Okinawa: The Land of Longevity

Maylin Rodriguez-Paez RN

Exploring the world’s blue zones (or, “longevity hot spots”) provides clues as to why certain people live longer than others. Currently, there are five locations that hold world records.

Okinawa, a small island off the coast of mainland Japan, is a model of good health.

The average life expectancy is 81.2 (the longest in the world), and they have the highest global rate of centenarians, about 35 for every 100,000 people.1

A visit to Okinawa shows the elderly are in good shape. Compared to Americans, they have 80 percent fewer heart attacks and half the rate of colon cancer.2

So …read more