Landmark 81/100
Nicoya Peninsula — Exceptional longevity
In plain English
Demographers verified that men in the Nicoya peninsula of Costa Rica had the lowest midlife mortality observed anywhere in the world. The diet (corn, beans, squash, tropical fruit) is plant-heavy and mineral-rich; the water is unusually high in calcium and magnesium.
Why it matters
Lowest midlife mortality on Earth, with a plant-heavy traditional diet.
Informs: Blue Zones
Provenance
- Design
- Prospective cohort
- Sample size (n)
- 16,500
- Follow-up
- 8 years
- Peer-reviewed
- Yes
- Replications
- 1
- Funding
- Public / academic
- Funders
- US NIH/NIA, Wellcome Trust
- Institutions
- University of Costa Rica, UC Berkeley
decades.plus score
A transparent 0–100 weighted sum across six components. Higher scores reflect bigger, cleaner, more replicated work.
Landmark 81/100
Caveats
Mortality advantage has narrowed in younger cohorts. Hard-water mineral content is an interesting but unproven contributor.
