A glass of wine, a meal with friends and daily walks. Could this be the secret to a longer life?

Researcher Dan Buettner believes these are the basis of some lifestyle choices that could add years to a person's lifespan. He spoke at the University of Mary about his findings on longevity Thursday.

"If you optimize your lifestyle, you can get eight more years of life," he said, and he doesn't mean spending it bed-ridden.

He looked to places in the world where there are the largest concentrations of people living to 100 years or older so he could study their lifestyle and habits. Among the places he's studied are a high mountain village in Sardinia, in the Mediterranean; Okinawa in Japan and Loma Linda, Calif.

The places are called blue zones. He looked for what could attribute to the person's longevity that other people could apply in their own lives. The three areas had commonalities in lifestyles, and unique factors that contributed to longevity.

Buettner found eight traits that appear to lead to longer lifespans. They are eating a plant-based diet, regular low-intensity workouts, investing in family, practicing a communal faith, finding a sense of purpose, eating until 80 percent full, drinking a glass of wine and building personal relationships that encourage longevity.

Each culture he studied, along with other researchers and doctors, showed the older people ate diets low in meat and high in vegetables. This is combined with eating in moderation. In Okinawa, for instance, the older citizens had a saying before each meal to remind them not to over eat, Buettner said. "Hara hachi bu" meant to stop eating when they were 80 percent full.

"We'd lose 19 pounds in a year, and still be able to eat a Big Mac and shakes," by following this, he said.

The older people came from a time when they followed traditional ways of working, such as sheep herding or farming. In some cases, like the Sardinians, this meant walking five or more miles a day. They didn't replace work with trucks or motorized scooters. As a way to adapt this concept, Buettner recommended tai chi or gardening nearly every day as a way to get in this type of exercise and also relieve stress.

Family and faith helped the people live longer. Older people who lived with family lived longer than those who are isolated. People who were involved in the social aspect of religion, for example attending church services weekly, lived longer because of the social support it offered, he said.

The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, which has the highest percentage of centenarians in the country, encourage choices that promote longevity. Among these lifestyle choices are plant-based diets, a social network through church, taking time for others by volunteering and encouraging exercise.

Then there is the ikigai, which Buettner learned from people in Okinawa. Ikigai means to find a person's purpose in life, or as Buettner said, "What gets them out of bed in the morning." It's a different look at life from the American perspective of working years and retiring years. He said the purpose could be about passing on a tradition or self-sufficiency.

For minors he does not encourage drinking wine, nor does he encourage drinking in excess, or skipping a drink a few days to drink even more glasses another day. He recommends a glass of wine because his research found people who drank wine had lower chances of heart disease. He also discovered during his time in Okinawa, that turmeric tea had some mild anti-cancer benefits.

Longevity is based more on lifestyle than genetics, he said. When choosing who to spend time with, it can help spending time with people who encourage choices toward a longer lifespan, he said. In Okinawa, for example, children are introduced to other 5-year-olds who become friends for life.

Buettner's work is available online at www.bluezones.com. He will research lifestyle choices in a Central American location beginning in January. Students can get involved, and there is a teacher's guide for creating lessons.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)