The Journal
Reported essays on the people, places, and habits behind extreme longevity. Drawn from peer-reviewed research and ground reporting.
Okinawa, Japan / Eating Habits
The Okinawan phrase hara hachi bu is the most-studied dietary discipline in modern aging research. Here's what the research shows, and how to translate it into a kitchen rule you can actually keep.
Sardinia, Italy / Movement
In the highlands of Nuoro province, male centenarians are ten times more common than on the Italian mainland. Demographers have spent two decades trying to explain it.
Ikaria, Greece / Stress & Time
On a small island in the Aegean, one in three residents reaches their 90s. The most underappreciated factor may be the relationship Ikarians have with time itself.
All Regions / Diet
The longest-lived people on Earth eat very little meat. They are not vegetarians. The distinction matters more than most nutrition coverage acknowledges.
Nicoya, Costa Rica / Community
The least-known of the five Blue Zones has the cleanest research story: a mineral-rich aquifer, a corn-and-bean diet, and a culture built around plan de vida.