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California’s Blue Zone: What Are The Key Features Of The Loma Linda’s Diet?

The key features of the Loma Linda Blue Zone diet include minimising sugar intake, snacking on nuts, avoiding processed foods, drinking plenty of water, favouring coffee and tea, and eating local whole foods.

loma linda blue zones usa california

What is The Blue Zone Of Loma Linda?

The city of Loma Linda, with a humble population of 23 thousand people, brims with long-livers. The Adventists community of Loma Linda have a 7.28 years longer life expectancy than other Californians at the age of 30. And these are Americans, a nation that is unfortunately notorious for having high chronic disease rates, with people having a stroke every 40 seconds.1

The Blue Zones, Loma Linda

The long-livers of the Loma Linda Blue Zone dispel the myth that your surroundings influence how you live and how long you will live. These people are not from a small island, they are living like us, sharing the very similar fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, air, and jobs. However, they have a life expectancy that surpasses the rest of the country by up to ten years.2

What are the key features of the Loma Linda diet?

The Adventists of Loma Linda have a plant-based diet with an emphasis on nuts, whole grains, beans, and soy products. The long-livers’ diet excludes products that are considered ‘unclear’ by religion, including pork and shellfish, and is also low in meat, dairy, and eggs.1,2

Loma Linda, USA

Approximately 40% of Adventists have a plant-based diet; others are vegetarians that consume eggs, low-fat dairy, and fish. A smaller number of Adventists are vegans, avoiding all animal products..1,2

Top longevity foods of Loma Linda long-livers

The Loma Linda Blue Zone diet emphasises the consumption of natural foods, such as:

Avocado: A potent source of healthy fats, high potassium, and low salt, promoting heart health.

Salmon: A staple in the longest-living Adventists’ diet, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lowers heart attack risk by one-third with one to two servings per week.

Nuts: Adventists snack on nuts, linked to a two to three-year lifespan increase.

Beans: Essential protein source for Adventists, beans and legumes combat cancer, recommended with every meal for cancer prevention.

The diet of Loma Linda

Water: Drinking six to eight glasses daily reduces heart condition likelihood by 50%.

Oatmeal: A common breakfast for Adventists, slow-cooked oatmeal provides balanced nutrients, and high fibre, and can be enhanced with nuts and dried fruits.

Whole Wheat Bread: Often used for on-the-go lunches, 100% whole wheat bread provides nutrients and high fibre, minimising unhealthy snacking.

Soy Milk: Adventists choose unsweetened soy milk for its high protein, low-fat content, and phytoestrogens, potentially reducing prostate cancer risk by 70% when consumed daily.3

How to eat like California’s centenarians?

If you’re looking for a ways to adapt the Loma Linda diet, here are some nutrition tips:

1) Avoid adding sugar to food and drinks, and eat sugary treats sparingly.

2) Incorporate two handfuls of nuts into your daily snack routine.

3) Limit processed foods and focus on whole foods, ideally from local sources.

4) Drink plenty of water, aiming for around 7 glasses a day.

5) Moderate your alcohol intake, and if drinking, choose red wine.

6) Enjoy coffee and green/herbal teas for their health benefits.


Healthypedia FAQ

The city of Loma Linda, with a humble population of 23,261 people, brims with long-livers. In California, Adventists have a 7.28 years longer life expectancy than other white Californians at the age of 30. And these are Americans, a nation that is unfortunately notorious for having high chronic disease rates, with people having a stroke every 40 seconds.

The Adventists of Loma Linda have a plant-based diet with an emphasis on nuts, whole grains, beans, and soy products. The long-livers’ diet excludes products that are considered ‘unclear’ by The Bible, including pork and shellfish, and is also low in meat, dairy, and eggs. Approximately 40% of Adventists have a plant-based diet; others are vegetarians that consume eggs, low-fat dairy, and fish. A smaller number of Adventists are vegans, avoiding all animal products.

Loma Linda’s average male lives to 89 years, and the average female lives to 91 years – both are ten years longer than the national average.

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