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[gentle acoustic guitar music playing]
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[Dan] Around 1999,
a virtually unknown Italian researcher
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spoke at
an international longevity conference
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and reported an exceptional concentration
of centenarians.
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It was so remarkable, in fact,
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that many members
of the scientific community
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refused to believe him.
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That man was Dr. Gianni Pes.
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{\an8}And he was reporting that
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in Sardinia, Italy, he found an area
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with almost ten times more 100-year-olds
than you'd expect to find
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in a similar population
in the United States.
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Even more fascinating, he had this map,
and every time he discovered a location
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with an unusually high concentration
of centenarians,
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he marked it with a blue dot.
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On one area, there were so many blue dots
that it formed sort of a blue blob,
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and that's what gave birth
to the name Blue Zone.
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By now, I'd been in Okinawa,
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where I'd just begun exploring
why people there were living so long,
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so when I heard about this Blue Zone,
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just six or so rural villages,
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I suspected it could offer new clues.
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And I also knew that the only way
to find out for sure
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was to travel there and investigate.
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[curious music playing]
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[man singing in Italian]
♪ Baunei is a well-located village ♪
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♪ In a place of hard stones ♪
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♪ Above the plain ♪
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♪ Under the mountain,
And in the middle of the coast ♪
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♪ Everyone who goes by
Makes a stop for its beauty ♪
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♪ It looks so good ♪
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♪ All those who pass by crave it ♪
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♪ For its beauty and its view ♪
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{\an8}[curious music building]
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[Dan in English] You see the longevity
in the Blue Zone
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mostly among the mountainous areas.
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- What do you observe?
- [man] Exactly.
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The altitude was our first hypothesis, no?
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So it was a working hypothesis.
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We found the villages
are above 700 meters.
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- [Dan] Meters. Twenty-two hundred feet.
- [man] Exactly.
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{\an8}But the altitude
is not necessarily the explanation.
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- [Dan in Italian] Good morning.
- [in Italian] Good morning.
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Now you show up?
We already finished cooking!
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- [Dan] A little fiesta!
- [Gianni] Good morning, ma'am.
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Good morning.
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[Dan] What are you making?
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[woman] Gathulis.
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[Dan] Is it sweet?
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No, it's not sweet.
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Potato and cheese.
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[in English] Would she say her health
is good, very good, or excellent?
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Self-report.
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[in Italian] If you had
to judge your own health,
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would you say it's bad,
good, very good or excellent?
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For the age I have, I'd say it's good.
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- [Gianni] Good? Not excellent?
- Excellent. Maybe excellent.
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[Gianni in English]
It's good, not excellent.
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[in Italian] It can't be
absolutely excellent.
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{\an8}[Dan in English]
Why does she think she has lived so long
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and stayed so healthy?
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[Vittoria in Italian] For me, as I said
before, faith and hope are the two.
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So it's that. It's not down to my merit.
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[Dan in English]
How often do you go to church?
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- [Vittoria speaking Italian]
- [Gianni] Every day.
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[Vittoria in Italian]
If I walk slowly, ten minutes.
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[in English] See, I find that incredible
because I know right outside her house,
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it's straight uphill.
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[man in Italian] When I was a kid,
there were only wheat fields here.
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Do you remember
the post office used to be here?
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- [man 2] Yes.
- Mrs. Lavinia worked there.
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[man 2] Yes, I remember that.
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- [man 1] Good evening!
- Hello!
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[man 3] Where are you going?
Out for a walk?
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[Dan in English] It feels like
99% of all trips in the Blue Zone
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are either uphill or downhill.
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There's a number of other villages
lower down the mountain,
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but they don't have
extraordinary longevity,
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so Gianni actually studied this.
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He interviewed about 300 centenarians,
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and then he correlated that
with the pitch of their village
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and found out very clearly
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that one of the biggest predictors
of longevity
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was how steep your village is.
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[Gianni] So the steepness for us is
very important. You can see here,
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{\an8}just by walking,
you have an additional energy expenditure.
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Many homes have two,
three, or four stories.
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Every day,
have to walk up and down 30 steps.
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[Dan] Who would have thought
that steepness of a village
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would correlate to longevity?
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None of them have big biceps
or could do a triathlon. They're walking.
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So I'm thinking back on Okinawa and about
how they're gardening almost every day
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and getting up and down from the floor,
and I'm seeing a commonality.
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They don't even know it,
but they're exercising.
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They're moving naturally all day long.
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Most people spend
about half of their day sitting down.
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We move from our cars
to our desks to our couches,
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and that prolonged physical inactivity
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increases our risk
for diabetes and heart disease,
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both of which cut our lives short.
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But in Sardinia,
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they've suffered only a fraction
of the rate of these diseases
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and, therefore, are living longer.
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This gives us an interesting clue.
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If we want to live longer,
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instead of paying
for an expensive gym membership,
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{\an8}maybe start by skipping the elevator
and taking the stairs.
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[Dan] So the Blue Zone in Sardinia
is actually the region of Barbagia...
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which comes from the same word
as "barbarian."
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[goat bleats]
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[Dan] About 13,000 years ago,
a population colonized the entire island.
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And then the Phoenicians came,
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and then the Romans, and then the Arabs,
and with every succeeding wave of people,
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they tried to subjugate
these founder population.
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Eventually, people moved up
into the highlands.
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People here were largely left alone
because they had this fierce reputation.
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Strangers meant trouble,
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so when strangers
wandered into these highlands,
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they were often met
with the business end of a sword.
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And for 2,000 years, this lifestyle
incubated a set of traditions,
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a code of conduct,
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a certain set of values, a certain diet.
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What we see now is not that different
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than what you might have seen
a thousand years ago here.
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[woman in Italian] Did it heat up?
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[in Italian] It won't be easy
to warm it up quickly.
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You have to stir it,
then leave it alone for a little while.
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You're really not good at this!
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[woman chuckles]
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[woman 2 in Italian] Where is the salt?
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And the onion?
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[Dan in English] If you want an idea
of what Sardinians eat to live to be 100,
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one of the best places to look
is in the kitchens of older ladies.
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They've been cooking
the same things for generations.
