NETFLIX DOCUSERIES ‘BLUE ZONES’ HIGHLIGHTS THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF A VEGAN DIET
A brand-new Netflix documentary series about the advantages of a vegan diet has quickly risen to the top 10 on the platform.
Best-selling author and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner explores the enigmatic Blue Zone diet in his book, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.
According to Netflix, “Best-selling author and adventurer Dan Buettner worked with National Geographic to reverse-engineer a formula for longevity in the early 2000s. He spent years searching the world for regions where people lived significantly longer than average, and as a result, the idea of the “Blue Zone” was born.
Previously speaking to USA Today, Buettner said: “If you want to know what 100-year-olds ate to live to be 100… you have to know what they’ve done most of their lives.”
So, in the series, he visits five locations where people have the highest life expectancy in an effort to learn what they are doing to prolong their lives.
Blue Zones
The regions with the highest life expectancies, known as the Blue Zones, were discovered by Buettner and his team, and they cover a wide range of diverse regions.
They are Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and Loma Linda in California. Okinawa is located in Japan.
The team looked at the diets that the people in these regions followed and discovered that they were remarkably similar.
According to Netflix: “These five populations each have their own unique secrets, but also share some surprising common behaviors that are proven to promote longevity and health.”
They all follow largely plant-based diets that consist primarily of whole plant-based foods.
Four “pillars” of the diet, including whole grains like wheat, rice, and corn, were identified by Buettner. Greens come in second, followed by tubers like sweet potatoes in third place.
The fourth food group is beans, which Buettner calls the “cornerstone of the diet” consumed by those living in the Blue Zones.
In the meantime, they consume very little meat and fish, little dairy, and little processed sugar.
Protein
In the series, Buettner talks about a variety of subjects, including protein.
Speaking in one episode, he says: “Richer countries are fixated on getting protein from meat to build muscle.”
However, the show points out that since humans can get all the protein they require from plants, eating meat has no known negative effects on their health.
According to Buettner, the advantage that plant protein has over meat, such as being lower in calories and free of cholesterol and saturated animal fats, may be a significant factor in the Blue Zones’ higher life expectancy and lower prevalence of chronic diseases.
In addition, he considers how in the Blue Zones, these meals are frequently shared with friends and family and how this social and spiritual component may also contribute to better health and longevity.
According to Netflix, the show is premise is to “take viewers around the world to investigate the diet, behavior, and lifestyles of those living the longest, most vibrant lives. Following their examples gives Buettner insight into how we might live longer because the factors that contribute to a long, healthy life are also those that make life worthwhile.