What the World's Oldest People Eat: Longevity Lessons

The world's longest-lived populations, in places such as Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Ikaria in Greece and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, have mostly eaten simple, plant-heavy diets built on vegetables, legumes, whole grains and root crops, with modest amounts of meat, fish or dairy [1][6][7]. These regions are often called Blue Zones. A 2025 scoping review found that diet is one of several factors linked with their longevity, alongside physical activity, climate, genetics and isolation, and that the evidence tying specific diets to long life is still insufficient [1].

Key Takeaways

Traditional diets in long-lived regions share a pattern: mostly plants, little processed food, and moderate rather than zero animal foods [1][6][7].
A 2025 review classed Okinawa, Sardinia's Ogliastra and Nicoya as well characterized, and found the evidence that diet explains their longevity still insufficient [1].
Researchers debate the accuracy of some oldest-old ages, which is why strict age validation matters [2][5].
Younger Okinawans no longer show the same advantage, which researchers link to changing ways of life [1][5].
In large cohorts, people whose diets closely matched any of several healthy eating patterns had 14 to 20% lower death rates over decades [11].
Genes appear to explain less of lifespan than once thought, leaving more room for diet and lifestyle [12].

Evidence grade: Moderate. Large cohort studies consistently link healthy eating patterns with lower death rates, but evidence that diet explains Blue Zone longevity is mostly descriptive, and a 2025 scoping review judged it insufficient.

Where the World's Longest-Lived Populations Are

"Blue Zone" began as a demographic term. A 2004 study of Sardinia mapped a mountainous central-eastern area where an unusually high share of people born between 1880 and 1900 reached 100, with especially strong longevity among men [3]. Demographers now use strict criteria: ages must be verified from records, and an area should show longevity at least 50% above the national average [2].

By 2025, Okinawa, Sardinia, Nicoya and Ikaria were described as validated, with Martinique emerging as a fifth [2]. A 2025 scoping review of 65 studies took a stricter view. It classed Ogliastra (Sardinia), Okinawa and Nicoya as well characterized; Ikaria, Cilento in Italy, Martinique and Guadeloupe, a Dutch municipality and Rugao in China as still under investigation; and Menorca and Loma Linda, California, as excluded, noting that no studies had been conducted in Loma Linda itself [1].

What Long-Lived Populations Traditionally Eat

Region	Traditional staples	What researchers note
Okinawa, Japan	Sweet potatoes and other root vegetables, green and yellow vegetables, soy foods, medicinal plants; moderate fish, lean meat (including pork), fruit and tea [1][6]	Low in calories for its volume, with a high-carbohydrate, low-saturated-fat profile [6]
Sardinia (Ogliastra), Italy	Before 1950 a frugal diet of grains, legumes and sheep or goat dairy; later more carbohydrate, olive oil and meat [1]	Physical activity also linked with longevity; mild overweight common [1]
Nicoya, Costa Rica	Rice, beans and animal protein [7]	Low glycemic index and high in fiber; the advantage is seen in men, not women [7]
Ikaria, Greece	Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, fruits and vegetables, with few sweets and little red meat [1]	In people 90 and older, average Mediterranean diet adherence was about 63% [8]
Seventh-day Adventists, California	Many vegetarian; little or no alcohol [1][10]	Studied in large cohorts rather than as a single location [9][10]

The shared thread is a mostly plant-based, minimally processed diet with moderate portions of animal foods. Okinawa's traditional diet has much in common with the traditional Mediterranean and DASH patterns: plenty of unrefined carbohydrates, moderate protein from legumes, fish and lean meats, and a healthier fat profile [6]. You can read more about that pattern in what is the Mediterranean diet.

These diets were not vegan in most places. Nicoya's diet included animal protein [7], Okinawa's included lean pork [1], and Sardinia's included sheep and goat dairy [1].

Beyond the Plate: Movement, Community and Place

Diet is never studied alone in these regions. The 2025 review linked longevity to physical activity, often through farming and walking, along with climate, genetics and geographic isolation [1]. In a survey of 71 Ikarians aged 90 and older, 78% had daily social contact and 72% had moderate or high physical activity [8].

Treating the Blue Zones Claims Critically

Are the ages accurate?

Blue Zones face criticism over data reliability, especially whether very old people's ages are correct [2]. Researchers who study these regions respond with strict validation: a 2008 study checked records for a sample of Okinawan centenarians and judged their reported ages reliable [4]. Yet a 2024 analysis by Blue Zone demographers raised the possibility that the ages of some of Okinawa's oldest residents may not hold up, and called for deeper validation [5]. The honest summary is that some Blue Zone ages are well documented and others are still being checked.

Is the evidence about diet strong?

Not yet. The 2025 scoping review concluded that Mediterranean eating in Ikaria and Ogliastra and the traditional Okinawan diet have been associated with longevity, but the evidence is still insufficient [1]. It also noted that it is unclear whether these diets reflect tradition, economic constraint or both [1]. Most Blue Zone diet data come from describing what older people ate, not from studies that test diet against other factors.

Is the advantage lasting?