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But what really shocked me
was the pasta and the bread.
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Coming from America,
I'm like, "Wait a minute."
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"Carbs are the enemy, right?"
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Breads, pastas,
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there's no getting around
that these are simple carbs.
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But the point here is
how these simple carbs are prepared.
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Let's take sourdough bread, for example.
When you're making sourdough bread,
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the process is very different
than your average white bread
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because sourdough bread is actually leaven
with a bacteria called lactobacillus,
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which lowers the glycemic load
of an entire meal.
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That means this sourdough bread
actually lowers sugar absorption,
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and that might explain
why people have lower rates of diabetes
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and, therefore, higher longevity.
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But mostly here,
you see complex carbohydrates,
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like whole grains, greens, and beans.
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Minestrone has been
a feature of this diet for centuries.
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What's minestrone?
It's essentially beans, sometimes pasta,
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and the available vegetables,
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whatever happens to be growing
in the garden.
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All the ingredients have
a wide variety of fibers,
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and that keeps your inflammation in check
and your immune system strong.
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Is it okay if I...
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[in Italian] Check this out!
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[both laughing]
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[Dan in English]
Something they're eating every day,
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and that's the majority
of the caloric intake,
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this beautiful vegetable soup.
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[whimsical music playing]
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So, just like Okinawa
with their purple sweet potatoes,
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Sardinia is eating a high-carb diet.
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And this got me thinking,
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maybe carbs aren't so bad after all...
if they're prepared right.
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[church bell tolling in distance]
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[Dan] How many centenarians
are in this cemetery?
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[Gianni] I've counted
nearly 30 centenarians.
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- [Dan] Thirty centenarians?
- [Gianni] Thirty centenarians, yes.
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[Dan] Wait, is that 103?
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- 1880 to...
- [Gianni] Exactly.
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- [Dan] 103.
- [Gianni] 103.
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[Dan] 103-year-olds
buried on top of each other.
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Gianni's like, "Big deal!"
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[Gianni] Sometimes you can find tombs
with the husband and wife,
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both centenarians.
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[Dan] I didn't have to spend long
in any Sardinian cemetery
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to realize that they're
living a long time.
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But as I looked past the surface,
I noticed something really interesting.
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{\an8}You see, statistically,
women tend to live longer than men.
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{\an8}In America,
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for every male centenarian,
we have five female centenarians.
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But here in Sardinia,
the proportion was one to one.
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This is the highest concentration
of male centenarians in the world.
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[man in Italian] I had two aunts.
One died at 103, another 102.
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[Dan in English] How old are you guys?
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[in Italian] He's an old man!
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I'm not yet as old as he says.
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[laughing]
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[Dan] What's going on here?
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What are these males doing
that's special here?
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They weren't farmers.
They weren't craftsmen.
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They didn't run,
you know, bars and restaurants.
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It turns out that men
were traditionally always shepherds.
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- [bells clanging]
- [bleating]
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[Gino in Italian]
First, we milked the animals
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early when it started to get light.
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The wall wasn't there yet,
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so we had to follow
the animals everywhere.
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[Dan in English]
What is it about shepherding
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that could actually contribute
to the longevity of men here?
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They spend time with their animals.
They're up in the hills walking.
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They take naps, and by happy hour,
they're usually back in their villages,
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sharing a glass of wine
with their friends.
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So men in Sardinia work,
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but they don't appear to be
especially stressed out at work.
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{\an8}Stress is a button that the brain presses
which acts as a default mechanism
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to adapt to the worst-case scenario.
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The moment we become acutely stressed,
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glucose spikes in our blood.
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Wow.
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[Mithu] You also get
a spike in inflammatory markers.
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We know the evolutionary reason for it.
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So if you're running away from an animal
and you have an open wound,
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being in a state of inflammation
protects you.
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- When we're stressed?
- [Mithu] When stressed.
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Seems like a benefit.
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[Mithu] It's a benefit
as long as it's short-term.
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The problem is,
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as soon as you keep
the button pressed for very long,
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these effects become negative.
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[Dan] Constant or chronic stress
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can cause cardiovascular disease
and promote illness.
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It's not that these shepherds here
don't have any stress.
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They just seem to have
not a lot of chronic stress.
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{\an8}In a global survey of daily stress
country by country,
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Americans report the opposite.
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Americans exceed
the global average by 20%.
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One of the ways
in which stress is beneficial
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is if we overcome it
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by active coping.
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Today, in our urban world,
through social media, news media,
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we are brought
all the problems of the whole world.
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These are problems
you cannot physically control.
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[phone buzzing]
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But you can control
how you treat your goat
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- to make sure your flock is healthy.
- [chuckles]
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00:15:27,635 --> 00:15:30,888
[Mithu] And this sense of active coping
240
00:15:30,971 --> 00:15:34,058
where you can resolve
the problems that you are given
241
00:15:34,141 --> 00:15:37,561
is a very important part of mental health,
242
00:15:38,062 --> 00:15:40,940
cognitive longevity,
and stress resilience.
243
00:15:42,816 --> 00:15:47,112
[Dan] So in most of the world,
we're driven to get ahead by working hard,
244
00:15:47,196 --> 00:15:48,989
day in and day out.
245
00:15:49,073 --> 00:15:52,701
In Sardinia, it's not so much
what they do.
246
00:15:52,785 --> 00:15:53,994
It's how they do it.
247
00:16:06,757 --> 00:16:08,008
Here's another clue.
248
00:16:08,092 --> 00:16:10,594
Normally, when you see
a lot of old people,
249
00:16:10,678 --> 00:16:13,222
you also see a lot of nursing homes.
250
00:16:13,722 --> 00:16:14,974
Not here.
251
00:16:15,057 --> 00:16:17,226
In fact, I never saw a nursing home
252
00:16:17,309 --> 00:16:19,436
in this entire Blue Zone.
253
00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:25,442
So, if aging facilities
are not giving old people their care,
254
00:16:25,526 --> 00:16:27,194
where are they getting it?
255
00:16:37,413 --> 00:16:40,332
[in Italian] I never liked
going to school for writing.
256
00:16:40,416 --> 00:16:41,583
[chuckles]
257
00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:44,294
[woman in Italian] Now she won't
give you back your pen.
