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Blue Zone expert shares why partying all night isn’t decadent, it’s a key to longevity

You should no longer have to fight for your right to party.

By

Tod Perry

party, dancing, young adults, beer, music
Photo credit: Canva – People enjoying a house party.

In American culture, which still carries a hint of Puritanism from its early years, excessive partying can be seen as hedonistic, immature, and unhealthy. Party people are often criticized for being undisciplined, directionless, and irresponsible with their money.

Dan Buettner, a National Geographic fellow and expert on Blue Zones, says that going out and dancing until the crack of dawn is good for us and can even help us live longer. He learned the power of partying through his research on Blue Zones, five regions of the world where people live longer and have the greatest chance of reaching 100.

The five Blue Zones are:

  • Ikaria, Greece
  • Loma Linda, California 
  • Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
  • Okinawa, Japan
  • Sardinia, Italy

“So in America, we tend to associate partying with decadence. But in the Blue Zones, partying is actually a longevity hack,” Buettner said in an Instagram video. “Why? Because when people get together for celebrations in the Blue Zone, they’re dancing. It can be an all-night dance party where they’re getting great physical activity. They’re remaking social bonds that exist throughout the village, and they last for years.”

Buettner adds that in many Blue Zones, people don’t just party to hang out with their friends; they also help their communities.

“In Icaria, for example, people donate all the food and the wine. The partygoers pay for that food and wine, but the proceeds all go to a school or to build a bridge the village needs or to a family that’s down on its luck,” he said. “So it’s this beautiful, virtuous circle. People get physical activity, build their connections, and help others. That’s what builds a Blue Zone, and that is the foundation to longevity.”

dancing, party, ocean view, woman jumping, chef's hat
People enjoying a dance party. Photo credit: Canva

What are the “Power 9”?

According to Buettner, there are nine common denominators across the five Blue Zones, and their party habits satisfy four of them:

Move Naturally

Dancing and milling about socializing is practical exercise. “The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it.”

Downshift

A party is a great way to de-stress after a hard week. “What the world’s longest-lived people have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress.”

Wine At 5

There’s nothing wrong with having a drink or two; in fact, it may help with longevity. “People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly.”

Purpose

Having a party that supports the community gives people a sense of purpose. “Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.”

partying, club, dancing
People in the club. Photo credit: Canva

The remaining “Power 9”

The remaining “Power 9” includes:

  • 80% Rule (eating smaller meals)
  • Plant Slant (eating a lot of vegetables and beans)
  • Belong (having a faith-based community)
  • Loved Ones First (centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first)
  • Right Tribe (strong social networks)

Buettner’s video asks us to rethink what’s really going on when people go out to party. On the one hand, it can look decadent, but on the other, we’re building stronger social connections, getting some exercise, and enjoying a few drinks—which may help us live longer.

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    According to the scientific journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences:

    “The hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy, birth, and lactation initiate rapid and extreme physiological transformations that are unparalleled across the lifespan. These biological changes are accompanied by a dynamic restructuring of the physical, emotional, and social environment. In concert with these adaptations, the maternal brain undergoes significant structural and functional neuroplasticity as well as cognitive adaptations across the peripartum period. The brain is transformed, in preparation for and in response to, a developing child.”

    Every person charged with caring for an infant undergoes beneficial cognitive changes. Oxytocin is released in the caregiver’s brain regardless of sex or gender, whether the child is related biologically, through adoption, or fostering. Think of it as nature’s way of trying to encourage the survival of the species.

    second puberty, matrescence, mommy brain, hormones, motherhood
    A woman smiles while holding a newborn baby. Photo credit: Canva

    Current studies show that Matrescence is unique to the birthing person, causing the brain to do more than make cognitive changes. When someone experiences this “second puberty,” the sudden hormonal shifts create structural changes to the brain. A study published by Human Brain Mapping found that adolescent girls and adult first-time mothers had the same monthly measurement of gray matter loss.

    “In both cases, these reductions were accompanied by decreases in cortical thickness, surface area, local gyrification index, sulcal depth, and sulcal length, as well as increases in sulcal width,” the authors of the 2019 study explained. “In fact, the changes associated with pregnancy did not differ from those that characterize the transition during adolescence in any of these measures.”

    second puberty, matrescence, mommy brain, hormones, motherhood
    A woman looks down at a newborn baby. Photo credit: Canva

    According to studies, the reduction in gray matter caused by Matrescence lasts up to two years postpartum. While the infamous “mommy brain” caused by the loss of gray matter in the hippocampus may be bothersome, it seems to serve a purpose.

    Trends in Cognitive Sciences noted, “Lower hippocampal volume at 4 months postpartum is associated with positive mother–child interactions, suggesting hippocampal changes have broad implications in maternal caregiving behavior, beyond cognition.”

    This “second puberty” news made its way to social media. You can listen to one Instagram creator share their understanding of Matrescence below:

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