People living past 100 in one tiny village share 3 daily habits
"We see women gathering in the library, baking bread together, making sweets together and going to church together," he said. "So, you see a much more socially connected society among the women in Bolotana than in the other blue zones."
As in many parts of Italy, Bolotana has a strong Catholic tradition. Buettner said church attendance may provide residents with faith, social connection and a sense of belonging.
"It’s a sense of community, but it's also people proactively understanding that sitting down with a friend and talking about your troubles and your day with somebody who cares about you is a much more powerful drug than a pharmaceutical," Buettner said.
"The human species has shown this over and over, and Bolotana is a perfect example."
Diet varies among blue zones, but Bolotana’s traditional fare is largely plant-based, with a focus on beans, vegetables, wheat, olives and olive oil, along with some cheese and meat.
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"About 90% of a centenarian's diet has been all plant-based," Buettner said. "Not protein, by the way. These aren't protein loaders. These are complex carbohydrate loaders."
A Bolotanese breakfast might consist of a piece of bread or cheese with local olives and a cup of coffee. Lunch, the biggest meal of the day that starts in the early afternoon, is "almost always" a minestrone soup made with locally grown seasonal vegetables and lots of beans.
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"Beans are the cornerstone of the longevity diet here," Buettner said. "Garbanzo beans, lentil beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans — these are really the all-star of the diet."
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Traditionally, residents ate meat about five times per month, usually as a celebratory food.
In the highlands, people traditionally cooked with lard, Buettner said, while Bolotana residents use olive oil from ancient trees.
Researchers are studying whether the oil’s unusually high levels of odd-chain fatty acids could be relevant to longevity.
Bolotana residents are not deliberately pursuing longer lives, the longevity researcher noted. The region has little emphasis on gym culture or biohacking.
"These are real humans with an average set of genes," Buettner said. "These aren’t superhumans with superhuman discipline or better genes."
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"They’re not chasing longevity," he added. "It is the product of their environment."
since Bolotana’s streets are steep and residents rarely drive within town, they typically walk to shops, cafés, workplaces and friends’ homes, Buettner said.
"It’s this sort of unconscious walking that’s far more key for longevity than going to the gym."
Buettner said Bolotana is an example of how daily routines and surroundings can encourage movement without requiring residents to schedule formal exercise.
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