In 2002, Okinawa fell from 4th to 26th among Japan's 47 prefectures in male life expectancy [5]. Generations born before World War II still show very favorable death rates, while younger generations have higher death rates than mainland Japan [5]. The 2025 review reported that recent longevity indicators in Okinawa and Nicoya are starting to look like those of neighboring areas, which it attributes to westernization [1]. In Nicoya, the advantage disappears in people who move away [7].

Is it all in the genes?

Probably not. Earlier estimates put the heritability of lifespan at about 15 to 30%, but a 2018 analysis of hundreds of millions of family-tree records found that after accounting for people choosing partners with similar lifestyles, true heritability was well below 10% [12]. The original Sardinian study also raised genetic factors as one possible explanation, alongside environment [3].

What Large Cohort Studies Show

Because Blue Zone data are mostly descriptive, large long-term cohort studies give a clearer picture of diet and lifespan:

Seventh-day Adventists: among 34,192 California Adventists followed from 1976 to 1988, life expectancy at age 30 was 7.3 years longer in men and 4.4 years longer in women than in other white Californians; combinations of diet, exercise, body weight, past smoking and other factors accounted for up to 10 years of difference [9].
Vegetarian patterns: in 73,308 Adventists followed for about six years, vegetarians as a group had a 12% lower death rate than non-vegetarians, and pesco-vegetarians (vegetarians who eat fish) 19% lower [10].
Several healthy patterns: in about 119,000 US adults followed for up to 36 years, those whose diets best matched any of four healthy patterns, including Mediterranean-style and healthful plant-based diets, had 14 to 20% lower death rates than those with the lowest scores, across racial and ethnic groups [11].

These are observational studies, so they show association rather than proof, and Adventists differ from other groups in more than diet, including little or no alcohol use [1]. Still, the results point the same way as the Blue Zone diets: mostly plants, minimally processed, with flexibility in the details. Our article on diet and longevity covers calorie restriction trials and more of this research.

How to Apply These Lessons

Build meals around plants: vegetables, legumes, whole grains and root vegetables were the base of these diets [1][6][7].
Keep animal foods moderate, not necessarily absent: fish, lean meat or dairy appeared in most traditional patterns [1][7].
Limit highly processed foods: traditional diets were simple and minimally processed, and the loss of that pattern coincides with fading advantages [1][5].
Pick a pattern you can keep: several different healthy patterns were linked with lower death rates [11].
Do not forget movement and people: daily activity and social contact were common among the oldest Ikarians [8].

For age-specific nutrient needs, see nutrition for healthy aging.

Safety and Interactions

Diet changes and medicines: if you take prescription medicines, such as a blood thinner or diabetes medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before making a major change to your diet.
Fully plant-based eating: most long-lived populations still ate some animal foods [1][7]. If you cut them out entirely, plan for nutrients such as vitamin B12; see nutrients to watch on a vegan diet.
Calorie restriction: traditional Okinawan eating was low in calories for its volume [6]; older adults, people who are underweight and anyone with a history of disordered eating should not restrict calories without medical guidance.
Alcohol: wine appears in some Blue Zone descriptions, but the studies above do not show that starting to drink extends life, and many long-lived Adventists do not drink [1].
Supplements: these populations relied on food, not supplements; no supplement replaces the overall pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the world's oldest people eat?

Mostly plant-based, minimally processed foods: vegetables, legumes, whole grains and root vegetables, with moderate fish, meat or dairy depending on the region [1][6][7].

How can traditional diets contribute to longevity?

Their shared features, plenty of unrefined carbohydrates, moderate protein from legumes, fish and lean meat, and less saturated fat, match patterns linked with lower death rates in large cohorts [6][11]. Direct proof that diet explains Blue Zone longevity is still lacking [1].

Are Blue Zones real?

Several are supported by validated demographic data, especially Okinawa, Sardinia's Ogliastra and Nicoya [1]. Others remain under investigation, and researchers debate the accuracy of some extreme ages [1][2][5].

What are the key factors behind the longevity of the world's oldest populations?

Researchers point to a mix of diet, physical activity, social ties, climate, genetics and geographic isolation [1]. Genes appear to account for a smaller share of lifespan than once believed [12].

How do cultural and social aspects of food affect aging?

Among Ikarians aged 90 and older, most had daily social contact and many took part in community festivals [8]. Social connection is part of the longevity picture, though its separate effect is hard to measure [1].

How can we apply these dietary practices today?

Base meals on plants, keep animal foods moderate, limit highly processed foods, stay active and eat with others [1][8][11].

Sources

Disclosure: OPA Nutrition sells supplements, including products mentioned in this article. This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before using any supplement, especially if you take medication or have a medical condition.

Written and reviewed by Michael Gonzales, Founder, OPA Nutrition · Last reviewed: October 17, 2026 · How OPA researches and writes

What the World's Oldest People Eat: Lessons for Longevity and Health

Key Takeaways

Where the World's Longest-Lived Populations Are

What Long-Lived Populations Traditionally Eat

Beyond the Plate: Movement, Community and Place