Blue zone facts for kids
Blue zones are special places around the world. In these areas, people often live much longer than average. Many even live to be over 100 years old!
Scientists and explorers have found five main Blue Zones. These include Okinawa Prefecture in Japan, the Nuoro Province in Sardinia, Italy, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and Loma Linda in California, United States. People in these zones share common habits that help them live long, healthy lives.
Discovering Blue Zones
The idea of Blue Zones started with two researchers, Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain. In 2004, they were studying how long people live in different places. They found that a part of Sardinia, Italy, called the Nuoro Province, had many men who lived to be 100 years old or more. They drew a blue circle on a map around this area, and that's how the name "Blue Zone" was born!
Later, an explorer and author named Dan Buettner learned about this research. He then traveled the world to find other places where people lived very long lives. He found four more areas that fit the "Blue Zone" description: Okinawa, Nicoya, Icaria, and Loma Linda.
Where Are the Blue Zones?
Here are the five main Blue Zones:
- Nuoro Province, Sardinia, Italy: This area is known for its many male centenarians (people who live to be 100).
- Okinawa Prefecture, Japan: This island is famous for its very old women.
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: People here often live long and active lives.
- Icaria, Greece: This island has a high number of people living past 90 years old.
- Loma Linda, California, United States: This community has a large group of Seventh-day Adventists who follow a healthy lifestyle.
