TY - JOUR
T1 - Lessons Learned From Blue Zones, Lifestyle Medicine Pillars and Beyond
T2 - An Update on the Contributions of Behavior and Genetics to Wellbeing and Longevity
AU - Kreouzi, Magdalini
AU - Theodorakis, Nikolaos
AU - Constantinou, Constantina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2022 The Author(s).
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Blue Zones are regions of the world that have a higher number of individuals who live longer than the expected average. The current paper revisits principles previously identified to be common in Blue Zones and to be contributing to longevity (move naturally, eat wisely, improve resilience to stress, get adequate sleep, keep strong family ties, stimulate strong community support, respect for the planet and having a purpose in life’), compares these to the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (healthy eating, exercising, avoidance of smoking and other risky substances, stress management, restorative sleep, and forming and maintaining relationships) and reviews new studies investigating the association between behavioral factors and longevity. In addition to the role of behavior, the review also discusses the important role of genetics and emphasizes the importance of conducting further research to understand how behavioral and genetic factors may affect molecular pathways with consequent effects on wellbeing and longevity.
AB - Blue Zones are regions of the world that have a higher number of individuals who live longer than the expected average. The current paper revisits principles previously identified to be common in Blue Zones and to be contributing to longevity (move naturally, eat wisely, improve resilience to stress, get adequate sleep, keep strong family ties, stimulate strong community support, respect for the planet and having a purpose in life’), compares these to the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (healthy eating, exercising, avoidance of smoking and other risky substances, stress management, restorative sleep, and forming and maintaining relationships) and reviews new studies investigating the association between behavioral factors and longevity. In addition to the role of behavior, the review also discusses the important role of genetics and emphasizes the importance of conducting further research to understand how behavioral and genetic factors may affect molecular pathways with consequent effects on wellbeing and longevity.
KW - Blue Zones
KW - genetics
KW - lifestyle medicine
KW - longevity
KW - wellbeing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136593755&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/15598276221118494
DO - 10.1177/15598276221118494
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85136593755
SN - 1559-8276
JO - American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
JF - American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
ER -