What's up, cotton top wannabes? Trace here from DNews.

想健康成為銀髮族的各位大家好，我是 DNews 的Trace 。

Getting older is inevitable and in some places the drudgery of aging is as apparent as grey clouds rolling over a sunny day, but that is not always the case.

人都會老，而在某些地方老化是讓人不快的事情，就像晴空的遠處滾了烏雲邊般的顯而易見。然而事情並非總是如此。

In his 2011 book, "The Blue Zones" Dan Buettner used census data to find the regions of the world where people live the longest -- Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; the Nicoya Peninsula,and Costa Rica… he called these areas Blue Zones.

Dan Buettner 在他於 2011 年出版的「藍區」一書中，使用人口普查資料找出全球人類居住的長壽區：日本琉球、義大利的薩丁尼亞、美國加州的羅馬林達、哥斯大黎加的尼可亞半島... 他把這幾個地區稱為「藍區」。

Living in each of these "zones" have mysterious benefits: Okinawa boasts the longest disability-free life-expectancy, and Nicoya Peninsula residents have four-times the chance of reaching age 90 than the average American!

生活在這些地區都有神秘的好處：琉球以擁有最高的老人非失能預期壽命為傲，而尼科亞半島居民能活到九十歲的機會則比美國人高出四倍。

The research is a collection of case studies on these areas, but according to an Indian Journal of Community Medicine review, all four of these geographically disparate "zones" have common threads.

該研究收集了這些地區的個案，但一份印度社區醫學期刊發現，地理上這四個分散的「區」都有共同點。

The big takeaways: Low-intensity physical activity; building good relationships; Eating a diet lighter on meat and excess calories and heavier on plants; and Finding a purpose for and sense of meaning in your life.

最重要的精華是：低強度的體力活動；建立良好的關係；飲食上少吃肉類和高熱量的食物，多吃大量的蔬食；為自己的生活找到意義和目的。 四個區域的生活方式，都讓這些資深公民活在一種 得到好處的方式，例如，布納告訴NPR說，琉球人都席地而坐 薩丁尼亞人都住在「挑高」的房子等等，使老人家們能隨時保持輕度的活動。

The lifestyles in each of the areas forced senior citizens to live in such a way, that they got all of these benefits.

四個區域的生活方式，都能讓這些老年公民能以可獲得上述好處的方式來生活。

For example, Buettner told NPR, "Okinawans sat on the floor; Sardinians lived in vertical houses," et cetera, keeping these people mildly-active all the time.

例如，布納告訴NPR：「琉球人都席地而坐，薩丁尼亞人都住在挑高的房子」等等，使老人家們能隨時保持輕度的活動。

Okinawans eat 300 grams of vegetables a day and practice something called "hara hachi bun", they never eat to more than 80 percent full.

琉球人為每天攝取超過 300克的蔬菜，並且只吃到「腹八分」，從未超過八分飽。

And each group keeps up their involvement in their community, that's really important!

每個區內的長者都會積極參加社區活動。這點非常重要！

The Sardinians value advice and regular communication with their elders.

蕯丁尼亞人常與老人閒話家長，並相當看重他們的勸告。

And even the little things matter, like Costa Ricans build a garden year after year… giving structure, purpose and meaning to their lives.

即便只是小事也同樣重要。像是哥斯大黎加人會年復一年打造花園，希望賦予老人們生活架構、目的和意義。

Not everyone in Blue Zones run marathons or hit the gym every day, but they do maintain this low-level healthy lifestyle with activity and social involvement, and tons of scientific studies support that strategy!

當然並不是每個生活在藍區的人每天都會去長跑或健身，但他們卻都維持低階的健康生活型態的活動和社會參與，而且有一大堆的科學研究都支持這樣的生活型態！

Honestly, it sounds kind of lovely, but come on, where's the HARD SCIENCE?

老實說，聽起來是很可愛，但背後真正的科學依據呢？

Firstly, diets with low levels of meat intake, and high levels of vegetables are all supported by tons of research as the healthiest choices, but you should also eat nuts, berries, and some complex carbs.

首先，飲食上攝取低份量的肉類和高份量的蔬果已被無數研究認定為是最健康的飲食選擇，但你得也同時吃堅果、漿果和一些複合式碳水化合物。

The Mediterranean diet, practiced by the Sardinians, is exactly that -- and studies show it decreases instances of cardiovascular disease and cancer and increases longevity.

像是薩丁尼亞盛行的地中海式飲食，正是這樣的組合。研究顯示它可以降低癌症、心血管疾病的實例並延長壽命。

But it's not just diet. According to a review in Science, study after study finds people who are happier live longer, and have better health.

當然啦不只有飲食。根據《科學》期刊檢視，不斷有新的研究一再發現越快樂的人活得越久，也越健康。

In one, people who were happier lived almost seven years longer, and presumably, they were happier to do so!

總而言之，快樂的人可以多活將近七年， 而想必他們也樂於如此！

And staying happy is heavily connected to our social well-being.

保持快樂跟我們的社會幸福感高度連結。

A meta-study in PLos Medicine of 308,000 people found: relationships with friends help us deal with stress, encourage healthy behaviors, influence us to take better care of ourselves, and provide meaning to our lives!

在 PLos 醫學期刊中針對 308,000 人的綜合研究發現：與朋友間的良好關係可以協助我們對抗壓力、 鼓勵健康的行為、影響我們善待自己， 並賦予個人生活意義！

And that, the study found, had a measurable effect on longevity.

研究也發現，在延壽的實測上確有功效。

Separately, studies of the Okinawan specifically, found a rare genetic phenotype exists there at twice the rate of other populations.

另外，琉球的研究則具體指出，發現當地人存有一種罕見的遺傳基因表型是其他族裔的兩倍。

These genes may affect cardiovascular functions, insulin signaling, immunoinflammatory response, and stress resistance; dramatically increasing their longevity as well.

這種基因會影響心血管功能胰島素訊號、免疫發炎反應和抗壓性，並藉此更顯著提高他們的壽命。

Studies throughout scientific literature find that living like these people can help all humans create long, happy lives.

透過文獻的研究發現，像這些人的生活型態可以幫助所有人類達成長期、幸福的生活。

And they’ve shown that longevity is a combination of genetic, social and environmental factors!

而研究也顯示，人是否長壽結合了遺傳、社會和環境因素！

Point being, you don't have to live in these places to get these benefits.

重點就是，你不用千里迢迢搬去這些地方住，也能得到這些好處。

The thing is, we can't live forever.

我們的生命並非永生不朽。

If you want to know more about how and why we can't live forever, make sure you watch this video all about that.

如果你想知道為什麼我們不能永遠活下去，記得看看解答這個問題的以下影片。

We are born with about 20,000 stem cells to do this job.

我們出生時就帶有兩萬個幹細胞來進行這個作業。

Over time those cells mutate, because telomeres.

隨著時間的推移，這些細胞會因為端粒而突變。

But just like in X-Men, mutations can be there good or bad!

但就像《 X 戰警》電影一樣，突變的結果有好有壞！

Sometimes we get a good cell, other times we get cancer.

有時候結果會是一個好細胞，其他時候則會是癌細胞。

What do you guys think? Would you move to a blue zone to add seven years to your life?

各位怎麼想呢？你會搬到藍區好讓自己多出七年的壽命嗎？

Let us know down in the comments!

留言在底下評論區來讓我們知道吧！

Keep coming back here every day for more DNews, make sure you subscribe. I'll see you next time.

記得每天回到這個頻道以獲取更多新知，然後記得要訂閱本頻道。我們下次見。