258
00:16:44,378 --> 00:16:47,006
She's on the last one.
259
00:16:48,132 --> 00:16:50,968
[Dan in English]
So, you just had your 101st birthday?
260
00:16:51,051 --> 00:16:52,411
[Giulia in Italian] When I was 80,
261
00:16:52,469 --> 00:16:55,848
a woman asked me
about my retirement pension.
262
00:16:55,931 --> 00:16:59,977
Everyone in my family
was dying in their 80s,
263
00:17:00,060 --> 00:17:02,479
so I said, "What's the point
of asking for a pension?"
264
00:17:02,563 --> 00:17:07,276
And now I've missed
those 21 years of pension payments.
265
00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,737
But you've gained in age.
266
00:17:09,820 --> 00:17:10,820
[speaking Italian]
267
00:17:11,238 --> 00:17:13,907
- [Gianni] Has she always been single?
- [women] Yes.
268
00:17:13,991 --> 00:17:16,285
Have you always been single, Aunt Gio?
269
00:17:16,368 --> 00:17:19,455
- Yes.
- True, she has always been single.
270
00:17:19,538 --> 00:17:21,165
[Gianni in English] She remained single.
271
00:17:21,665 --> 00:17:25,502
[woman 1 in Italian] We take turns
taking care of her every day.
272
00:17:25,586 --> 00:17:28,672
We take her for a walk. We cook for her.
273
00:17:29,339 --> 00:17:32,926
Even when she was younger, she was
invited to lunch by all her nieces.
274
00:17:33,010 --> 00:17:36,221
We never left her alone on Sundays,
275
00:17:36,305 --> 00:17:40,059
despite us being busy with our kids.
276
00:17:40,142 --> 00:17:43,979
We always considered her
like a mother to us.
277
00:17:45,105 --> 00:17:49,026
She doesn't have children of her own,
but she took care of us.
278
00:17:49,818 --> 00:17:52,237
[woman 2] Once, she was very ill.
279
00:17:53,697 --> 00:17:55,199
We hospitalized her,
280
00:17:55,699 --> 00:18:00,579
and at the hospital,
she was always turned towards the wall
281
00:18:00,662 --> 00:18:02,915
and wouldn't speak to anyone.
282
00:18:02,998 --> 00:18:06,668
She wouldn't say anything,
and we knew we were losing her.
283
00:18:06,752 --> 00:18:10,589
So we started taking turns in groups,
284
00:18:10,672 --> 00:18:12,216
and we fed her.
285
00:18:12,299 --> 00:18:13,842
We held her head up
286
00:18:13,926 --> 00:18:15,844
because she couldn't stand up.
287
00:18:15,928 --> 00:18:19,098
[woman continues in Italian]
288
00:18:20,349 --> 00:18:24,103
[Gianni translating] She would have died
if abandoned at that specific time.
289
00:18:24,728 --> 00:18:25,646
[Dan] It's very clear
290
00:18:25,729 --> 00:18:30,317
that people in Blue Zones
keep their aging family members nearby
291
00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,986
where they can get better care.
292
00:18:33,821 --> 00:18:38,742
One of the quickest ways to take
life expectancy away from your parent
293
00:18:38,826 --> 00:18:40,494
is put them in a retirement home.
294
00:18:40,994 --> 00:18:44,206
They go into that retirement home,
they lose between two and six years,
295
00:18:44,289 --> 00:18:46,416
depending on a number of circumstances.
296
00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:50,838
One study estimated
that today, a 50-year-old in America
297
00:18:50,921 --> 00:18:53,632
has at least a 53% chance
298
00:18:53,715 --> 00:18:56,885
of entering a nursing home
during his or her lifetime.
299
00:18:56,969 --> 00:18:59,429
But in Sardinia, you'd never see that.
300
00:18:59,513 --> 00:19:03,934
They had to make community a core value.
Sticking together as a community,
301
00:19:04,017 --> 00:19:06,311
and the building block to community
was the family.
302
00:19:06,395 --> 00:19:09,439
So they're all at home,
not only getting much better care,
303
00:19:09,523 --> 00:19:12,151
but they're also tapped for their wisdom.
304
00:19:18,615 --> 00:19:20,617
[gentle music playing]
305
00:19:21,869 --> 00:19:23,662
This understanding is best reflected
306
00:19:23,745 --> 00:19:27,583
in a story
of the abandoned village of Gairo Vecchio.
307
00:19:33,797 --> 00:19:37,009
There's this old tale here that says,
once upon a time,
308
00:19:37,593 --> 00:19:39,553
when old people became a burden,
309
00:19:40,220 --> 00:19:44,850
the oldest son would take you
to the top of a cliff and push you off.
310
00:19:47,603 --> 00:19:50,731
But one son secretly refused.
311
00:19:51,815 --> 00:19:54,526
He stuck his 70-year-old father
into hiding,
312
00:19:54,610 --> 00:19:58,197
and over time,
that son became incredibly accomplished.
313
00:19:59,114 --> 00:20:01,783
When the people asked him
his secret to success,
314
00:20:01,867 --> 00:20:04,536
he revealed
that his father was still alive
315
00:20:04,620 --> 00:20:08,790
and that his success was
because he gained wisdom from his father.
316
00:20:09,625 --> 00:20:13,086
The moral of this parable
is that our connection to elders
317
00:20:13,170 --> 00:20:15,339
are treasures to be valued,
318
00:20:15,422 --> 00:20:19,885
and ultimately, it's them
that allows us to excel in life.
319
00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:23,722
Do you enjoy the time you're here,
or is it work?
320
00:20:23,805 --> 00:20:28,227
[in Italian] You want to know something?
When we come here, we relax.
321
00:20:28,310 --> 00:20:29,144
[speaking Italian]
322
00:20:29,228 --> 00:20:34,024
[laughing] We get to relax
because she transmits serenity.
323
00:20:34,107 --> 00:20:37,236
[Gianni in English] Taking care of Giulia
is sort of relaxing, I think.
324
00:20:37,319 --> 00:20:38,320
[laughing]
325
00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,493
[Dan] When I first started investigating
the Blue Zone here,
326
00:20:44,576 --> 00:20:48,538
I emphasized the sourdough bread
and the minestrone.
