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The 5 'Blue Zones' where the world’s healthiest people live

These cultures have uncovered the secrets of longevity.

Several modern homes glow along the shore of Ikaria Island at dusk.
Dusk view of a village on the north shore of Ikaria Island, Greece.
Photograph by GIANLUCA COLLA, Nat Geo Image Collection
ByNational Geographic Staff
September 05, 2023
4 min read

Author Dan Buettner worked for more than a decade to identify hot spots of longevity around the world. With the help of the National Geographic Society, Buettner set out to locate places that not only had high concentrations of individuals over 100 years old, but also clusters of people who had grown old without health problems like heart disease, obesity, cancer, or diabetes. His findings—along with easy steps you can take to live more like these cultures—can be found in his book, The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth.

The subject also is now the focus of a new series on Netflix: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. Here is some of what Buettner found.

Go deeper: 
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These traditional diets could lead to long lives

Editor's note: This story originally published on April 6, 2017. It has been updated.

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