The Blue Zones of the Earth - Part 1

Blue Zones - ever heard of it? No? Then you have missed something! The Blue Zones have been the focus of scientific attention in recent years. Because: Nowhere else do people grow old and stay healthy as long as the inhabitants of these geographic areas. Why is this so? We took a look and want to introduce you to these areas in the coming weeks.

It all started with Dan Buettner, an American adventurer and educator who traveled the world in the footsteps of Darwin and Marco Polo to teach students about the mysteries of the earth. When he realized during his expeditions that adults were also following his travels, he approached National Geographic with a crazy idea: He wanted to travel the world in search of places that stood out for the special longevity of their inhabitants - "longevity hotspots," as he called them.

No sooner said than done. Together with leading demographers and scientists from the University of Minnesota he identified appropriate geographic areas. In 2003, in collaboration with other anthropologists, historians, dieticians and geneticists, he began expeditions to these places to uncover the secret of longevity of longevity.

Finally, in 2005, the National Geographic published Dan Buettner's article "The Secrets of Longevity." In it, he described five areas where people grow the oldest and stay healthy the longest - the so-called "Blue Zones". He interviewed the inhabitants about their way of life in order to discover their secret, and summarized everything in the article.