327
00:20:48,622 --> 00:20:50,457
But what I've come to believe
328
00:20:50,540 --> 00:20:54,503
that is a far stronger determinant
to longevity here
329
00:20:55,462 --> 00:20:57,756
are these traditions and social norms.
330
00:20:59,216 --> 00:21:02,177
This outsized reverence for the family.
331
00:21:17,109 --> 00:21:18,777
Sardinia and Okinawa,
332
00:21:18,860 --> 00:21:19,860
they're isolated.
333
00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,281
They're in remote geographical areas
334
00:21:22,364 --> 00:21:28,870
which have traditionally kept out
the corrosive forces of modernization.
335
00:21:31,707 --> 00:21:35,919
And that's what makes the next step
in my journey so fascinating.
336
00:21:36,003 --> 00:21:39,548
You see, back when I started
this search for Blue Zones,
337
00:21:39,631 --> 00:21:45,387
I just had to know if a longevity hotspot
could exist in the United States.
338
00:21:46,096 --> 00:21:49,433
I started at the CDC,
and they didn't really have much.
339
00:21:49,516 --> 00:21:53,603
And then I got a hold
of county-by-county life expectancy data,
340
00:21:53,687 --> 00:21:55,105
and that wasn't very helpful.
341
00:21:56,565 --> 00:22:01,528
And it wasn't until I got a lead
to look at this Adventist Health study...
342
00:22:03,613 --> 00:22:06,742
which followed, actually, religious group
the Seventh-Day Adventists.
343
00:22:06,825 --> 00:22:07,825
I'd never heard of them.
344
00:22:07,868 --> 00:22:12,039
But the Adventist Health study
found 96,000 Adventists
345
00:22:12,122 --> 00:22:15,250
and not only found how long they lived,
346
00:22:15,334 --> 00:22:19,087
but because it asked
about habits and lifestyle,
347
00:22:19,171 --> 00:22:25,135
you can also start to see what behaviors
are associated with longer life.
348
00:22:26,094 --> 00:22:29,556
The real shocker was discovered
in an Adventist community,
349
00:22:29,639 --> 00:22:33,769
where followers are defying
the longevity odds.
350
00:22:33,852 --> 00:22:37,105
This isn't some exotic location
halfway around the world.
351
00:22:37,189 --> 00:22:40,859
This is a Blue Zone
right in an American suburb.
352
00:22:42,527 --> 00:22:47,449
I remember driving to Loma Linda
the very first time.
353
00:22:48,158 --> 00:22:50,952
I flew to
Los Angeles International Airport,
354
00:22:51,036 --> 00:22:52,037
rented a car,
355
00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:55,707
drove about two hours down the Highway 10,
the San Bernardino freeway,
356
00:22:55,791 --> 00:22:57,542
six lanes of traffic.
357
00:22:58,585 --> 00:23:00,962
And then I get off the exit at Loma Linda,
358
00:23:01,046 --> 00:23:03,924
and the first thing I see is a Del Taco,
359
00:23:04,007 --> 00:23:05,967
and I'm going, "This is a Blue Zone?"
360
00:23:13,225 --> 00:23:15,227
[cheerful music playing]
361
00:23:32,536 --> 00:23:35,705
Sounds hard to believe,
but according to the study,
362
00:23:35,789 --> 00:23:39,084
these Adventists live longer
than other Californians,
363
00:23:39,167 --> 00:23:44,714
7.3 years longer for men
and 4.4 years longer for women.
364
00:23:44,798 --> 00:23:47,717
This typical American community
is far from isolated.
365
00:23:48,635 --> 00:23:54,182
So, how is Loma Linda achieving
the same results as other Blue Zones?
366
00:24:04,025 --> 00:24:07,571
So here we go. Up and down. Up and down.
367
00:24:07,654 --> 00:24:09,865
Push, pull. Push, pull.
368
00:24:09,948 --> 00:24:12,033
Up and down. Up and down.
369
00:24:12,868 --> 00:24:13,994
Exhale when you lift.
370
00:24:14,077 --> 00:24:15,954
[upbeat music playing]
371
00:24:19,958 --> 00:24:21,585
[woman] On the elbow here.
372
00:24:34,973 --> 00:24:38,059
[Dan] In the United States,
we spend billions on gym memberships
373
00:24:38,143 --> 00:24:40,604
that go largely unused.
374
00:24:40,687 --> 00:24:42,647
We're well-intentioned.
375
00:24:42,731 --> 00:24:47,068
We just can't seem to keep
exercise routines going long enough
376
00:24:47,152 --> 00:24:48,487
to make a difference.
377
00:24:49,029 --> 00:24:51,823
But somehow, the Adventists of Loma Linda
378
00:24:51,907 --> 00:24:57,370
are getting physical activity routines
and other healthy behaviors to stick.
379
00:25:00,957 --> 00:25:02,000
Wow, what a save!
380
00:25:05,045 --> 00:25:07,130
Okay. Two-five-one.
381
00:25:08,298 --> 00:25:11,384
{\an8}[Dan] Legend has it
that you brought pickleball to Loma Linda.
382
00:25:12,093 --> 00:25:14,721
{\an8}Well, that... I was playing since 2016.
383
00:25:14,804 --> 00:25:16,973
[Dan] The godmother
of Loma Linda pickleball.
384
00:25:17,057 --> 00:25:17,891
[chuckles]
385
00:25:17,974 --> 00:25:20,894
[Dan] So I'm looking out here.
I'm guessing this is any given Friday.
386
00:25:20,977 --> 00:25:25,065
I know there's an 82-year-old.
An 87-year-old was out here earlier.
387
00:25:25,148 --> 00:25:26,024
[Loida] Yes, yes.
388
00:25:26,107 --> 00:25:29,653
[Dan] You're 84. I mean,
how many hours at a time do you play?
389
00:25:29,736 --> 00:25:31,380
- [Loida] Three hours.
- [Dan] Three hours!
390
00:25:31,404 --> 00:25:33,490
- [Loida] Mm-hmm. Yes.
- [Dan] So you're a doctor.
