The secret to a long life: social connection!

Issue 85: Why the cultures of communities likely matter just as much - or more - than individual lifestyles for longevity

What is the secret to a long life?

Answering this age-old question is the premise of a new show on Netflix called “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”. In the show, Dan Buettner travels to areas around the world — including Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California — where people live significantly longer than average, including many who live past 100.

He concludes that: “I have found that most of what people think leads to a long, healthy life is misguided or just plain wrong”. The gym memberships and supplements people spend millions on might matter far less that other lifestyle factors.

Instead, many of the features associated with longevity are are embedded in the cultures of communities, rather than individual traits. It should come as little surprise that people in these places tend to eat healthy diets (e.g., plant-based, with little processed foods) and exercise (e.g., walking or gardening daily).

But the thing that stood …