Do People in ‘Blue Zones’ Actually Live Longer?
The concept is simple and alluring: There are special regions around the world — called blue zones — where people regularly remain vibrant and active into their 90s and 100s, thanks to a simple set of behaviors that anyone can follow.
It’s sensible enough to sound convincing, and ambiguous enough to support a health and longevity empire. In the 20 years since blue zones were first introduced, the Blue Zones brand (now trademarked) has spawned eight books, a Netflix series, product partnerships (Langers Blue Zones iced tea, Bush’s Blue Zones canned bean soups) and a multimillion dollar program for other cities to become “Blue Zones certified” — all in the name of helping people attain their longevity goals, ostensibly by mimicking the lifestyle habits of the individuals living in each region.
But not everyone is buying into it. Some experts — one in particular — are questioning whether the blue zones themselves, those bastions of health, might be too good to be true.
