Join us at Chelsea Physic Garden for a fascinating talk exploring longevity, plant knowledge, and the lifestyles of some of the world’s oldest people.

Taira Sumiko is clearly an extraordinary 98-year-old woman. When asked if she could touch her knees, she put both palms flat on the tatami mat. She can dance and sing with alacrity and can identify 25 species of seaweeds by name. Taira lives in a blue zone in the remote village of Ogimi in Okinawa, where people live and are productive at ages exceeding 100 years old.

Ethnobotanical studies of the Ogimi villagers, where ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s are unknown, led to the discovery of the naturally occurring amino acid L-serine as a possible preventative and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

This presentation will demonstrate how discoveries on the lifestyles of centenarians in Ogimi village can help you can create your own personal blue zone.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Paul Alan Cox was named one of TIME magazine’s eleven “Heroes of Medicine” for his search in remote island villages for new medicines. He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for founding Seacology, a global island conservation charity. He received his Ph.D. at Harvard. After serving as the King Carl XVI Gustav Professor in Sweden, Dr. Cox was appointed Director of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Hawaii and Florida.

Booking information:

• Tickets are £15, £5 for Friends of the Garden.
• Your ticket includes entry to the Garden for the day
• The talk is approx 45 mins, with 15 mins for Q&A
• The talk takes place upstairs in our Gallery space, unfortunately this is not wheelchair accessible and reached via a 22-step staircase with a rail. To discuss accessibility, please email