingdom. This raises suspicions that poor record keeping rather than magical longevity is to blame for such data.
If that's still not enough, comes an analysis of the Gerontology Research Group on the relationship between certified longevity and the introduction of complete birth registration in the USA. What did he discover? He found that with the advent of better data collection, there has been a sharp decline in the number of centenarians. Make vobis.
Also for Nicoya, Costa Rica, the searches are painful. Apparently, it is no longer an area where there is above-average longevity. This phenomenon appears to be limited to men born between 1905 and 1930. So, do these blue zones exist or not?
Conclusions and Reflections
These new discoveries raise serious doubts about the existence of Blue Zones and their supposed ability to guarantee longer life. What if longevity data didn't tell about current capabilities, but about past capabilities? What if the number of over-centenarians was destined to decline because environmental conditions have changed in recent years?
Perhaps, instead of chasing distant myths, we should focus on what we know is effective for a healthy life: a balanced diet and an active lifestyle. The Blue Zones, as fascinating as they are, could mislead us about what it really takes to live longer.
