Around the world, health gurus and travellers alike are making ‘Blue Zones’ their next home.
These select areas of the world have higher rates of people living above-average lifespans, with many reaching past the age of 100.
Currently, there are only five officially identified Blue Zones – including Ikaria in Greece and Okinawa in Japan.
They are associated with factors such as a healthy diet, active lifestyle and low stress.
But researchers propose adding one more Blue Zone to the list – Ostrobothnia in western Finland.
The picturesque region stands out as a potential Blue Zone, due to factors including an ‘extraordinary’ life expectancy, scientists say.
‘Ostrobothnia might be deemed a potential longevous Blue Zone,’ say the team of researchers, led by Sarah Åkerman, social policy researcher at Åbo Akademi University in Finland.
‘However, future rigorous demographic research is needed in order to validate exceptional longevity in this region.’
Ostrobothnia in western Finland can be added to the list of ‘Blue Zones’, claims a new study. Pictured, Nallikari beach, Bothnian Bay, in Oulu, North Ostrobothnia
The researchers assessed three Finnish regions – bilingual Ostrobothnia (yellow), Finnish-speaking South Ostrobothnia (purple) and Swedish-speaking Åland (islands, orange)
A Blue Zone is defined as a geographical area where an unusually large proportion of people live significantly longer than in other parts of the world.
The already recognised Blue Zones are Ogliastra in Sardinia, Italy, Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California.
‘Common lifestyle traits in the Blue Zones include, amongst others, natural movement in everyday life, purpose in life, eating wisely and avoiding stress,’ say the authors.
‘Moreover, Blue Zones are characterised by a positive attitude towards older adults with frequent interactions between the older inhabitants and the rest of the community.’
The researchers decided to investigate the Blue Zone concept in a Nordic setting, which is renowned for active lifestyles and healthy diets.
Using local survey data, they assessed three Finnish regions – bilingual Ostrobothnia, Finnish-speaking South Ostrobothnia and Swedish-speaking Åland.
Collectively, these regions comprise a small proportion of the country, but their proximity to the coast may contribute to a diet heavy in fish.
Results show that the part of Ostrobothnia that speaks Swedish closer to the coast stands out as a potential Blue Zone, thanks to factors such as long life expectancy and good health.
Already recognised Blue Zones are Ogliastra in Sardinia, Italy, Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California
The idea is that, in order to avoid lifestyle-related diseases, we must replicate the eating and activity behaviors of those in towns with unusual amounts of centenarians – people who live to 100 (file photo)
Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia and South Ostrobothnia (further inland) showed the highest levels of health-promoting lifestyles, although South Ostrobothnia had lower life expectancy than the other regions studied.
Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia has a life expectancy among newborns of 83.1 years, higher than the national average of 81.6 years and the global average of 73.1 years.
As a comparison, life expectancy at birth in the UK between 2020 to 2022 was 78.6 years for males and 82.6 years for females, or 80.6 on average, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Older adults in Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia were more inclined to volunteer and be socially active, and less likely to report depression and loneliness than their Finnish-speaking peers, the researchers add.
Åland, meanwhile, boasted the highest life expectancy and best health, but failed to meet the lifestyle principles of Blue Zones except when it came to providing a pleasant environment.
Overall, the part of Ostrobothnia nearer the coast shows ‘preliminary potential’ to be considered a Blue Zone, the researchers claim in their study, published in Journal of Aging Research.
However, the study shows that health and lifestyle do not necessarily correlate at the regional level, pointing to the need for continued research into how lifestyle can support healthy ageing.
A long life is generally regarded as the ultimate outcome of good health, even though longevity does not necessarily result from good health or a health-promoting lifestyle.
The concept of Blue Zones was first introduced by Dan Buettner, a writer and author with no medical background who trademarked the term
‘The potential link between longevity, health, and lifestyle may vary across cultural, political, social, and economic contexts in different regions,’ said Professor Åkerman.
It was 20 years ago that American journalist Dan Buettner trademarked the term ‘Blue Zone’, and went on to develop a commercialised lifestyle brand including community programmes and products.
Some experts question the blue zone theory, saying it is ‘nonsense’ and arguing that Buettner does not have a medical or research background.
However, the concept has attracted scientific interest, including from Belgian demographer Michel Poulain, who co-authored a 2004 report on Sardinia’s longevity.
Professor Poulain and his colleagues continue to study extreme longevity using rigorous demographic methods which give the concept credence.
The study authors add: ‘The originally purely demographic concept of Blue Zones was launched by Poulain and colleagues who identified the first longevous Blue Zone in Ogliastra, Italy.
‘The identification was the result of a rigorous validation process involving going through municipal birth and death registers.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .