What helps Bolotana women live long lives

The work is based on a detailed analysis of demographic data from the village, which is home to approximately 2,300 people. Researchers have calculated that 12.8 % of Bolotana women who have reached the age of 70 live to be a century old. For comparison, in Italy this figure is approximately 3.5 %, and in the USA — 3.6 %. Especially significant is the fact that in 2024, six people aged 100 and older lived in the village at once, which is about 11 times more than one would expect based on US figures.

The uniqueness of Bolotana lies in the exceptional reliability of the data. The age of the residents was confirmed with high accuracy thanks to preserved centuries-old records: municipal and church archives, including metrics and baptismal documents. The team reconstructed the life stories of more than a century, comparing data on birth, death and baptism, so it was possible to unequivocally confirm the age of each of the 38 centenarians among the 3060 people born in Bolotan between 1900 and 1925. According to the authors, there is no ambiguity here, as each centenarian is documented.

At the same time, Bolotana differs from the already well-known “blue zone” of Sardinia, which researchers identified more than twenty years ago: it was famous for the unusually high life expectancy of men, and in Bolotana it was women who came to the fore. The villagers who have reached the age of 70 have a life expectancy of almost 21 years. According to this indicator, as well as the probability of living to 100 years, the women of the Swamp are second only to the residents of Hong Kong — and, according to scientists, can be considered one of the longest-lived female populations in the world.

The researchers do not claim to have discovered the secret of longevity, but they have identified a number of factors that deserve further study. The village is located in a hilly area with steep streets — residents walk a lot, and traveling by car is not the norm here. The food is mostly local: a significant part of the diet consists of products from our own production, including olive oil, rich in healthy fats. Social structure also plays an important role: families often live close to each other, and social isolation is rare. People in the community take care of one another, and such cohesion, according to experts, also contributes to life expectancy.

It is believed that longevity is shaped by a whole range of factors — from diet and physical activity to family support, social connections, and genetics. At the same time, the significance of the work extends beyond a single village: if it is possible to identify the key factors underlying such longevity and help people in other countries adopt these habits and values, this could benefit the entire world.