BLUE ZONES

[cluwal894]

From my observation about the five Blue Zones populations:

They all eat animals, they all use oil, none of them eat a whole food plant-based diet.

Then the question is why do they live so long?

We know the McDougall diet is superior in all aspects and yet very few people practice it. Where in the world are there populations that live the McDougall Lifestyle – none that I know of.

It will be interesting and conclusive to see how long the WHPB doctors live and with what quality of life. Unfortunately, because of my age, I won't be here to bear witness.

Sal Liggieri
[email protected]

[MINNIE]

Sal,

I have wondered too, but being a non-scientist I can only speculate.

One thought is that the modern populations in those areas now eat the same lousy junk that normal Americans eat. But the people who were very old when the Blue Zone studies were done, spent most of their lives eating much less meat, dairy and oil as their modern relatives.

My only personal observation is looking at my immigrant relatives from Syria/Lebanon.

The immigrant generation grew up poor on peasant diets of mostly bread, pasta, and rice. They had home-grown vegetables, fruits and small amounts of poultry or fish. Red meat was for feast days only. They ate olive oil, but in smaller amounts than people do today, due to the expense. They probably ate fewer calories per day (although I can't prove that), and did a lot more physical work.

In America, they lived frugally and ate much the same as did back home, at least until they were middle-aged and able to afford more meat and dairy products. But they still ate fish and poultry in preference to red meat. Most of these folks lived into their late 80's and early 90's without much impairment, and died of short illnesses rather than lingering for many years on a lot of medications.

So maybe their early lifestyle helped.

But I also think there was some natural selection at work. Epidemics, war and famine were normal in that region ( and sadly still are). The people who survived infant/child mortality long enough to grow up and reproduce, may be naturally stronger and more resistant to disease.

Again, I am only guessing.

But when I started eating the McDougall way, I somehow felt like I was more in touch with my departed elders. I'm now a healthy 74, and hope that I can look forward to as good a long life -and short death- as they had:).

[QubitBob]

Here's a link to a detailed analysis of the Okinawa Blue Zones diet: https://tinyurl.com/395mj4x4 . This is as close to the McDougall diet as you are going to find without actually being the McDougall diet. The amounts of animal products are tiny: it is 85% whole-food, plant-based carbohydrates.

Keep in mind that diet is only one factor influencing longevity. The people of the Blue Zones also engage in regular physical activity as part of their normal lives. They have a lot of social interaction; they have built-in support structures.

[barryoilbegone]

The original Blue Zones definitely ate a majority whole food plant-based diet though. The longer the living people, we notice the more McDougall like it becomes.

The kidneys and liver can detoxify small amounts, but push them past a certain point, and the troubles start. It's a bit like: how many cigarettes before somebody develops malignant cancer? It's going to be variable between people: none for some even heavy smokers, but obviously for others, they can't risk even a small amount. The smaller the exposure for everybody, the better for all.

Most of us have mistaken evolutionary, emergency physiological mechanisms that can help us survive in times of crisis (animal food, oil ingestion, refined sugar ingestion) for normal biological processes. Even the original Blue Zones made that mistake, hence they still included them, but expense, cost and cultural expectations made them rare - sadly they're becoming more normalised now.

It would be interesting if, in generations to come, we get WFP dominant people from birth, and how often they might live - but that data will take some time to get!

[dynodan60]

Sal,

The immigrant generation grew up poor on peasant diets of mostly bread, pasta, and rice. They had home-grown vegetables, fruits and small amounts of poultry or fish. Red meat was for feast days only. They ate olive oil, but in smaller amounts than people do today, due to the expense. They probably ate fewer calories per day (although I can't prove that), and did a lot more physical work.

In America, they lived frugally and ate much the same as did back home, at least until they were middle-aged and able to afford more meat and dairy products. But they still ate fish and poultry in preference to red meat. Most of these folks lived into their late 80's and early 90's without much impairment, and died of short illnesses rather than lingering for many years on a lot of medications.

So maybe their early lifestyle helped.

But I also think there was some natural selection at work. Epidemics, war and famine were normal in that region ( and sadly still are). The people who survived infant/child mortality long enough to grow up and reproduce, may be naturally stronger and more resistant to disease.

Again, I am only guessing.
.

Good guess. I think you nailed it!