Advantages of mountain life

The cost of living is lower. The environment is healthier. And according to recent research, it protects you from diabetes.

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A social farm in Trentino Alto-Adige, nestled among meadows, vegetable gardens, and mountains.
There is no shortage of difficulties: winters are harsher, services are sometimes less efficient than those in urban areas, and connections can become problematic during the winter.

But living in the mountains offers a series of advantages for both health and lifestyle. For example:

  • Cleaner air and natural environmentMany mountain areas have less traffic and less pollution than cities, with greater exposure to forests, meadows, lakes, and natural landscapes.
  • Greater peace of mind: the pace of life tends to be slower, with less noise, fewer crowds, and often a greater sense of space and privacy.
  • Physical health benefitsWalking, hiking, skiing, or engaging in outdoor activities can encourage daily movement and a more active lifestyle.
  • Mental well-being: contact with nature, natural light and the reduction of urban stress can contribute to a better quality of life.
  • More united communities: in small mountain villages there are often closer social relationships, with greater collaboration between inhabitants.
  • More contact with the seasons: living in the mountains leads to a more direct relationship with the changes in nature and its rhythms.
  • Possibility of a more local diet: in some areas it is easier to find typical products, local agriculture and short supply chains.
  • Larger spaces and sometimes lower costs: Compared to large urban centers, some mountain resorts offer larger homes or more affordable prices (although tourist resorts can be very expensive).
  • Lowest cost of living: Yes, usually, everything costs less in the mountains, with the exception of very popular tourist resorts.
  • Greater autonomy and creativity: distance from services can push people to develop new skills, such as growing a vegetable garden, managing small household chores, or better organizing their resources.

To these advantages is added another one, just discovered by a scientific research published in February 2026 in the magazine Cell Metabolism: Mountain life protects against diabetes.

The research, entitled “Red Blood Cells Serve as a Primary Glucose Sink to Improve Glucose Tolerance at Altitude”, found that under conditions of less oxygen, such as those found at high altitudes:

  • the body produces more Red blood cells to improve oxygen transport;
  • red blood cells change their metabolism and become more capable of absorb glucose from the blood;
  • This sugar “sequestration” contributes to improved glucose tolerance and lower blood sugar levels.

The experiments were conducted on animal models and data related to high-altitude physiology. Mice exposed to low-oxygen conditions improved their ability to clear glucose from the blood; the researchers also developed an experimental molecule that mimics some of the effects of hypoxia, achieving encouraging results in mouse models of diabetes.

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