In one tiny mountain village, the rate of residents living past 100 is about 11 times the American average.
We’ve heard about Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica and Ikaria in Greece as being hot spots of longevity, nicknamed Blue Zones.
Experts credit wholesome diets, active lifestyles and healthy social lives as factors in why people live so long in these places. Now, we’re learning about an entirely new Blue Zone in a previously overlooked location.
And while longevity is declining in traditional Blue Zones, new data shows that this small mountain town is seeing an increase in long-lived residents, especially women.
Bolotana is a small village in the center of the island of Sardinia, an island to the west of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea.
A region of Sardinia called Ogliastra was previously identified as a Blue Zone, though like most other Blue Zones, it’s on the coast with direct access to the water. Bolotana sits outside this region, to the west.
Researchers traveled to Bolotana and were surprised to find 10 of the 2,262 people living there were at least 100 years old — a concentration of centenarians about 10 times the Sardinian average and 11 times the US average.
Women of Bolotana had an even more pronounced advantage.
On average, data shows the women who reach age 70 live to be about 91, while roughly 1 in seven women who reached age 70 would live to 100.
This was higher than averages on the island and all of Italy. In fact, the numbers were even higher than a number of international populations studied earlier this year.
Compared to numbers in that study, Bolotana’s women were second only to Hong Kong for life expectancy after 70 and survival to 100.
Men also had a slightly higher life expectancy compared to the Sardinian and Italian average, but it was much less pronounced than women.
At 70, they could expect to live to 86. Roughly one in 20 men who reach 70 would live to 100.
Why do Bolotana’s residents live longer?
“What stands out to me is how well these women are surviving into their later years,” Dr. Carrie Carda, National Medical Director of 10X Health System told The Post. “It points us toward looking at the whole person — their biology, daily habits, relationships and environment.”
While researchers make it very clear they don’t know exactly why Bolotana’s residents are living longer, they point to a few possible factors: genetic background, dietary patterns, physical activity, family support, social cohesion, continuity of residence and access to care.
According to National Geographic, the town currently lacks fast food, and its residents eat a 90 percent plant-based diet full of beans, pasta, and garden-grown food. “Olives, and olive oil, are also key to the regional cuisine,” the magazine reported.
There’s also no gym in the town yet, but because of the hilly terrain, residents apparently get their cardio in without thinking about it.
“My practical takeaway is that healthy routines need to fit into everyday life,” Carda said. “Making time for movement and meaningful relationships is a message I would emphasize to the public.”
Others point to Bolotana’s “outsized reverence for family, strong faith traditions, [and] modest wine consumption” as other contributing factors.
“As with all recognized Blue Zones throughout the world, the evidence for longer lives in Bolotana is compelling,” Carda said. “But more than observation, we still need a deeper understanding as to why—and which factors are helping people live longer.”