391
00:25:33,573 --> 00:25:37,827
Do you think pickleball
may be the secret to longevity?
392
00:25:37,911 --> 00:25:40,914
[Loida laughs] I'll say it's part.
It's part.
393
00:25:40,997 --> 00:25:41,998
[Dan] It's part?
394
00:25:42,082 --> 00:25:45,669
But your daily routine in life helps.
I mean, that's the main.
395
00:25:45,752 --> 00:25:50,257
See, longevity is exercise and community.
396
00:25:50,340 --> 00:25:52,842
If you're depressed,
you're not going to live very long.
397
00:25:52,926 --> 00:25:55,053
So this is community.
You're shouting there.
398
00:25:55,136 --> 00:25:56,447
- You're happy.
- [Dan] Good point.
399
00:25:56,471 --> 00:25:59,182
[Loida] We call each other
like we're high school kids.
400
00:25:59,266 --> 00:26:00,559
"Hey, come and play with us."
401
00:26:00,642 --> 00:26:03,520
These people, even when they come
for the first time,
402
00:26:03,603 --> 00:26:05,063
they become friends.
403
00:26:05,146 --> 00:26:09,192
And so, when you know
that somebody needs you and wants you to,
404
00:26:09,276 --> 00:26:10,986
you know, to be in your life,
405
00:26:11,861 --> 00:26:13,863
that gives you longevity.
406
00:26:13,947 --> 00:26:16,908
Something to live for. You have to...
407
00:26:16,992 --> 00:26:21,371
If nobody cares for you, who cares
whether I live tomorrow or not, you know?
408
00:26:21,454 --> 00:26:23,039
It's somebody needing you.
409
00:26:24,749 --> 00:26:28,378
[Dan] You can drop your chance of dying
on any given year by almost a third
410
00:26:28,461 --> 00:26:32,132
by staying active,
but most Americans don't stay active.
411
00:26:32,757 --> 00:26:36,761
Here in Loma Linda,
something seems to be working.
412
00:26:36,845 --> 00:26:38,221
The possible secret is
413
00:26:38,305 --> 00:26:41,308
it's not trying to muster the discipline
or presence of mind.
414
00:26:41,933 --> 00:26:44,894
But it's building the community
around the activity.
415
00:26:46,313 --> 00:26:48,857
Seventh-Day Adventists
are conservative Methodists
416
00:26:48,940 --> 00:26:51,109
who distinguish themselves
from other Christians
417
00:26:51,192 --> 00:26:53,320
in that they evangelize with health.
418
00:26:54,154 --> 00:26:58,575
A hundred and twenty years ago, this place
was just a bunch of orange groves,
419
00:26:58,658 --> 00:27:02,412
and when the Adventists first came,
they built two things,
420
00:27:02,495 --> 00:27:04,080
a church and a hospital.
421
00:27:04,664 --> 00:27:08,627
And both of them,
over the ensuing century, have exploded.
422
00:27:08,710 --> 00:27:12,422
Loma Linda University has one of the best
hospitals in America right now,
423
00:27:12,505 --> 00:27:15,759
and the Adventist Church has
now expanded all over the entire globe.
424
00:27:15,842 --> 00:27:18,595
So Loma Linda isn't geographically remote,
425
00:27:18,678 --> 00:27:23,099
but as I started to see,
they're a little bit culturally remote.
426
00:27:23,183 --> 00:27:28,146
They really stick together
around this doctrine of health,
427
00:27:28,229 --> 00:27:32,192
and it's not a physical environment
428
00:27:32,275 --> 00:27:35,278
as much as it is
a religious and social environment.
429
00:27:36,321 --> 00:27:39,991
The Adventists have
these pillars of behaviors
430
00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:43,953
that they believe lead to godliness.
One of them is staying physically active,
431
00:27:44,037 --> 00:27:48,958
and we are seeing this clearly.
Another one is volunteering.
432
00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:56,007
So tell me what's going on.
433
00:27:56,091 --> 00:27:58,176
{\an8}This is the nugget.
434
00:27:58,259 --> 00:28:00,720
{\an8}- This is just a good nugget.
- The nerve center.
435
00:28:00,804 --> 00:28:01,638
{\an8}Exactly.
436
00:28:01,721 --> 00:28:05,308
{\an8}This is where the adrenaline
starts growing in the morning.
437
00:28:05,392 --> 00:28:10,063
{\an8}It's like, you know,
"Oh Lord, help us to be your feet."
438
00:28:10,146 --> 00:28:14,526
Do you feel any benefits right now?
Right here, now, for doing this work?
439
00:28:14,609 --> 00:28:16,820
[Marijke] It creates sheer joy.
440
00:28:16,903 --> 00:28:19,406
And we all have choices every day.
441
00:28:19,489 --> 00:28:22,283
Do we want to be dormant,
442
00:28:22,367 --> 00:28:24,911
or do we want to be productive?
443
00:28:24,994 --> 00:28:29,749
To lead a productive life
and to serve humanity in all aspects.
444
00:28:29,833 --> 00:28:32,043
It is not just the literature that I do.
445
00:28:32,127 --> 00:28:36,339
We do feed people.
We do reach out. We go and visit the sick.
446
00:28:38,091 --> 00:28:40,135
There is so much to give.
447
00:28:45,390 --> 00:28:48,143
[Dan] Volunteering,
very counterintuitive route to health,
448
00:28:48,226 --> 00:28:52,313
but we know that people who volunteer
have better memories,
449
00:28:52,397 --> 00:28:53,815
better social connections.
450
00:28:53,898 --> 00:28:55,942
They even report
higher levels of happiness.
451
00:28:56,025 --> 00:28:58,611
If you think,
it always involves some physical activity,
452
00:28:58,695 --> 00:29:00,613
involves some sense of meaning
453
00:29:00,697 --> 00:29:05,201
because you're focusing on somebody else
other than just yourself.
454
00:29:06,536 --> 00:29:09,873
{\an8}It's one of these subtly powerful things
that is vastly underlooked
455
00:29:09,956 --> 00:29:12,333
{\an8}when it comes to
the formula for longevity.
