Blue Zones: secrets of the world’s long-lived

What’s the secret to a long, healthy life? The answer here does not lie in exotic Himalayan berries, green smoothies, or jumping on the latest fad diet bandwagon. Instead, take a step back and learn from the habits of those in the world who already have the answer. Called ‘Blue Zones’, these are areas in the world where more people enjoy remarkably long, full healthy lives than anywhere else on the planet. In this podcast episode, I’ll outline their key health habits and of course bring in what science has to say about it and then put it into practical terms for how to implement this in your own life. 

Working in the field of nutrition for decades, I’ve seen all manner of fads come and go. I’ve read tens of thousands of research studies looking at foods, nutrients and health. And you know what? The entire field of nutrition and health can be distilled down to some pretty simple basics.

A dietary pattern that is made up of mostly minimally processed plant foods and is low in ultra- processed foods consistently comes out on top in offering the best long-term health. There is no one food or food group that deserves to be demonised. And a dietary pattern is a flexible way of eating, not a set of rules that has to be followed.

But there is more to life and health than just food. Just like nutrients are part of the food we eat, food is part of the lifestyle we live. And when it comes to lifestyle, what are the important things to focus on? Well, you don’t have to go much further than looking at the similarities between communities around the world that enjoy the longest and healthiest lives. And for that, we have the Blue Zones to look to.

History of the Blue Zones

Grew out of demographic work first done some decades ago in Sardina by Michel Poulain and Gianni PesTerm was from blue circles drawn on a map around clusters of villages that had the highest longevity that helped the researchers narrow in on the key communities to exploreDan Buettner (author, educator, explorer, producer and public speaker) gave Blue Zones greater recognition from his work with the key researchers in the field and his own exploration of the growing regions where he worked with anthropologists, demographers, epidemiologists and dietitians to see the commonalties between communitiesFindings reported in November 2005 National Geographic Magazine – “Secrets of a Long Life” - third highest selling issue of all timeThe first book on the topic was released in 2008

Key characteristics of the 5 Blue Zones

Ikaria, Greece

8 years longer life expectancy than the rest of GreeceMore than half the rates of dementia (20% vs 50% for 80yrs+)Eat a variation of the Mediterranean diet – high consumption of potatoes, beans and leafy greensMinimal meat (goat)Activity is spread throughout the day (gardening, kneading bread, walking to store etc.) rather than dedicated ‘30 minute’ boutsPA habits are an example of ‘nudge’ theory to increase meaningful activity during the day

Okinawa

World’s highest life expectancy: men 84 yrs, women 90 yrsHave 6.5 centenarians per 10,000 c.f. Oz 1.73 – almost 4-times the numberRates of heart disease, breast and prostate cancer 80% lower than similar aged western adults, and half the rate of dementiaHighest per capita consumption of tofu in the world. Sweet potatoes a staple. Turmeric also common. Eat only a little fish.Walkable communitiesPractice moai: childhood to old age peer groups

Diet is now shifting because of Western influences – more calories and meat. Okinawans who moved to Hawaii adopt similar colon cancer risk profile to local community within 1-2 generations. This is strong example or how much our environment affects our heath. 

Sardinia, Italy (Nuoro and Ogliastra provinces)

Ratio of centenarian men to women is 1:1 – rest of the world is 1:5Goats milk and cheese are a staple, with beans and wineHigher longevity in goat herders from their daily PA 

Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica

Beans, corn, squash and tropical fruits are staple foodsMeals eaten earlyFaith and family play a big role

Adventists community Loma Linda, California

This zone is evidence for the case that genetics cannot explain all the benefits seen in other Blue Zones as the group is much more recent and more mixedGrains, fruits, nuts and vegetables are at the diet’s core with most being vegetarians. No alcohol.Adventist’s who follow the church’s teachings live around 10 years longer. 

Key Blue Zone Characteristics

More plants, less red meat and beans for the win. Legumes are true superstars with some of the highest levels of any food. In fact, red kidney beans top the list with even more antioxidants than blueberriesIncorporate movement naturally – Blue Zones residents move every 10- 15 minutes. Buy a dog? Gardening?Have a sense of purpose – why do you wake up in the morning?Stress lessHara hachi bu - stop eating when 80% fullA glass of wine with friends and familyJoin a community – faith-based, knitting, ToastmastersEngagement with familyFind your tribe. Engagement with social life – smoking, obesity, happiness and loneliness are all contagious in social groups so choosing the right groups to be with

Current Research

A lot of the work in Blue Zones is observational, so what does current research say to support the common habits of Blue Zones that are linked to longevity?

