Here are the secrets of the planet’s so-called ‘blue zones’ where people typically live much longer than the average person.

Back in 2012, the tiny town of Perdasdefogu in Sardinia, Italy made global headlines after a Guinness World Record was given to the town’s Melis family who at the time had a combined age of 818 years.

The nine siblings were then known as the world’s longest-lived family, with the surviving siblings going on to feature in Dan Buettner’s 2023 Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.

So what is a blue zone, and why do some residents live so much longer?

The Melis family received a honour of the oldest living in family (ETTORE LOI/AFP/GettyImages)

The world’s blue zones, explained

According to various studies, across the past couple of decades there are currently five blue zones spread around the planet, these are: Loma Linda in California, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Okinawa in Japan as well as the islands of Sardinia and Icaria in Italy and Greece respectively.

So what makes these places so special?

Ever since Buettner coined the phrase back in 2005, there has been a global fascination over what makes these particular places so special when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives.

And it turns out there are a number of factors involving diet and lifestyle which makes these places particularly special. “The key factor across all the blue zones is that the centenarians living there did not wake up one morning and decide they wanted to live to 100,” Buettner explained in a previous interview with The National.

Sardinia is considered one of the planet’s five ‘blue zones’ (Getty Stock Images)

“They simply lived in environments that nudged them into daily movement, encouraged social connectedness and plant-based eating – making the healthy choice not only easy, but unavoidable.”

He continued: “We found that all the blue zones shared nine common characteristics that we feel create this environment of health.”

For example, the Melis family revealed that a daily staple in their diet included a three bean minestrone soup, which included a number of additional vegetables and is packed full of nutrients, fibre and protein.

Moderate amounts of alcohol are also common in these diets, as well as a more relaxed outlook on life and stronger sense of community. Buettner states that ‘knowing your sense of purpose’ can also be a crucial part of living longer as well.

Minestrone soup was a staple in the Melis family diets (Getty Stock Images)

Environment can also play a crucial role, with Giacomo Mameli – a distant cousin of the Melis siblings – telling The Guardian in 2021: “We live in a place where the air is clean. Our centenarians were in continuous movement in a healthy environment.

“Another important factor is that Perdasdefogu conserves the sense of community… if you talk, you live well.”

The oldest family in the world ate the same meal for their entire life and even experts swear by it.

Forget eating out at new restaurants, whipping up crazy recipes or trying to expand your palette, the Melis family from Italy apparently found the secret to a long and healthy life – and it’s all down to this one meal.

Who are the Melis family?

The nine siblings were known as the world’s longest-lived family, and in 2012 they were given the Guinness World Record for the highest combined age of 818 years.

The Melis family received widespread attention in 2012 (AFP/Getty)

In 2023, the Melis siblings featured in the Netflix documentary series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.

The show followed American author Dan Buettner visit five ‘blue zone’ areas of the world, which included Sardinia in Italy, where the Melis family lived.

A blue zone is an area of the world where people are claimed to live longer than average and Sardinia is one of the most well-known.

Buettner, an expert in tips to extend your life through healthy means, shone a light on the Melis family lunch that they ate every day.

What’s the meal?

So what’s the meal the Melis family munched on each day? You may want to reconsider your lunchtime options.

It is plant-based and contains foods full of vitamins. Explaining the meal, Buettner said: “Every day of their life they had the same meal for their lunch.

“A sourdough bread, a three bean minestrone soup – a chunky minestrone with garden vegetables.

“It always had three beans; a garbanzo, a pinto and a white bean.

“And then they had a small glass of red wine. I’m talking a two to three ounce glass.

“Now this wasn’t because ‘my diet requires me to do it’.

“No, they loved it.”

Samantha Cassetty Cassetty, a New York City dietitian, told Today.com: “People who live the longest, healthiest lives tend to eat half a cup to a cup of beans daily.

“It’s also noteworthy that the soup uses three types of beans and multiple vegetables.

“Research suggests that eating 30 unique plant foods per week can improve your gut diversity, a marker of a healthy gut.

“Your gut regulates health functions, like blood pressure and cholesterol, inflammation, mood, weight and nutrient absorption, so you’ll be more likely to live a longer and healthier life if you have a healthy gut.”

This is why the soup is so good for you (Westend61/Getty)

Why was the Melis soup recipe so healthy?

The pinto beans are packed full of nutrients, protein and fibre with zero cholesterol to be seen. Garbanzo beans are the same.

White beans are known as a ‘nutrional powerhouse’ according to Healthline, as they’re packed with fibre and protein and are a good source of micronutrients including folate, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Where are the Melis family now?

In more recent years, members of the Melis family have passed away. Consolata Melis died in 2015 aged 108 and was her town’s longest-surviving citizen, The Guardian reported in 2021. She was the eldest in the family of nine. Her sister, Claudina, died in 2016 aged 103, and Maria died at 100 and Antonio died aged 97.

There are a number of rules that those living in the ‘blue zones’ that help them to live longer than most people in the world.

