Secrets of the Blue Zone Diet
Blue zones are regions of the world where a higher than usual number of people live much longer than average. A big commonality to this long life? Their diet.
The term “blue zone” first appeared in Dan Buettner's November 2005 National Geographic magazine cover story, “The Secrets of a Long Life.” Five blue zones have been posited: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and, among Seventh-Day Adventists, Loma Linda, California; based on evidence showing why these populations live healthier and longer lives than others.
In Sardinia, Italy (particularly Ogliastra, Barbagia of Ollolai, and Barbagia of Seulo), one team of demographers found a hot spot of longevity in mountain villages where a substantial proportion of men reach 100. A village called Seulo, located in the Barbagia of Seulo, holds the record of 20 centenarians from 1996 to 2016, that confirms it is “the place where people live the longest in the world.”
Bottarga has been harvested and produced extensively in Sardinia for centuries and, therefore, contributes to this “secret to a long life,” due to its richness in Omega-3s, Vitamins A, B5, B7, & B12, and healthy lipids. In the world’s blue zones, most of the fish being consumed are small, cheap fish such as sardines, anchovies, cod, and mullet — fish that are not exposed to the high levels of mercury that pollute larger fish in the sea.