People in the Blue Zones are more likely to live past 100. So, what are they eating?

At a time in history when living a long (and hopefully healthy) life is paramount, it makes sense to study those who seem to achieve it a lot more easily than others around the world, largely thanks to their lifestyle choices.

Enter Blue Zones, the name officially given to long-lived communities around the world by researchers interested in understanding why people who live in these places are so much more likely to live to 100 and beyond.

The Blue Zones – Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California – are home to those who are not only much more likely to live longer, but are also much less likely to develop chronic diseases including heart disease, some types of cancer and dementia. These are all diseases that can have a profound effect on the quality of life as we age.

The question that then naturally comes to mind when considering these identified zones is, what are they doing that others are not, and what can we learn from them in our own quest for long and healthy lives?

Let’s take a look at each region.

Blue Zone: Sardinia, Italy

Geography: The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, with plenty of rocky coastline and mountainous terrain.

Diet: Largely plant-based Mediterranean diet with very little meat.

Lifestyle: Family focus, with many families still harvesting their own food.

With Sardinians 10 times more likely to live to 100 compared with those living in other parts of the Western world, it is thought that the largely plant-based diet, and a focus on fresh produce, along with a naturally active lifestyle thanks to the mountainous terrain, are the key factors that explain the long and healthy lives the average Sardinian lives. Then there is the significant focus on family and community, which generally sees several generations of a family living their entire lives together.

Could it be?

The popular tea made with milk thistle that offers an extra anti-inflammatory benefit? Or, the dark antioxidant-rich wine favoured by Sardinians?

What can we learn?

Many of us will benefit from eating less meat and bumping up our intake of plant foods to a minimum of seven to 10 serves each day.

Blue Zone: Okinawa, Japan

Geography: A group of islands located in the southernmost tip of Japan, home to more than 1.5 million.

Diet: Heavy plant-based diet, based on sweet potatoes, rice and legumes.

Lifestyle: Significant respect is paid to older Okinawans, with clear responsibilities and roles as well as a focus on life-long friend networks that support people into their older years. On average, Okinawan females live longer than any other females on the planet.

With low rates of cancer and heart disease, the long lifespans of this sub-group of Japanese people are attributed to a high intake of fruits and vegetables, a high intake of fish and a relatively low-calorie diet that is punctuated by a number of foods including leafy greens and seaweed that are rich natural sources of antioxidants, helping to protect the body’s cells from damage.

Perhaps, more importantly, there is a focus on keeping older people actively engaged in life with a purpose, known as “ikigai”. Here, through community activities, locals create supportive, social groups right through their lifespans.

Could it be?

The high intake of fermented foods such as miso and tofu that helps to keep Okinawan people healthier for longer, or the frequent consumption of medicinal herbs such as ginger and turmeric known for their natural anti-inflammatory benefits?

What can we learn?

Having purpose and a reason to get up as we move through our senior years is an important factor when considering positive ageing.

Blue Zone: Lorna Linda, California

Geography: Located roughly 90 kilometres east of Los Angeles in California, Lorna Linda is home to an estimated 9000 Seventh-Day Adventists.

Diet: Largely vegetarian with no alcohol.

Lifestyle: People in this community live an average of 10 years longer than the average American, with the longer lifespan attributed to a significant life focus on health. With a strong commitment to faith, regular religious practice and strong community networks in which health is prioritised, life is relatively simple. The health benefits of this are seen with much lower rates of obesity and lifestyle disease.

Could it be? That taking a day off each week to spend exclusively with family helps support wellbeing and reduce and manage stress.

What can we learn?

Abstaining from alcohol is associated with a longer, healthier life, as is a largely plant-based diet.

Blue Zone: Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Geography: A 80-kilometre peninsula located just south of the Nicaraguan border, along the western coast of Costa Rica, home to 160,000 locals.

Diet: A diet rich in wholefoods including corn, bananas and legumes as well as homemade corn tortillas with very little meat, and plenty of coffee.

Lifestyle: Simple is the best way to describe the daily lives of Nicoyan locals, where a day of work is preceded by a hearty, nutrient-rich breakfast of homemade tortillas, and life is filled with plenty of incidental movement and homemade food. Socially again, family and friends are important. Eders within the population often live with younger generations of family.

Could it be? The nutrient-rich water that offers high amounts of calcium and magnesium that helps to keep the bones healthy through their lifespans? Or the tendency to eat a lighter meal at night that keeps this group of people healthier throughout their long lives?

What can we learn?

Keeping active, and getting plenty of sunshine is an important part of health and wellbeing through the ages.

Blue Zone: Icaria, Greece

Geography: A tiny, rocky island that is home to just 8000 residents who have an average life expectancy of 85 years.

Diet: A typical Mediterranean diet with a high proportion of legumes, fruits, vegetables, grains and monounsaturated fats thanks to the liberal use of extra virgin olive oil

Lifestyle: With few cases of dementia or the chronic diseases that plague Western culture, these islanders are certainly doing something right. Overall, it is the exceptionally healthy, largely unprocessed diet along with a balance of rest and cultural focus on friends and family that is thought to explain why people living in Icaria live such long and healthy lives.

Could it be?

The antioxidant-rich herbal tea that is enjoyed, or the socialising over a glass of wine after an afternoon nap that results in such a happy and healthy lifestyle?

What can we learn?

The fewer processed foods in our diets, the better it is for the brain and for the heart.