You may be curious as to what blue zones actually are, as one Italian family went viral back in 2012 after winning a Guinness World Record.

The Melis family of Perdasdefogu, Sardinia, held the record for the oldest combined age, which stood at 818 years.

These nine siblings were known as the world’s longest-lived family, as they went on to feature in a Netflix documentary titled Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones in 2023.

But there are some tips and secrets that you can follow to give yourself the best bet of turning out, like the Melis and many others that have lived long lives.

The Melis family live in a ‘blue zone’ (ETTORE LOI/AFP/GettyImages)

What is a blue zone?

There are said to be five blue zones across the world, which are; Loma Linda in California, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Okinawa in Japan as well as the islands of Sardinia and Icaria in Italy and Greece.

Dan Buettner made the term ‘blue zone’ famous in 2005, as he found that certain areas on Earth had people living longer, healthier lives – for some reason.

It’s all down to diet and lifestyle at the end of the day, as Buettner highlighted previously that it was because they ‘lived in environments that nudged them into daily movement, encouraged social connectedness and plant-based eating’.

This was what led them to living longer, not a forced trend that was pushed on these respective families.

The Melis’ family staple in their diet is a three-bean minestrone soup, which actually isn’t that hard to make, but because of the nutrients, fibre and protein in the mix as well as a number of vegetables added into the mix, their bodies feel all the positive effects.

If you switch up a few things in your diet, you could potentially live as long as those in the Melis family (ETTORE LOI/AFP/GettyImages)

11 ‘Blue Zone’ diet rules to live by

But what if you wanted to upheave your diet and live as long as some of those are in the blue zone?

Well, there are 11 things you can switch up in what you eat to give yourself the best chance at a long life.

They are:

• Eat predominantly plants
• Have meat sparingly
• Include three small servings of fish in your weekly diet
• Avoid dairy, but some yoghurt and cheese on occasion is fine
• Have a maximum of three eggs per week.
• Eat at least half a cup of cooked beans everyday
• Have sugary treats when celebrating
• Snack on nuts
• Avoid supermarket bread and aim to have whole grain, rye or sourdough
• Have whole foods over processed ones
• Stay hydrated with plenty of water, and enjoy red wine in moderation with a meal.

Consolata Melis, with the family’s Guinness World Record Certificate (ETTORE LOI/AFP/GettyImages)

Alcohol is a part of these diets, not just for health benefits but to create a sense of community and to encourage a relaxed outlook on life, a mental health benefit.

Buttner explained that ‘knowing your sense of purpose’ can also help people to live longer.

Environment is also key, as Giacomo Mameli – a distant cousin of the Melis siblings – told The Guardian in 2021: “We live in a place where the air is clean. Our centenarians were in continuous movement in a healthy environment.

“Another important factor is that Perdasdefogu conserves the sense of community… if you talk, you live well.”

There’s something about Thai food that’s just otherworldly, from the staple Pad Thai to a Thai green (or red) curry, it’s everything you’ll ever want in one meal – but there’s one dish that could lead to serious health consequences.

It’s so bad for you that even just a single bite of the local delicacy could give you liver cancer.

And the carcinogenic food is actually believed to be responsible for the deaths of 20,000 people in Thailand every year.

The dish is said to kill 20,000 people in Thailand every single year (Wikimedia Commons)

Now, while you’re not going to come across it on your local Thai takeaway menu or in the supermarket, it’s popular in the Thai province of Khon Kaen and even more popular in one of the nation’s poorest provinces, Isaan.

Known as koi pla, this plate of minced raw fish ground up with herbs, spices, and lemon juice and is eaten by many Thai people every day.

You might think it’s the raw fish that causes people to develop fatal liver cancer, but that’s not the case.

In fact, it’s the parasitic flatworms – or live flukes – that live inside of the fish instead.

The parasites are native to fresh water fish in the Mekong region, and it’s believed that Isaan has the highest reported instance of cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, in the world due to the heavy consumption of the raw fish meal.

Dr Narong Khuntikeo, from Thailand, has been working to fight against the dangerous delicacy after both his parents tragically died from liver cancer after consuming it.

One bite could give you liver cancer (Getty Stock Image)

“It’s a very big health burden around here,” the liver surgeon told Agence France-Presse.

He continued: “But nobody knows about this because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree.”

The ‘silent killer’ disease has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers if left untreated by surgery.

Dr Khuntikeo, joined by scientists, doctors and anthropologists, have spent years testing villagers from the Isaan region for the parasite.

Using ultrasound machines and urine testing kits, the doctor found that as much as 80 percent of inhabitants from some communities were found to have ingested the deadly parasite.

While he’s trying to spread information and warnings over the koi pla dish – alongside local health officials have introducing a school curriculum geared at teaching children about the risks of raw foods – Dr Khuntikeo has said he’s faced issues with the older generation.

“They’ll say: ‘Oh well, there are many ways to die’,” the health professional said.

“But I cannot accept this answer.”

Those resistant to change despite the health risk attached claim that cooking the fish – the best way to kill the parasite – completely ruins the taste.