Nova Scotia: A Blue Zone?

Graduation. Marriage. Retirement. These are some of the many milestones in life we anticipate. But there is one significant milestone that is not commonly shared. Some along Nova Scotia’s South Shore celebrate its advent. They’re a piece of living history. They’re centenarians or super centenarians. Living to 100 years old, or more, is no easy feat. How do the select few do it? Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by author Dan Buettner may prove to be a good read.

You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing — George Bernard Shaw

The right genes: Centenarians and super centenarians

Having the right genes, living a healthy lifestyle, and having a positive inquisitive mind may be the answer to an individual’s longevity. Blue Zone is a term attributed to Belgian demographer, Dr. Michel Poulain, who used blue ink to circle a world map where he found areas of centenarian Sardinians. In cooperation with Buettner and a Sardianian medical doctor, Dr. Gianni Pes, they discovered regions with populations with the greatest longevity. They referred to blue circles as Blue Zones.

In Buettner’s research, he found other areas on the planet where people seemed to live the longest – be centenarians. Aside from Sardinia, other regions included Okinawa, the Nicoya region of Costa Rica, and Loma Linda, California.

Nova Scotia’s South Shore, Lunenburg, and specifically Yarmouth County may just possibly be another Blue Zone. These regions have pockets of centenarians and is definitely the longevity belt in Canada. What are the longevity hypotheses according to researchers?

The founder effect

For starters, the longevity belt could be attributed to a “founder effect,” meaning our centenarians arose from a common “founder” of ethnic background, such as a Celtic, Scottish, or German, with a rare genetic tendency for long life. It seems this rare gene runs in families. Children and siblings of centenarians have been known to reach an extremely old age as well. This genetic influence possibly protects these individuals from common age-related ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, for example.

When studying centenarians, it’s been noted that most have never smoked or abused alcohol and very few are obese. They are physically active individuals. Even after retirement, they possess an innate ability to deal with stress. Most have a keen sense of humour and a “survivor” attitude. Family is important to them as is spirituality with an active involvement in their religion.  

Medical advancements and higher standards of living

Certainly. We can’t rule out improved medical advancements and higher standards of living aiding in this longevity. Yet, for those possessing this “gifted” gene, these things only enhance their already predetermined life span.

There are no guarantees that living a healthy lifestyle, quitting smoking, and engaging in physical activity for as long as possible will prolong one’s life, but it certainly helps. Those blessed with an optimal combination of these life prolonging genes could probably indulge somewhat. But those with a family history of heart disease, diabetes, or other debilitating affliction should learn to be more cautious. Making lifestyle changes will reap the rewards in the long run.

Reaching the century or more milestones in fairly good health is what we all hope and anticipate. Then too, we can say that we’ve lived history in the making. As Eleanor Roosevelt once stated, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”