Can Blue Zones’ New Cookbook Really Help You Live To 100?

It’s the golden question: how can we eat for a longer, healthier life? Scientists have spent years trying to figure out the ultimate longevity diet – and National Geographic journalist Dan Buettner believes he’s found it. He’s the founder of Blue Zones, a trademarked concept describing the regions of the world where people live longer than average. Researchers set out to explore the reasons behind this, finding many common threads when it came to eating patterns, and so the blue zone diet was established. 

This sparked a number of cookbooks, including Buettner’s The Blue Zones Kitchen (published in 2020) and the most recent, The Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals, out this September. But are these so-called longevity recipes backed by science?

Blue Zone Diet: Key Principles & The Science

What Are Blue Zones?

Buettner coined the term ‘blue zones’ following a research project in 2004. After travelling to Okinawa, Japan, to investigate its high longevity, he set out to explore other parts of the world with similar statistics – places where an unusually large percentage of the population not only live to 100, but enjoy a high quality of life into old age. 

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Using demographic data and interviewing centenarians, Buettner identified five key regions: Okinawa alongside Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California. People living in these regions have larger lifespans than average – in Loma Linda, for instance, residents live around 10 years longer than the rest of America. They also have lower levels of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. So what are the secrets of these so-called ‘super-agers‘?

Well, diet clearly plays a crucial role (more on that below) – but other factors are important too. Buettner and a team of researchers established nine key habits of the world’s healthiest people. This includes:

• Moving naturally: We all know exercise is key for a healthy lifestyle, but in the blue zones activity is an inherent part of the lifestyle. 
• Purpose: In Okinawa it’s called ‘ikigai’ and the Nicoyans called it ‘plan de vida’, but all the blue zones place high importance on knowing your sense of purpose.
• Reducing stress: Everyone experiences stress, but the world’s longest-lived people have routines to deal with it – whether that’s afternoon naps like the Ikarians, or devoting time to remembering departed loved ones like the Okinawans.
• Loved ones first: Another common thread with centenarians is they put their families first – aging parents often live nearby or even in the home.

What Is The Blue Zone Diet – And What Does The Science Say?

The blue zone diet is not a scientific term, but it’s used to describe food patterns of people living in the world’s blue zones. There are differences between the different regions – a result of cultural and religious traditions, as well as the produce available. However, there are themes running throughout.

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Plant-Based

People living in blue zones tend to follow a largely plant-based diet: inhabitants eat lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses and wholegrains. There’s an abundance of scientific evidence showing the positive effects of eating plant-based foods, including a recent study from the University of Borgen, which found adopting a plant-based diet could extend your life by up to a decade. 

Beans and pulses are a cornerstone of all the blue zone diets – black beans are a staple in Nicoya, soybeans are prominent in Okinawa, and white beans feature in many Sardinian recipes. These prove particularly beneficial for longevity, being packed with nutrients, protein and fibre. A 2004 study found people lived approximately eight more years for every 20g intake of legumes, while research from 2001 concluded eating beans four times a week can cut heart disease by 22 percent. 

That’s not to say the blue zone diet is vegan. Many people living in the blue zones eat meat and fish; in the Nicoya Peninsula, for example, at least half of people eat three to five servings of meat per week. However, this is significantly less than we consume in the UK, where the average person consumes 89g of meat per day, according to the Food Foundation. 

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Healthy Fats

The tide has turned on fats, with an ever-growing body of research pointing out the benefits of good fats (AKA the unsaturated variety). People living in blue zones generally ensure they consume an adequate amount. 

Found in foods like oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, healthy fats are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, with omega-3 fatty acids found to be particularly important. A major clinical trial published in Nature Aging found people who took one gram of omega-3s every day aged less than those who didn’t.

Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, a clinician-scientist at the University of Zurich and one of the lead authors in the study, said: ‘While the effects may appear small with three to four months rejuvenation of biological age in three years, if sustained, they may have relevant effects on population health.’ The NHS recommends consuming at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish.

Fermented Foods

The importance of gut health is one of the biggest topics in wellness right now, so it’s no surprise fermented foods are found in most blue zone diets. Miso soup is popular in Okinawa, for instance, while sourdough is often eaten in Sardinia. Having a strong and diverse gut microbiome supports both the digestive and the immune system, as well as having the potential to benefit mental health, all of which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. However, more research is needed surrounding the direct link between longevity and consuming fermented foods.

Low UPF Intake

Whole and fresh foods are prioritised in all blue zones, so naturally diets tend to include less highly processed foods. There are endless studies showcasing the harmful effects of overconsuming ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Recent research published in the BMJ, for instance, linked UPFs with a higher risk of 23 health problems including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

80/20 Rule

The blue zone diet isn’t just about what you eat, it’s also about how you eat. In Okinawa, people live by the ‘hara hachi bu’ mantra: a Japanese phrase meaning ‘eat until you’re 80 percent full’. Often said aloud before eating, this philosophy aims to prevent overeating – which often leads to indigestion – but also to encourage mindfulness. According to a 2018 review in the Current Obesity Reports journal, a mindful approach to eating can help treat obesity, which is linked with a shorter lifespan. 

New Cookbook: The Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals

Buettner’s latest recipe book includes 100 researched-backed, one pot recipes designed to boost longevity, including ideas for breakfast, dinner, snacks and sides, all inspired by American favourites. ‘These people [in Blue Zones] have traditionally been poor and busy,’ he said in an interview with Veg News. ‘They’re working their fields or in their pastures, and they don’t have a lot of time for elaborate meals. So, one pot: the minestrones in Italy, the stews in Icaria, the beans in Costa Rica – these meals sustain them.’

Each dish must cost under $5 per serving, and be able to be whizzed up in 30 minutes or less. And the book is centred around the simple yet effective principles outlined above – it doesn’t require you to shell out on exotic superfoods or spend hours labouring over complex recipes. 

It includes dishes like:

• Crispy roasted chickpeas
• White bean and tomato soup
• Spanakopita pasta
• BBQ tofu with sweetcorn and green beans
• Moroccan tagine
• Roasted ratatouille 
• Slow cooked bourguignon
• No-bake peanut butter
• Honey cookie bites

The Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals by Dan Buettner (National Geographic Books) is out now