There is no magic pill or supplement that will be your ‘miracle cure’ for living to 100 years.
So says Dan Buettner, who has spent decades discovering the secrets of healthy living among the world’s oldest people.
Leading ‘Blue Zone’ researcher Buettner, an explorer and National Geographic fellow, believes the secret to longevity is much simpler: a healthy diet.
Blue zones – such as into Sardinia Italy and into Okinawa Japan – are geographic areas that are home to unusual numbers of centenarians.
That’s why some believe the key to a long, disease-free life lies in mimicking the eating and activity patterns of people in the zones. Although the concept was first promoted by Buettner himself twenty years ago, it has since exploded, with hundreds of books and even a Netflix documentary dedicated to exploring the phenomenon.
Still, some experts question the blue zone theory, saying it is “nonsense” and claiming Buettner has no medical or research background.
What is indisputable, however, is that people in places like Sardinia and Okinawa tend to eat something different…
People live about eight years longer without noticeable dementia on Ikaria, an island in Greece (photo left). Men in Sardinia (photo right) statistically live the longest in the world
Beans
You might be surprised to learn that it’s not just leafy greens that are at the heart of every longevity diet on the planet. Legumes should go to the top of the pile, according to Buettner.
Legumes such as beans, lentils and peas are both easy to prepare and inexpensive.
Moreover, they provide essential nutrients because they are packed with fiber and protein.
“The cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world is beans,” Mr Buettner told the ZOE Science and Nutrition podcast.
“And eating a cup of beans a day is likely associated with about four additional years of life expectancy compared to less healthy protein sources.”
He suggests that the real food that helps people live long and healthy lives is “peasant food” and “cheap stuff that everyone can afford.”
Fiber-filled and protein-rich legumes like beans, lentils and peas may be simple and cheap, but they provide essential nutrients. they can even add many years to your life expectancy
In many African countries they eat beans and rice, Latin Americans make bean and corn tortillas and Italians make pasta fagioli, which consists of pasta and beans.
All of these dishes contain fiber, complex carbohydrates and amino acids, Mr. Buettner explains.
Professor Tim Spector, a renowned dietitian and co-founder of ZOE, explains that beans and legumes can improve our gut health and in turn strengthen the immune system.
Fiber-rich foods nourish the microbes in our gut, as do polyphenols, a plant compound with antioxidant properties.
These polyphenols improve our gut health, which is essential for a healthy immune system, Professor Spector said on the podcast.
‘If you can have a healthy immune system, then that immune system is constantly repairing your body, it fights cancer at an early stage, it repairs the cells, it ensures that you grow old by picking up problems early,’ says Professor Spector. said.
Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan and Ikaria in Greece are all home to some of the oldest populations in the world
Diversity
Variety is an important part of the diet of people living in the blue zone.
It’s not the spaghetti and noodles that feed these healthy countries, but the spices, herbs and vegetables added to them, says Professor Spector.
In Japan, for example, there are hundreds of varieties of mushrooms and onions, beans, pickles and other fermented foods that add variety to their diet.
Mixing this range of ingredients into rich soups and casseroles is common in the Blue Zone.
By eating a varied diet, you are more likely to get the different vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need, according to the pair of experts.
The longest-living family in history eats the same minestrone packed with a variety of vegetables and beans every day.
Mr Buettner discovered that the Melis family of Sardinia, who had nine brothers and sisters and a combined age of 860, made the soup with three beans, vegetables, carrots, celery, onions, oregano, red pepper, potatoes or barley and extra virgin olive oil.
Dietary surveys conducted in all five blue zones over the past hundred years show that people in these areas do not eat much meat. About 90 percent of the food they eat is completely plant-based.
Fermented foods
Eating cheese can also boost your gut and immune system.
Professor Spector explains that many Mediterranean countries, including those with many blue zones, eat a lot of goat cheese, yoghurt and other dairy ferments.
Fermented soy products such as tempeh, soy sauce and miso are also popular in Japan.
Until about 1960, people in Sardinia mainly ate bread and cheese, Mr. Buettner explains.
According to ZOE, fermented foods can improve digestion and lower the risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Research has also shown that fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir can provide good bacterial strains that add diversity to your gut and help prevent these diseases, according to a 2018 study. study by researchers in Switzerland.
Less meat
Historically, people living in the blue zone only ate meat about five times a month and rarely fish, Buettner says.
Dietary studies conducted in all five blue zones over the past hundred years show that people in these areas do not eat much meat, he explained in the podcast.
About 90 percent of the food they eat is completely plant-based.
“The five pillars of every longevity diet in the world are whole grains, wheat, corn and rice, vegetables and of course garden vegetables,” Mr Buettner said.
Although meat is a good source of protein, eating too much red meat can raise cholesterol, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, according to the NHS.
But Mr. Buettner emphasizes that you don’t have to eat meat to be healthy. As evidenced by many Blue Zone locations around the world, you can get all the protein you need from plant-based sources such as beans and legumes.
Professor Spector also states that eating meat takes up ‘space on your plate’, leaving less room for other vegetables and legumes that keep these populations so healthy.
A communal meal includes many aspects important for longevity, such as eating more slowly and de-stressing, explains Professor Spector
Communal eating
The people of the blue zone prioritize family and social ties and they not only eat well, but do so as part of a community.
A communal meal includes many aspects that are important for longevity, explains Professor Spector.
In Mediterranean countries, people gather to enjoy a glass of wine with food and spend two to three times as much time on a meal as the average American.
He believes this contributes to better digestion, the ability to communicate with others and de-stress.
Professor Spector adds that there are studies showing that mental stress can have a physical effect on the body and increase inflammation, which affects your overall health.