456
00:29:17,714 --> 00:29:21,092
But there's one pillar here
that really rises above the rest,
457
00:29:21,176 --> 00:29:25,764
and that is
the Adventist emphasis on nutrition.
458
00:29:26,723 --> 00:29:30,935
[man] Ellen White is one of the founders
and leaders of the Adventist Church.
459
00:29:31,019 --> 00:29:33,521
In the middle of the 19th century,
460
00:29:34,022 --> 00:29:36,024
she claims that she had a vision
461
00:29:36,107 --> 00:29:41,279
{\an8}on the importance
of having a good lifestyle,
462
00:29:41,362 --> 00:29:44,866
not only for having good health here,
but necessarily to have a clear mind
463
00:29:44,949 --> 00:29:47,035
to have a better connection
with the Divine.
464
00:29:47,535 --> 00:29:52,749
She proposed a diet with absence of meat,
some saying a vegetarian diet.
465
00:29:52,832 --> 00:29:55,251
I mean, it was not just
"remove meat from the diet."
466
00:29:55,335 --> 00:29:59,172
I mean, it was
"Make sure that a balanced diet
467
00:29:59,255 --> 00:30:01,633
has to include fruits,
468
00:30:01,716 --> 00:30:02,842
legumes,
469
00:30:02,926 --> 00:30:03,927
cereals,
470
00:30:04,469 --> 00:30:05,678
vegetables,
471
00:30:05,762 --> 00:30:06,805
and nuts."
472
00:30:07,472 --> 00:30:11,935
What is your recipe
for remaining vital at age 84?
473
00:30:12,018 --> 00:30:13,018
{\an8}I think diet.
474
00:30:13,436 --> 00:30:15,438
{\an8}- [Dan] Diet.
- Diet is the most important thing.
475
00:30:15,522 --> 00:30:17,816
{\an8}Because that is the one
that gives you the energy.
476
00:30:17,899 --> 00:30:19,609
That's the one that feeds your brain.
477
00:30:20,527 --> 00:30:21,945
[Dan] Are you a vegetarian?
478
00:30:22,028 --> 00:30:24,614
[Loida] Not to start with.
We were very big on fish.
479
00:30:24,697 --> 00:30:27,116
We were very big on meat.
480
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,704
My cholesterol was creeping up,
and I did not want to take any medication.
481
00:30:31,788 --> 00:30:35,792
So we slowly converted to vegetarianism.
482
00:30:35,875 --> 00:30:37,210
[Dan] What did you notice?
483
00:30:37,293 --> 00:30:40,880
[Loida] Well, your endurance is better.
484
00:30:41,381 --> 00:30:44,425
Your figures on your cholesterol
is better,
485
00:30:44,509 --> 00:30:47,887
and that's why I was so convinced
with this way of eating.
486
00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:53,935
[Dan] So estimates suggest
487
00:30:54,018 --> 00:30:58,690
that about 35% of Adventists
are either vegan or vegetarian.
488
00:30:58,773 --> 00:30:59,773
In my research,
489
00:30:59,816 --> 00:31:03,278
I found that most of the Adventist diet
is fruits and vegetables,
490
00:31:03,361 --> 00:31:08,074
with only about 5% of their calories
coming from meat, poultry, and fish.
491
00:31:08,157 --> 00:31:11,661
But for the average American,
it's at least triple that.
492
00:31:11,744 --> 00:31:12,829
In Loma Linda,
493
00:31:12,912 --> 00:31:15,707
eating plant-based is
so fundamental to their religion,
494
00:31:15,790 --> 00:31:20,003
they actually started
a vegetarian food company in 1905.
495
00:31:20,086 --> 00:31:22,881
And even today,
when I walk into the Loma Linda Market,
496
00:31:22,964 --> 00:31:25,842
it's still predominantly plant-based.
497
00:31:25,925 --> 00:31:28,094
Huge bins of nuts and seeds,
498
00:31:28,177 --> 00:31:30,805
a giant produce section.
499
00:31:30,889 --> 00:31:33,516
And then there's a section
of all these sort of fake meats,
500
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,061
{\an8}but it's a different experience
than in a regular grocery store.
501
00:31:37,562 --> 00:31:39,480
I think for much of human history,
502
00:31:39,564 --> 00:31:42,066
eating meat was
associated with better health.
503
00:31:42,150 --> 00:31:45,528
Meat on its own
is a risk factor for some diseases.
504
00:31:45,612 --> 00:31:47,739
Obesity, cardiovascular disease,
505
00:31:47,822 --> 00:31:50,199
some cancers, diabetes.
506
00:31:50,283 --> 00:31:52,619
In addition, in the last 20 years,
507
00:31:52,702 --> 00:31:56,831
research has shown
that there are components in plant foods
508
00:31:56,915 --> 00:32:00,084
that do not exist in animal foods
509
00:32:00,668 --> 00:32:05,214
that are necessary, I mean,
to have good health and longevity.
510
00:32:05,298 --> 00:32:10,219
We found that having fruit
often reduces the risk of lung cancer.
511
00:32:10,303 --> 00:32:13,890
We know that those that eat
a handful of nuts on a regular basis
512
00:32:13,973 --> 00:32:16,017
have three years longer life.
513
00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:17,393
Oh my gosh.
514
00:32:17,477 --> 00:32:19,597
[Joan] They reduce the risk
of cardiovascular disease.
515
00:32:19,646 --> 00:32:23,942
Eating beans often
reduce the risk of colon cancer.
516
00:32:24,484 --> 00:32:27,904
So it's not only the absence of meat
that is beneficial.
517
00:32:27,987 --> 00:32:31,991
It's the presence regularly in the diet
518
00:32:32,075 --> 00:32:35,078
of wholewheat grains, legumes,
519
00:32:35,161 --> 00:32:37,830
fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
520
00:32:38,706 --> 00:32:41,876
[Dan] We often get sent
the negative message about food,
521
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,420
but what their research is uncovering,
522
00:32:44,504 --> 00:32:47,799
it's not just avoiding
the animal products,
523
00:32:47,882 --> 00:32:52,136
but when you add fruits and vegetables
and nuts and beans to your diet,
524
00:32:52,220 --> 00:32:56,265
it actually helps you lose weight,
improves your immune function.
