Blue Zones are longevity ‘hotspots’ that have a few things in common. Including being locations where people age really well. Clearly living longer involves more than just munching on mung beans.
There are the five Blue Zones, the mysterious regions where people statistically live the longest. These five locales, Sardinia, Italy; the islands of Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California; don't appear to have too much in common at first glance. But a lot of it boils down to diet.
For one, the residents’ diets are primarily made up of plants and are especially heavy on vegetables, beans, whole grains, and nuts.
Most people in these locations are not strict vegetarians, but they tend to eat meat around five times per month. Fish, which is associated with slower brain decline in old age and reduced risk of heart disease, is also a staple. These regions tend to eat smaller fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring, abbreviated as SMASH fish. All these fish provide a powerful boost of essential nutrients (e.g. iodine, selenium), heart healthy fats (e.g. omega 3 fatty acids), and protection against inflammation.