The blue Zones
The Blue Zones are small areas around the globe where there are the highest concentrations of people living over 100 years. In these areas, the population tends to age without the typical chronic diseases of heart problems, obesity, cancer, or diabetes that plague other regions of the world. The Blue Zones of the world are Sardinia, Italy; the islands of Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
The diets of the Mediterranean regions have been particularly well-studied. Researchers have discovered several unique health behaviors of the Blue Zones that appear to be protective of longevity and help people thrive. The key is to engage in the constellation of habits that extend beyond food choices.
Keys to Blue Zone health include:
plant slant
Plant Slant – Inhabitants of the Blue Zones have a phytonutrient-rich foundation to their diets, with plants consumed as the basis for each meal. Humans are an arboreal species that require the complex synergy of nutrients housed in leaves, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes. The naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients appear to be health-protective, reduce inflammation, and help to promote a healthy GI tract. Research in the U.S. has also demonstrated that telomere length (a measurement of the aging on our genes) increases with fiber consumption. Specifically, for each 1 g increment in fiber intake per 1000 calories, telomeres were 8.3 base pairs longer. Because each additional year of chronological age is associated with telomeres that were 15.5 base pairs shorter, results suggest that a 10 g increase in fiber intake per 1000 kcal would correspond with telomeres that are 83 base pairs longer. Because of this, we see that adequate fiber consumption accounts for longer telomeres and less biologic aging than lower levels of fiber intake (I). In a different but equally important fashion, plants have shown to protect against not just aging, but diseases themselves. A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies reported a significantly lower incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality for participants with a consumption of fruits and vegetables of 200 g/d (II).
Healthy Fats
Healthy Fats: As seen in the Blue Zones and in regions along the Mediterranean, populations that eat several handfuls of nuts and seeds throughout each week and use Olive oil for their cooking fats and seasoning have lower incidences of inflammatory related diseases. Olive oil, nuts, and seeds contain healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that have an anti-inflammatory effect throughout the body. In a recent meta-analysis of more than 1.7 million participants, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significant lower risk of all-cause mortality, several gastrointestinal cancers (including liver and pancreas), breast cancer, prostate cancer, head and neck cancer, and respiratory cancer. These findings coming from observational studies were confirmed in the PREDIMED study in which the highest category of nut intake (>3 servings/week), a typical feature of a Blue Zone and Mediterranean diet, was associated with a 40% risk reduction in cancer mortality compared with the lowest category (II).
Natural Movement
most of the Blue Zones are in geographic regions that are rugged or mountainous and require a lot of movement outdoors. This promotes the concept of “natural movement” whereby people naturally acquire many steps per day, walk outside consistently, garden, harvest food, fish, herd animals, and hike. This helps promote energy turnover, build muscle, increase cardiovascular health, and regulate metabolism. Their natural movement patterns can be mimicked by ensuring adequate steps per day (10,000 or more is excellent), ample time outdoors, planting and maintaining a garden, visiting farms, hiking regularly, or walking your dog several times a day.
Community and Stress Management
All the Blue Zones have been shown to have highly intimate and connected communities that spend time together daily and promote a sense of purpose in each individual. They don’t suffer from the loneliness or stress that plagues many other nations. Meals are prepared and eaten together, multiple generations live in one household, neighbors are so close to one another that the families have very strong bonds, and one’s purpose is identified early in life. The lack of community in many industrial nations is grating away at the mental health of its citizens. Humans are incredibly social creatures that need trusting, safe environments to thrive in. Finding ways to create this at home, among communities, in neighborhoods, and with friends is essential to human health.
I. Tucker, L. A. (2018). Dietary Fiber and Telomere Length in 5674 U.S. Adults: An NHANES Study of Biological Aging. Nutrients, 10(4). https://doi-org.ezproxy.simmons.edu/10.3390/nu10040400
II. Boccardi, V., Calvani, R., Limongi, F., Marseglia, A., Mason, A., Noale, M., … Maggi, S. (n.d.). Consensus paper on the “executive summary of the international conference on Mediterranean diet and health: a lifelong approach” an Italian initiative supported by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation and the Menarini Foundation. NUTRITION, 51–52, 38–45. https://doi-org.ezproxy.simmons.edu/10.1016/j.nut.2017.12.002