Dietary pattern researchMinimally processed and ultra processedUnprocessed and minimally processed foods: fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, pulses and natural animal products such as eggs, fish and milkUPFs: these foods go through multiple processes, contain many added ingredients and are highly manipulated. Examples are soft drinks, chips, chocolate, candy, ice-cream, sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged soups, chicken nuggets, hotdogs, fries and more.

Fruit, vegetables and happiness

Eating fruits and vegetables are good for your health in so many different ways. A first of its kind major scientific study has found these powerhouse foods has been linked to substantial increases in people’s happiness levels over time. I’ll link to the study in the show notes. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303260

Using a large sample of more than 12,000 randomly selected people in Australia, researchers were able to track their diet, health, happiness, life satisfactions and well-being from 2009 to 2013.

So, what was the key finding? Happiness, life satisfaction and well-being all went up for each extra daily portion of fruits and vegetables eaten. And this was after making allowance for people’s changing incomes and personal circumstances. The happiness health links reached a peak at eight servings a day of fruits and vegetables. The improvements in mental health were seen within 24 months of increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten.

The research team took it one step further and compared the mental health improvements to life changing situations. For someone going from eating no fruits and vegetables to eating eight portions a day, they could experience an increase in life satisfaction equivalent to moving from unemployment to employment.

There are likely many reasons to explain a link between eating more fruits and vegetables and well-being. Higher levels of antioxidants is one possibility. Then there is the role of fibre in supporting a healthy population of gut bacteria. Gut fermentation products can act directly on the brain, potentially altering mood and behaviour.

Diet and telomeres

But could there be more going on at the level of genes to explain the interaction of diet and lifestyle with longevity in the Blue Zones? Enter the topic of telomeres which are one of today’s hottest topics in science.

What’s a telomere? They’re the caps at the end of DNA which protect our chromosomes. As we age, telomeres become shorter and contain less coating. With the protective cap compromised, DNA strands become damaged. It’s the same process for how your shoelace can become frayed when it loses its plastic tip. Telomeres are just like the plastic tip on your shoelaces, but in this case they sit at the end of chromosomes.

Top researchers are connecting telomere length to ageing, health and even longevity. Shorter telomeres mean less protection of the DNA from damage – as simple as that.

Inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance are key factors connected to faster rates of telomere shortening. And we already know that diet and lifestyle are big players in chronic inflammation. This opens the door for a connection between diet influencing telomere length. A review paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has received a lot of attention for the intriguing link it found between diet and telomere length. I’ll link to the study details in the show notes. https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2016149

Researchers looked at studies that had collected information on both dietary habits and telomere length. From a pool of 17 studies, several themes emerged. A Mediterranean-style dietary pattern and diets high in fruits and vegetables were linked to longer telomere length. On the opposite end, diets high in highly refined grains, processed meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages were pointing towards a shorter telomere length.

Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains are linked with less chronic diseases and a longer life. Telomere length could be the key connection here between diet and health. Whether telomeres are part of the cause of ageing and disease, or are just a biomarker of it, does not change the influence that the positive dietary patterns promoted in the current research can have on health. It does though gives some hard biological evidence for the longevity benefits of Blue Zone type diets. 

Adopting a Blue Zone way of life

Do you need to move to a Mediterranean isle or join a close religious community to get all the benefits of a Blue Zone? No, because many of the themes of Blue Zones can be adapted to your currently lifestyle.

Only 7% eating recommended vegetables35% energy from discretionary foods

Even between the different Blue Zone communities, there is diversity in the foods they eat showing there is no one single ‘right’ way to eat, only flexible guidelines. Choosing mostly seasonal fruits and vegetable, and a variety of legumes, nuts, seeds and grains is the cornerstone of their dietary pattern. If you choose to add some dairy or meat to that, then that is also common in the most of the Blue Zones, just they don’t have them as main feature of their diet. 

Here is the Blue Zones in a nutshell. These long-lived people don’t avoid gluten, they don’t worry about saturated fat, nor do they fixate on alkalising their body or calculating the glycaemic index of their meals. They don’t ruminate on if the grains they are eating are stopping the absorption of other nutrients. They don’t take supplements. They eat. They move. They enjoy. They socially engage with their community in person. They live.

You don’t need a PhD in nutrition to be able to make sense of the all the nutrition messages you hear in the media. When it comes to your health, take a step back. Learn from the people in the world who have got this nailed.

So that’s it for today’s show. You can find the show notes either in the app you’re listening to this podcast on if it supports it, or else head over to my webpage www.thinkingnutrition.com.au and click on the podcast section to find this episode to read the show notes.

If you find this podcast of value, then please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues. Or maybe even leave a review. This all helps increase the ranking and reach of the podcast which means a big win for credible evidence-based nutrition messages while helping to dilute out the crazy and making the world a slightly less confusing place.

I’m Tim Crowe and you’ve been listening to Thinking Nutrition.