In case you missed it, right here in Costa Rica is one of the world’s five “blue zones” – geographic regions with an unusually high longevity.

The Nicoya Peninsula communities of Hojancha, Nandayure, Santa Cruz, Carrillo and Nicoya in Guanacaste province make up the area in Latin America with the highest longevity.

World experts are seeking to learn more about the secrets behind the Nicoyan 90 and 100-year-olds’ lives – lives lived outside the sphere of sophisticated economies and technologies, said the Costa Rican Ministry of Health.

In November, a World Blue Zone Meeting will be held in Nicoya, in northern Costa Rica, in which health and other experts will share experiences and information from these regions. The rural Nicoya region currently has 865 individuals over the age of 90, 41 over the age of 100, and experiences a 10 percent lower mortality rate than the rest of the country in all age groups.

The other four world blue zones are Icaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, and Loma Linda in the United States.

Aspects of people’s lifestyles and communities in these regions will be the focus of discussions during the gathering from November 16 – 18.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Health intends to analyze lifestyle and other factors among the long-lived population to compare the data with the rest of the country’s population so that perhaps lessons can be applied to increase health and longevity in other areas.

“Health is produced, health is a social composition. This is an inter-agency work,” said Vice-Minister of Health Virginia Murillo.

“We have focused our efforts and resources on attacking diseases; with this long-lived population growth we must rethink the strategy, to promote and encourage health living at all levels,” she added.

 

Researchers have found that elderly in blue zone regions have a good quality of life, are mobile, have a strong sense of spirituality and community, as well as rich food and other traditions.