Introduction
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world, but some of the world’s longest living people have managed to avoid it. In this article, we’ll explore the diets of the world’s longest living people and how they avoid heart disease. We’ll look at what they eat and what they avoid, so you can make healthier choices for yourself. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make healthier food choices and how to incorporate these foods into your diet. So, if you’re looking for ways to reduce your risk of heart disease, read on to learn how the world’s longest living people avoid it.
Here’s How the World’s Longest Living People Avoid Heart Disease — Eat This Not That
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. There are certain lifestyle habits that can help reduce your risk of developing heart disease, and one of the best ways to do this is to look to the world’s longest living people for advice.
The world’s longest living people are found in the Blue Zones, five regions around the world where people live longer than anywhere else. These regions include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
The people in these regions have a few things in common when it comes to their diets. They all eat a plant-based diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They also eat very little red meat and processed foods.
In addition to eating a plant-based diet, the people in the Blue Zones also eat certain foods that are known to help reduce the risk of heart disease. These include:
- Olive oil: Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
- Fish: Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease.
- Nuts: Nuts are high in healthy fats and fiber, which can help reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
- Legumes: Legumes are high in fiber and protein, which can help reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
By following the dietary habits of the world’s longest living people, you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Eating a plant-based diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in red meat and processed foods, is a great way to start. Additionally, adding foods like olive oil, fish, nuts, and legumes to your diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease even further.
Caring for your heart health is important now more than ever. Not only do over 82.6 million Americans have some form of heart disease, but it remains one of the leading causes of death in the country today.
But what is even more shocking than these statistics is the fact that there are places in the world where heart disease is almost non-existent! These regions are known as the world’s Blue Zones, which are five areas containing the highest concentrations of centenarians across the globe. In Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Loma Linda in California, and Okinawa in Japan, people are living long, healthy lives devoid of many of the diseases wreaking havoc in the US.
So, how do they do it? The answer is quite complex, especially because researchers believe there are many components contributing to their longevity-including genetics, environment, diet, movement, stress levels, and community. So while their eating habits play a key role in their overall health, it should be noted that many other factors are at play.
Learn more about how the world’s longest-living people eat for a healthy heart, and for more healthy eating tips, check out 9 Healthy Eating Habits to Live Over A Century, Say Dietitians.
All five of the Blue Zones eat mostly plant-based diets with meat on rare occasions, except for the community of Loma Linda which eats an entirely vegetarian diet because of their Adventist religion. The other four areas follow what researchers call a “plant slant,” which means meat is consumed only around five times a month on average. The serving size of meat is also much smaller than what we are used to here in the United States.
Many researchers believe that this is one of the key components in keeping people in the Blue Zones so healthy and free of heart disease. In fact, recent studies confirm that there is a strong link between regular consumption of red meat (especially processed meat) and heart disease.
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While Blue Zone centenarians make sure to eat plenty of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, beans, and legumes, they also limit their consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Some of these communities are centered around farming and therefore have more access to locally-grown food and less access to processed food. This is the opposite of how the majority of Americans live, with very little access to locally-grown food and plenty of access to processed food.
Recent research has not only found that there is a direct link between ultra-processed food and poor heart health, but according to the American College of Cardiology, these processed foods make up 58% of the average American diet today.
When it comes to healthy heart foods and nutrients, omega 3 fatty acids take the cake. People in the Blue Zones consume these healthy fats through fish, nuts, and seeds, which researchers have discovered is pivotal in caring for your heart.
According to a review published in Circulation, omega 3’s can help your heart in a number of ways. For one, consuming these healthy fats can help lower your risk of death from coronary heart disease and heart attack. One study featured in this review also found that people with existing coronary heart disease had a lower risk of death, stroke, and heart attack when they supplemented omega 3 fatty acids.
And lastly, omega 3’s have also been found to help lower triglycerides and resting blood pressure, both of which are crucial in caring for your heart.
According to a study published in Circulation, there is a link between getting regular exercise and cardiovascular health. In fact, a “sedentary lifestyle” is one of the major risk factors for developing heart disease.
All five Blue Zone communities avoid a sedentary lifestyle by engaging in “natural” movement on a regular basis. This means that instead of going to a gym or a certain fitness studio, they get their exercise from things like walking or biking to their destination, hiking, swimming, and gardening.
In Okinawa, Japan, they sit on the floor for things like eating and visiting with friends, and this standing up and sitting down process helps keep them from being too sedentary for long periods of time.