Issue 17: Blue Zones: Live Longer & Healthier

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Welcome to Weekly.health’s 17th issue. Every week, we explore cutting-edge research, actionable advice, and science-backed nutrition insights to help you live longer and healthier.

Our aim is to help you live another 10 healthy years and cut your risk of age-related disease.

🗒️ In This Issue:

• 📚 Books We’re Reading Right Now

• 📈 Research Digest: What’s new in nutrition science

• 🏋️‍♀️ Blue Zones: Live longer & healthier

• 🛍️ Things You Might Like

• ❤️ Support Weekly.health: Help us keep the research flowing

• 📘 Glossary of Terms: Definitions for technical terms in this issue

📚 Books We’re Reading Right Now

📈 Research Digest: What’s New in Nutrition Science

Here’s the best of recent nutrition research:

🥦 A whole food diet may ease Crohn’s symptoms
A small UCLA trial found that a natural whole food diet rich in fruits, veg, nuts, and healthy fats led to higher remission rates in people with mild-to-moderate Crohn’s disease: 64% in 4 weeks vs 29% on a habitual diet. Better diet quality (measured via a Healthy Eating Index score over 65) was also linked to lower gut inflammation. Eat well, heal well, by eating fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, lean proteins, whole grains, and spices. (source)

🌱 School gardening helps kids slim down and eat better
A five-month school gardening programme in Jordan, where 10–12-year-olds spent one hour a week growing and tasting vegetables, led to impressive results: children reduced their BMI by 1.6 kg/m² and lost nearly 2 kg on average. They also ate more vegetables, boosted fibre intake, cut saturated fat, and improved nutrition knowledge by 22 points. Hands-on gardening really can plant the seeds for healthier habits early on. (source)

🧬 What happens to Lp(a) when you cut saturated fat?
Swapping saturated fat for carbs raised Lp(a) levels (a heart disease marker) in two diet trials - but also changed what Lp(a) carries. It picked up more “healthier” fats (longer, unsaturated ones), and in people with metabolic issues, one harmful fat actually dropped. So while Lp(a) levels rose, its danger may have dropped. If you’re reducing saturated fat, the overall heart risk might still go down. (source)

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🏋️‍♀️ Blue Zones: Live Longer & Healthier

Did you know there are regions of the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives than anywhere else? These regions are known as ‘Blue Zones’, and have unusually high proportions of centenarians (people aged 100+) and much lower risk of disease than elsewhere.

Research in the 90s marked Sardinia, Italy, as the first Blue Zone - by using a blue pen on a map, and other areas followed:

Ogliastra in Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and Loma Linda (California, USA).

All these locations exhibit much higher than average life expectancies and concentrations of healthy elders. These five locations have the strongest evidence for longevity and low risk of disease.

For instance: Ikaria, Greece, has residents living an average of 8-10 years longer than the average American, with substantially lower rates of dementia, heart disease, and cancer.

(While there are several other locations commonly included in the typical Blue Zone list, their data might be better explained by controversies in pension fraud - so we’re sticking to the very best evidence for our review.)

What do the Blue Zones eat?

The Blue Zones’ diet does differ between locations, but there are many commonalities between them. Here’s what Blue Zones typically consume:

• 🥦 Base your diet on plants — 90–95% of calories from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

• 🌰 Eat beans daily — aim for ½ to 1 cup (100–200g) of cooked legumes every day.

• 🍠 Choose whole, unprocessed carbs — sweet potatoes, corn, brown rice, barley, and rye sourdough are staples.

• 🐟 Include fish 2–3 times per week — small portions of oily fish like sardines, mackerel, or anchovies.

• 🧀 Keep dairy minimal — if included, choose fermented goat/sheep milk products like yoghurt or aged cheese.

• 🍗 Limit meat to small portions, about 5 times a month — use as a side or flavour, not the main event.

• 🍷 Drink alcohol sparingly or not at all — up to 1–2 small glasses of wine with meals, or abstain completely.

• 🍯 Keep added sugar very low — no more than 7 teaspoons (28g) per day; desserts are for special occasions. If possible, exclude entirely.

• 🥖 Avoid ultra-processed foods — cook at home from scratch, using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

• 💧 Drink mostly water, coffee, and herbal tea — skip sugary drinks and sodas entirely.

