Ikaria, a World Phenomenon

What can a stockbreeder from Sardinia, a Japanese grandmother and a farmer from Ikaria have in common? At first glance, absolutely nothing. Still. These people actually belong to the communities with the highest longevity rates in the world, known as the “Blue Zones”. [50]

This term was first coined by writer Dan Buettner in his book “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from People Who Lived the Longest” to describe some geographical areas in the world whose inhabitants live longer than their average fellow citizen and at the same time have a lower risk of contracting a serious disease or illness. Dan Buettner and his colleagues identify five Blue Zones. [50, 51] These are:

- Sardinia island in Italy. In the mountain villages of Nuoro Province, a significant percentage of the men live to be over 100 years old.

- Loma Linda in California. The inhabitants of the wider region have the highest longevity rates in all of the USA.

- Okinawa Island in Japan. The life expectancy of its inhabitants far exceeds the corresponding average of the country.

- Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica. The region shows the lowest mortality rates among 35 to 54-year-olds, while the likelihood that they will reach the age of 90 y.o. is 4 times higher than for people living in the United States of America.

- Ikaria island in Greece. One in three inhabitants lives up to 90 y.o. In addition, Ikarian people have 20% less chance of developing cancer, are 50% less likely to develop coronary artery disease, and dementia rates are close to 0%.

In Europe, only 0.1% of the population lives to be over 90 years old. In Ikaria, the Greek island of the Aegean Sea, the figure is ten times higher. Let’s take a closer look at the habits that make its inhabitants live longer. [52, 53]

Faith

HABIT: Most Ikarians go to church on a regular basis and enjoy taking part in religious rituals (e.g. weddings). [53]

SCIENCE: Experts argue that the sense of purpose given by religious traditions is positively related to increased life expectancy. [54]

Variety of greens

HABIT: More than 150 varieties of wild edible greens thrive in Ikaria. [55] Some contain 10 times more antioxidants than red wine.

SCIENCE: Their action helps preserve cardiac health. [56]

Herbs

HABIT: Ikarians tend to consume various herbs in the form of infusions on a daily basis. [53, 56]

SCIENCE: Many of these have been shown to reduce blood pressure, risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia. [57, 58]

Relationships

HABIT: Ikarian relationships with friends and family are so close that they seem to – literally –add years to their life expectancy. [52, 53]

SCIENCE: It has been demonstrated that strong social bonds reduce the risk of depression while helping to maintain low body weight. [59]

Sex life

HABIT: In Ikarians, sexual activity continues even after the age of 65. In fact, 80% of them state they have sex regularly. [53]

SCIENCE: The high testosterone levels that are required for an active sexual life sustain cardiac health. [60, 61, 62]

Sleep

HABIT: One of the most characteristic habits of the island’s inhabitants is the early afternoon nap or siesta.

SCIENCE: According to a research, 30 minutes of siesta, three times a week, are enough to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 37%. [63, 64, 65]

Time

HABIT: As you may know, Ikarians do not follow a strict time schedule.

SCIENCE: This life attitude greatly reduces stress levels and protects from conditions ranging from an early onset of aging to arthritis. [66, 67]

Walking

HABIT: Ikarians prefer walking. [68]

SCIENCE: According to a survey, just 15 minutes of exercise per day increase life expectancy by 3 years. [69, 70]

The Ikarian wonder in numbers

- Only 10.1% of them are illiterate.

- 40.9% of women over 80 y.o. are married. (The corresponding rate for men is 87.7%)

- 83.7% of men and 70.2% of women remain physically active.

- 82% of men and 25% of women have quit smoking.

- On average, they consume 2-3.5 glasses of wine and just 290ml of coffee (about 1-2 cups) on a daily basis.

- 84% of men and 67% of women take a siesta daily.

- Dementia rates are close to 0%. [50, 53]