525
00:32:57,016 --> 00:32:58,434
- Morning.
- Hello. How are you?
526
00:32:58,518 --> 00:32:59,352
Good.
527
00:32:59,435 --> 00:33:00,520
[Dan] The point being is
528
00:33:00,603 --> 00:33:04,607
the way they're able to frame
their health messages are in the positive,
529
00:33:04,691 --> 00:33:07,318
instead of the finger wagging,
"You can't do that!"
530
00:33:08,820 --> 00:33:12,156
We know that Adventists
who are plant-based are living the longest
531
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:16,035
and weigh about 20 pounds less
than their meat-eating counterparts.
532
00:33:16,703 --> 00:33:22,000
So the Adventist study,
it gives us a very clear action item.
533
00:33:22,083 --> 00:33:23,584
Simply eat a plant-based diet.
534
00:33:25,294 --> 00:33:27,005
And it's accessible to everyone.
535
00:33:39,934 --> 00:33:41,686
- [Ernest] Come this way.
- [Dan] All right.
536
00:33:41,769 --> 00:33:45,356
And I'll show you
where we've been in our lifetime.
537
00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:48,109
- [Dan] Were your ancestors from China?
- [Ernest] Yeah.
538
00:33:48,192 --> 00:33:50,028
[Dan] Did I get that right?
Where in China?
539
00:33:50,111 --> 00:33:52,488
[Ernest] Uh, Canton.
540
00:33:52,572 --> 00:33:54,782
- [Dan] So, in the south?
- [Ernest] Yeah.
541
00:33:54,866 --> 00:33:58,786
When you look at these pictures,
which one means the most to you?
542
00:33:58,870 --> 00:33:59,954
[Ernest] My daughter.
543
00:34:00,038 --> 00:34:03,166
[Dan] Why is your daughter
the most meaningful picture to you?
544
00:34:03,750 --> 00:34:05,960
- It's the only one I've got.
- [Dan laughs]
545
00:34:06,044 --> 00:34:09,213
You were telling me
that you've already lived 30 years longer
546
00:34:09,297 --> 00:34:10,590
than your father has lived.
547
00:34:10,673 --> 00:34:11,674
[Ernest] That's right.
548
00:34:11,758 --> 00:34:14,761
[Dan] And you're an Adventist,
but your dad was not an Adventist?
549
00:34:14,844 --> 00:34:17,221
[Ernest] He had no idea about health.
550
00:34:17,305 --> 00:34:18,347
Drank, smoked.
551
00:34:19,098 --> 00:34:23,227
If I followed in my dad's footsteps,
my lifestyle and things,
552
00:34:23,311 --> 00:34:24,312
I would be gone.
553
00:34:24,812 --> 00:34:27,690
[Dan] I wanna test drive a theory I have.
554
00:34:27,774 --> 00:34:32,737
You know, Americans are
obsessed with a quick fix for health.
555
00:34:32,820 --> 00:34:34,322
A diet, a supplement.
556
00:34:34,405 --> 00:34:36,324
But it's been my observation
557
00:34:36,407 --> 00:34:40,787
that unless you're doing the right things
for long enough
558
00:34:40,870 --> 00:34:42,663
and avoiding the wrong things,
559
00:34:42,747 --> 00:34:47,585
and I'm talking not just a few months
but years, decades, or a lifetime.
560
00:34:48,127 --> 00:34:51,631
And when you look at the Adventists
and the Saturday Sabbath,
561
00:34:51,714 --> 00:34:56,177
every week,
you're reinforcing these habits.
562
00:34:56,260 --> 00:34:58,513
So, can you describe just briefly
563
00:34:58,596 --> 00:35:02,266
from Friday night,
when you begin Sabbath, until Saturday?
564
00:35:02,350 --> 00:35:04,435
How does that unfold? What do you do?
565
00:35:04,519 --> 00:35:06,020
[woman] We don't shop.
566
00:35:06,104 --> 00:35:08,648
{\an8}We don't play sports, for instance.
567
00:35:08,731 --> 00:35:12,110
{\an8}- [Dan] What do you do Friday night?
- For me, I go to choir practice.
568
00:35:12,193 --> 00:35:16,155
[singing]
569
00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:21,577
♪ The holy name of Jesus' name ♪
570
00:35:21,661 --> 00:35:26,499
[choir singing]
♪ When he shall come with trumpet sound ♪
571
00:35:26,582 --> 00:35:31,504
♪ Oh, may I then in Him be found ♪
572
00:35:31,587 --> 00:35:36,759
♪ And in his righteousness alone... ♪
573
00:35:36,843 --> 00:35:40,012
[Dan] The American condition
is full of stress.
574
00:35:40,805 --> 00:35:42,181
It's worry. It's hurry.
575
00:35:42,265 --> 00:35:46,102
It's lurching from one thing.
Our schedules are packed.
576
00:35:47,478 --> 00:35:50,648
The Adventists have this sanctuary in time
577
00:35:50,731 --> 00:35:55,319
24 hours between sunset on Friday
and sunset on Saturday
578
00:35:55,403 --> 00:35:56,737
where they just shut down.
579
00:35:57,572 --> 00:35:59,365
As an Adventist preacher,
580
00:35:59,448 --> 00:36:03,077
tell me what it is
about the Adventist Sabbath
581
00:36:03,161 --> 00:36:06,164
that you think
is helping people live longer.
582
00:36:06,247 --> 00:36:08,749
{\an8}It says on the seventh day, God rest.
583
00:36:08,833 --> 00:36:12,795
{\an8}So, listening to the instructions
that he has given there,
584
00:36:12,879 --> 00:36:16,966
okay, I can have real rest in him.
585
00:36:17,049 --> 00:36:21,512
And that rest
is not just I'm lying down, sleeping.
586
00:36:21,596 --> 00:36:24,724
But that real rest, contentment,
587
00:36:24,807 --> 00:36:26,976
it makes a difference.
588
00:36:27,059 --> 00:36:30,313
[Dan] Do you generally worry about things,
or are you generally at peace?
589
00:36:30,396 --> 00:36:33,149
[David] Well, I would say
I'm generally at peace.
