5 "blue zones" where people live 10 years longer than the inhabitants of the neighboring regions

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On average, in areas known as "blue zones," people live 10 years longer than the inhabitants of neighboring regions. Currently aware of five such areas:

  • Ikaria island (Mediterranean sea)
  • The island of Sardinia (Mediterranean sea)
  • The island of Okinawa (East Kitajsko sea)
  • The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
  • The town of Loma Linda (County of San Bernardino, state of California)
And that's what is of particular interest: the men in these areas live almost as long as women. It's not just unusual, it's unheard of. Worldwide, the average life expectancy for women is much higher (NB: for example in Russia, the gap is almost 12 years old!).

What they have is so special and allows people to live here longer.

Let's start with the island of Okinawa (Japan)

Okinawa is the poorest region of the country, but with high life expectancy (men — up to 88 years in average).

This can partly be explained by dietary habits. So, the locals instead of rice eat sweet potato (also known as sweet potatoes). It reduces the level of cholesterol in the body and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains a lot of potassium, vitamin C, carotenoids and fiber. And unlike white potatoes, its regular consumption does not cause increase in blood sugar levels.

Long life is also caused by the local custom to gather in groups of four or five friends ("moai"), whose members helped each other with money and food. The custom has been preserved in the form of daily or weekly meetings-get-togethers that people are going to just talk (Some researchers make the conclusion that elderly people with a low degree of involvement in social life die faster from heart disease or cancer than their more sociable peers) so another explanation is the presence of a circle of people with whom you can hang out as friends.

Perhaps, the island of Sardinia (Italy) – the second most famous region with the highest life expectancy

17 of 865 people born from 1880 to 1908 in the highlands of the Gennargentu in the center of the island, 91 lived to be 100 years old. Scientists believe that the cause of Sardinian longevity over time explain genetics. The inhabitants of the Gennargentu had lived for centuries in solitude in the mountains, concluding marriages within communities. It is believed that this leads to an accumulation of faults in the structure of genes to genetic disorders, but in this case maybe it helped to consolidate the emergence of mutations that contributed to longevity.

The role of local wines is also important. Like other Italians, the people of Sardinia drink on average two glasses of red wine a day. But the wine is special — the local grapes Cannonau three times more substances that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease than any other variety.

The labor of a lifetime. The inhabitants of Sardinia continue to work even after having reached 90 years of age, says Michel Poulain, a demographer from Louvain University in Belgium. "60 here, no one retires". It is not necessary to plow all my life, so long as you continue to learn new things, do not give the brain to ossify.

The Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica)

According to Louis, Rosero-Bixby, Director of the research Center for the people of Central America University of Costa Rica sixty men living on the Nicoya Peninsula have twice the probability of living to 90 years in comparison to North Americans. And the average local men live to 80 years (59 years – the average life of Russians).

The researchers analyzed blood samples from elderly residents in No and found that they have longer telomeres (end of chromosomes). Scientists binds telomere length with lifespan in General, so you should avoid anything that might shorten them from the stress. "Residents in No are a simple and poor life, says Rosero-Bixby. They are not worried about investments because they have no investment. They don't care about the price of gasoline, because they have no cars. The less stuff you have the better, this is the easiest way to avoid stress." So the advice is not to buy things and spend the earnings on experience.

Products from our own site. To eat like the residents in No, grow the food himself. First, food from your garden more useful purchase, as early as a week after harvesting the vegetables begin to lose vitamins C and B. In a recent study A&M University (Texas) found that older gardeners are more active and more satisfied with their lives than their urban peers.

Loma Linda (CA)

The city is located just an hour drive from Los Angeles, what makes it a blue zone? Answer: it is inhabited by the followers of the Church of seventh day Adventists who don't smoke, don't drink alcohol and coffee. Men of this religious group live an average of seven years longer than other Californians.

Adventist diet based on cereals and vegetables, which is one of the reason for their good health.

Besides, according to the publication in the journal "epidemiology", people who attend weekly religious services have a "more favorable prognosis life for the next 8.5 years."

Ikaria Island (Greece)

On this island in the Aegean sea everywhere beat slightly radioactive hot springs. But the main reason for the longevity of they that they know what to eat and when to sleep.

The islanders eat lots of fish (sardines, Dorado and sharks are caught well off the coast of Ikaria, because people consume a sufficient amount of fatty omega-3 acids.

NAPs. 84% of the elderly population of Ikaria and all people over 90 years, the practice of afternoon NAP. This way of life reduces mortality from heart disease by 37%. If weekdays work schedule does not allow you to relax, sleep a day at least on weekends and on vacation. The ideal time for sleep soon after dinner.

Load and relaxation

"The people in "Blue zones" don't go to rocking and don't run marathon distance, says Leslie Lajtl, Professor at the University of Minnesota. The activity is part of their daily life, they work with their hands, go to the market for tens of kilometers, to graze sheep". In addition to this, four of the five "Blue zones" located in a mountainous area, so life here is in itself a workout. Hence the recommendation: walk as much as possible, use the stairs instead of the Elevator, the word walk everywhere you can walk.

source:http://111let.

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