The Blue Zones Diet: What It Is & How It May Promote Longevity

Founded by National Geographic fellow and longevity expert Dan Buettner, the Blue Zones Diet is based on the eating patterns followed in the Blue Zones, five regions of the world with a high concentration of people who live to be over 100 years old.

"The Blue Zone regions are the world's longevity hotspots," Buettner shared on the mindbodygreen podcast. There are five Blue Zones in the world: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California. After researching these regions, Buettner discovered the diets and lifestyle practices in these various parts of the world all have some striking similarities.

"The Blue Zones diets have some major things in common," explains Amy Shapiro, M.S., R.D. "No matter which region each Blue Zone is in, they stick to these principles"—all of which may help promote longevity:

Okinawa is a region on a group of islands called the Ryukyu Islands in the south of Japan. The Okinawa diet has more fish, soy, and vegetables than the diets of the other Blue Zones. The focus is on starches low on the glycemic index, like rice and sweet potato. Okinawans also follow a principle called ikigai or "purpose," which allows them to find reasons to wake up in the morning.

"The typical diet here is rich in whole grains, vegetables, beans, and fruits," says Meshulam. "They have heart-healthy monounsaturated fats from olive oil, and a very small amount of their diet comes from meat. Dairy is included via goat and sheep milk, which tend to be easier to digest."

This Costa Rican region includes more starches and grains than other Blue Zones—like squash, corn, and beans. "They eat veggies as well (tomatoes, peppers, carrots, etc.) and some fruit that is local to where they live (papaya, oranges, and bananas)," says Meshulam. "They also emphasize an earlier, smaller dinner. It is interesting to note they treat their grains (like corn) with lime, which ups the bioavailability of the nutrients." (More on the Costa Rican Blue Zone diet here.)

The Greeks here follow a more plant-based version of the Mediterranean diet—it's higher in legumes and heart-healthy fats, and alcohol is consumed in moderation. 

"The Seventh-day Adventists who live here are extremely religious and follow a mostly vegan diet," says Meshulam. They don't have any dairy or spices and even avoid shellfish and all meats.

Transitioning to a Blue Zone Diet may have the following benefits:

It has been suggested that people in the Blue Zones live long, healthy lives (up to their 90s and even 100s)1.

A study on the Blue Zone Diet1 found that those who follow the eating style, as opposed to the Standard American Diet, found that they experienced better cardiovascular health outcomes and cognitive function, to name a few examples.

Of course what you eat can affect your physical health, but it also has an impact on your mood and mental well-being, too. That means, as the Blue Zones Diet demonstrates, the more high-quality whole foods, the better.

As one of the mantras of the Blue Zones diet is to eat until you're only 80% full, you could very easily support a healthy weight for your body through this eating style.

"Especially if you eat a lot of processed foods, swapping out to the Blue Zone Diet can give you an excess of vitamins and minerals you hadn't had before," says Meshulam.

Some other critiques of the Blue Zone Diet are as follows:

The Blue Zones diet can be a beneficial choice to help promote healthier eating and positive nutrition practices. That said, you don't need to go completely plant-based to reap the benefits. "We eat about 1,000 meals a year," Buettner shared on the mindbodygreen podcast. "If you can make nine out of 10 of those meals be more simple foods—beans, greens, grains, nuts—you're going to live a lot longer." Want to give this eating style a try? Here are some tasty Blue Zone recipes to incorporate into your own diet.