The power of faith and belonging has long been studied by doctors, researchers, and academics. In the original blue zones (Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoyan Peninsula of Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California), all but five of the 263 centenarians interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. This discovery is reflected in the Blue Zones Power 9 longevity principle: belong.
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Belong to live long
“People who pay attention to their spiritual side have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, stress, and suicide, and their immune systems seem to work better … To a certain extent, adherence to a religion allows them to relinquish the stresses of everyday life to a higher power.”—Dan Buettner, Blue Zones
In the world’s original blue zones areas, all but five of the 263 centenarians studied belonged to a faith-based community. The act of regularly attending a religious service is a common thread among extraordinary cultures across the globe. Denomination doesn’t seem to matter—gathering with others to worship, even just once a month, seems to have a positive effect on an individual’s overall health and happiness.