590
00:36:33,232 --> 00:36:35,860
Worry can do nothing for you.
591
00:36:35,943 --> 00:36:37,987
It takes your strength.
592
00:36:38,070 --> 00:36:42,325
Your emotional health is not good
when you worry about things.
593
00:36:42,408 --> 00:36:46,913
I mean, you know, what should I eat?
What should I drink? What should I put on?
594
00:36:46,996 --> 00:36:48,831
That's what the others do.
595
00:36:50,458 --> 00:36:56,505
[Dan] So I'm seeing this clear trend arise
in looking at these Blue Zones of faith.
596
00:36:56,589 --> 00:37:00,176
The Adventists are
obviously very religious, very adherent.
597
00:37:00,259 --> 00:37:04,347
In Sardinia, we were seeing
really strict Catholics,
598
00:37:04,430 --> 00:37:06,474
and in Okinawa,
599
00:37:06,557 --> 00:37:09,143
we see this ancestor veneration.
600
00:37:10,311 --> 00:37:13,814
And when he prays to the ancestors,
what has he asked for?
601
00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:16,442
[in Japanese] Please protect us.
I ask for protection.
602
00:37:16,525 --> 00:37:18,361
Please watch over us.
603
00:37:18,444 --> 00:37:20,154
That's what I pray for.
604
00:37:20,238 --> 00:37:21,238
Keep us healthy.
605
00:37:21,739 --> 00:37:22,949
For my grandchildren.
606
00:37:23,449 --> 00:37:24,659
To be safe.
607
00:37:25,368 --> 00:37:27,662
[Dan in English] An analysis shows
that people who attend
608
00:37:27,745 --> 00:37:30,456
spiritual services more than once weekly
609
00:37:30,539 --> 00:37:34,043
can get an extra seven years
of life expectancy.
610
00:37:34,752 --> 00:37:37,255
It doesn't matter what religion you are.
611
00:37:37,338 --> 00:37:40,758
What matters is that you're part
of a faith-based community,
612
00:37:40,841 --> 00:37:41,884
and you show up.
613
00:37:43,219 --> 00:37:46,180
{\an8}So this is something
that's available to all of us.
614
00:37:57,900 --> 00:38:01,237
[David] Our Father and our God,
you sit high, you look low.
615
00:38:02,405 --> 00:38:04,532
You look at your creation,
616
00:38:05,157 --> 00:38:07,618
your sons and your daughters.
617
00:38:07,702 --> 00:38:10,329
We thank you now for this gathering,
618
00:38:10,413 --> 00:38:12,915
the young, the un-young.
619
00:38:12,999 --> 00:38:16,252
And we thank you for the service
that we give here today,
620
00:38:16,335 --> 00:38:17,461
that we have given.
621
00:38:18,045 --> 00:38:19,045
[woman] Thank you.
622
00:38:20,381 --> 00:38:21,461
[Dan] For these Adventists,
623
00:38:21,507 --> 00:38:24,969
I actually think
this keeps people on the program.
624
00:38:25,052 --> 00:38:27,555
It reminds you to socially connect.
625
00:38:27,638 --> 00:38:30,683
Reminds you what your sense of purpose is.
626
00:38:30,766 --> 00:38:33,561
It reminds you to eat
a whole food, plant-based diet,
627
00:38:33,644 --> 00:38:37,273
because the problem
with most health interventions
628
00:38:37,356 --> 00:38:38,858
is they don't last very long.
629
00:38:39,608 --> 00:38:43,821
But we also know
that health behaviors are contagious.
630
00:38:43,904 --> 00:38:47,074
Some studies show
that if your three best friends are obese,
631
00:38:47,158 --> 00:38:50,202
there's a better chance
that you'll be overweight yourself.
632
00:38:50,995 --> 00:38:55,291
Elements of smoking
and even loneliness may be contagious.
633
00:38:57,918 --> 00:39:02,965
{\an8}So the most actionable of these lessons
is getting yourself into the right tribe.
634
00:39:03,591 --> 00:39:07,053
{\an8}Surrounding yourself with people
whose idea of recreation
635
00:39:07,136 --> 00:39:09,347
{\an8}is gardening or walking
636
00:39:09,430 --> 00:39:12,850
has a measurable impact
on what your habits are.
637
00:39:12,933 --> 00:39:13,976
And it's not a bad idea
638
00:39:14,060 --> 00:39:16,937
to have a vegetarian or vegan
in your immediate social network
639
00:39:17,021 --> 00:39:20,232
'cause they're gonna teach you
how to eat plant-based food.
640
00:39:20,316 --> 00:39:23,361
And that may or may not work
for getting into heaven, I don't know.
641
00:39:23,444 --> 00:39:27,573
But I do know it works for keeping people
on the straight and narrow
642
00:39:27,656 --> 00:39:30,743
when it comes to healthy habits,
healthy behaviors,
643
00:39:30,826 --> 00:39:32,495
and therein lies the power.
644
00:39:34,413 --> 00:39:36,415
[optimistic music playing]
645
00:39:38,709 --> 00:39:42,213
[Dan] So we found incredibly
great examples of longevity in Sardinia
646
00:39:42,296 --> 00:39:45,049
and in Okinawa and Loma Linda.
647
00:39:45,966 --> 00:39:49,387
Every place we went,
we learned something new.
648
00:39:50,388 --> 00:39:54,308
But I wanted to find
more longevity hotspots.
649
00:39:57,395 --> 00:40:00,481
And I heard about a place
right off the coast of Turkey,
650
00:40:00,564 --> 00:40:01,982
technically in Greece.
651
00:40:04,235 --> 00:40:08,155
It comes to no surprise
that people would live a long time here.
652
00:40:09,824 --> 00:40:13,202
But there are
227 inhabited islands in Greece,
653
00:40:13,285 --> 00:40:18,124
and only one of them is
head and shoulders above all the others
654
00:40:18,207 --> 00:40:20,251
when it comes to longevity.
655
00:40:24,171 --> 00:40:26,173
[rousing music playing]
656
00:40:28,634 --> 00:40:31,262
So, what's going on here?
657
00:40:31,846 --> 00:40:33,848
[string music playing]