The ‘Power 9’ - commonalities between Blue Zones

While genetics and geographical isolation contribute somewhat to longevity in certain areas, the prevailing evidence indicates that behavior and environment - how people eat, move, socialise, and manage stress - are the key drivers that slow ageing and ward off disease in Blue Zones.

This means that diet is not the only major commonality between each of these locations.

The ‘Power 9’ were identified as the nine traits between these locations that are believed to contribute in some way to longevity and healthspan. Many of these are shared by multiple Blue Zones.

To follow in the footsteps of some of the healthiest populations in the world, here’s what the research suggests you do:

🔹 1. Move Naturally

What they do: Blue Zone residents don’t “exercise” in the gym. They move consistently all day, walking, gardening, chopping wood, cooking, and cleaning.
What to do: Design your life to include more movement. Walk or cycle instead of driving. Do housework or take walking calls. Movement should feel normal, not optional.

🔹 2. Purpose

What they do: Whether it’s called ikigai in Okinawa or plan de vida in Nicoya, centenarians have a clear reason to wake up each day.
What to do: Identify what gives your life meaning - family, faith, work, creativity, charity -and actively prioritise it. A clear sense of purpose may add up to 7 extra years of life from research.

🔹 3. Downshift

What they do: They build in daily routines to relieve stress: prayer, naps, socialising, ancestor rituals, or afternoon wine with friends.
What to do: Create your own downshift ritual. Meditate, take a walk, have screen-free meals, or schedule a 20-minute break daily. Stress can cause inflammation - manage it intentionally.

🔹 4. 80% Rule (Hara Hachi Bu)

What they do: Okinawans stop eating when they feel 80% full, not stuffed.
What to do: Eat slowly and mindfully. Use smaller plates, avoid distractions, and listen to your body. Avoid late-night heavy meals. Light dinners and moderate portions may help prevent chronic disease and weight gain.

🔹 5. Plant-Slant Diet

What they do: 90–95% of Blue Zoners' calories come from plants. Beans, lentils, greens, and whole grains are daily staples. Meat is rare and usually celebratory, but many Blue Zones consume small portions of fish 2-3 times per week.
What to do: Shift your plate: make plants the main attraction. Eat beans or legumes daily. Reduce meat to no more than 2–3 small portions per week, and ideally replace with fish. Avoid processed foods and sugary snacks.

🔹 6. Moderate Wine (or None)

What they do: Some Blue Zones enjoy 1–2 small glasses of red wine per day, always with food and friends. No binge drinking.
What to do: If you drink, stick to a max of one drink per day (women) or two (men), ideally red wine with meals. If you don’t drink, don’t start - Loma Linda’s long-lived Adventists don’t drink at all.

🔹 7. Belong

What they do: Nearly all Blue Zone centenarians belong to a spiritual or faith-based community, attending regularly.
What to do: Engage with a community or belief system that gives you meaning and connection. Weekly participation is associated with up to 4–14 extra years of life.

🔹 8. Loved Ones First

What they do: Family comes first - centenarians live close to (or with) children and grandchildren, and invest time in them. They prioritise loyalty, responsibility, and care.
What to do: Stay connected with close family and chosen family. Call or visit often, make time for shared meals, and offer practical support. Close relationships buffer stress and improve health.

🔹 9. Right Tribe

What they do: Their social networks support healthy behaviours - moai groups in Okinawa meet for life, reinforcing positive habits and emotional support.
What to do: Surround yourself with people who live the way you want to live - active, positive, smoke-free, purpose-driven. Community shapes behaviour more than willpower alone.

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🛍️ Things You Might Like

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🙏 Thanks for Reading!

That’s the end of this issue of Weekly.health.

This newsletter is written by a small, independent team, led by James — who’s been following nutrition science for nearly 20 years and is now working towards a formal, industry-recognised qualification.

We’re based in England, so if you’re over the pond, you might notice a few strange spellings.

Our goal is to make cutting-edge, evidence-based nutrition advice simple, useful, and genuinely applicable to everyday life.

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See you next week!

📖 Glossary of Terms in This Issue (Alphabetical Order)

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