StemCell Therapy

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Dan Buettner

By Dan Buettner

Life expectancy of an American born today averages 78.2 years. But this year, over 70,000 Americans have reached their 100thbirthday. What are they doing that the average American isnt (or wont?)

To answer the question, we teamed up with National Geographic to find the worlds longest-lived people and study them. We knew most of the answers lied within their lifestyle and environment (The Danish Twin Study established that only about 20% of how long the average person lives is determined by genes.). Then we worked with a team of demographers to find pockets of people around the world with the highest life expectancy, or with the highest proportions of people who reach age 100.

We found five places that met our criteria:

We then assembled a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists to search for evidence-based common denominators among all places. We found nine:

1. Move NaturallyThe worlds longest-lived people dont pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They grow gardens and dont have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.

2. Purpose. The Okinawans call it Ikigai and the Nicoyans call it plan de vida; for both it translates to why I wake up in the morning. Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy

3. Down Shift Even people in the Blue Zones experiencestress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. What the worlds longest-lived people have that we dont are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap and Sardinians do happy hour.

4. 80% Rule Hara hachi bu the Okinawan, 2500-year old Confucian mantra said before meals reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it. People in the Blue Zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then they dont eat any more the rest of the day.

5. Plant Slant Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meatmostly porkis eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz., about the size of deck or cards.

6. Wine @ 5 People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you cant save up all weekend and have 14 drinks on Saturday.

7. Belong All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. Denomination doesnt seem to matter. Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.

8. Loved Ones FirstSuccessful centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first. This means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home (It lowers disease and mortality rates of children in the home too.). They commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love (Theyll be more likely to care for you when the time comes).

9. Right TribeThe worlds longest lived people choseor were born intosocial circles that supported healthy behaviors, Okinawans created moaisgroups of five friends that committed to each other for life. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, andeven loneliness are contagious.So the social networks of long-lived people have favorably shaped their health behaviors.

To make it to age 100, you have to have won the genetic lottery. But most of us have the capacity to make it well into our early 90s and largely without chronic disease. As the Adventists demonstrate, the average persons life expectancy could increase by 10-12 years by adopting a Blue Zones lifestyle.

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See more here:
Power 9 - Blue Zones

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