Rule No 6: Moderate Wine Intake!

Ok so I must admit that out of  Buettner’s 9 rules uncovered for longevity, this is the only one which surprised me. Ok yes we’ve all become somewhat more aware of the power of red wine for health and longevity-boosting thanks to it being replete in resveratrol. But from what I gathered, there’s more resveratrol actually available in a handful of red grapes than a glass of red wine so I’ve just upped my grape intake. However, apparently wine (especially the red variety) isn’t just beneficial due to its’ resveratrol content.

The interesting findings behind the benefits of red wine drinking in 4 of the 5 of the Blue Zones actually extends to how it’s drunk and how much of it is consumed. While consuming 1-2 glasses daily (depending on weight) can be beneficial for health, consuming more than 3 at a single sitting actually has the opposite effect and can hurt you more than help you. So that means no saving up your glass daily and consuming 7 in one go!

In addition, in each of the Blue Zones where wine was consumed (as well as in most of the Mediterranean culture where the Mediterranean diet has been hailed for its’ longevity-boosting benefits), wine is never consumed on one’s own. Rather it is part of a ritual of a meal eaten with friends, family and/or other good company and is partaken in as part of that sit down together and enjoy good conversation and a nice glass of wine. 

So the purpose of the wine becomes very different than how some use it in the Western world. It isn’t meant to drown out your sorrow or erase bad memories. Rather it’s part of a daily ritual of de-stressing and celebrating good company with good company. And maybe that kind of covers the crux of what the Blue Zones are all about and why people there live longer on average than anywhere else in the world. Life there might be a bit slower than in the big cities, but it’s focused on living the moment, celebrating good company, getting away from stress for a while (and not in front of the tv) and enjoying every moment of the time with the people who are important to you (stay tuned for the rest of the Power 9 rules to longevity which hit on this point even further).

Until then, I’m sure you already are thinking about all that you can do to boost your longevity. Want to know how you measure up? Book a free call with Julia here: