Loma Linda, California is one of the world's 'Blue Zones.' People here live 10 years longer by eating less meat and relaxing on Saturdays.
- Blue Zones are regions of the world where people regularly live longer than average.
- Loma Linda, California is one of five Blue Zones, and the only Blue Zone in the US.
Sunny California, known for its golden beaches, palm trees, and sea salt-encrusted surfers, is also home to a small community filled with SuperAgers: Some of the longest-living people in the world.
Loma Linda, home to just over 25,000 people, is seated roughly an hour east of Los Angeles, and is the United State's only "Blue Zone" — a region of the world where people regularly live about a decade longer than average. The spot was identified by researcher Dan Buettner, and is featured in his recent book and Netflix docuseries on the topic.
Here's what makes Loma Linda so special.
Residents of Loma Linda live on average 10 years longer than the rest of the US
Residents of Loma Linda live, on average, 10 years longer than normal US residents. Their longevity is attributed to the fact many residents of Loma Linda — about 9,000 of them — adhere to the Seventh-day Adventists faith.
"The Adventist experience is only 20% or 30% healthier than the average American," Buettner told the Los Angeles Times.
Seventh-day Adventists, an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination, prioritize plant based eating, regular exercise, emphasize community and promote a stress-free lifestyle: All key features of "Blue Zone" lifestyles.
Many Loma Linda residents enjoy a plant-based diet
Many Seventh-day Adventists adhere to a plant-based diet. As a result, black beans, nuts and avocados are a central component of their diet. These superfoods are also a staple of other Blue Zones' cuisines.
"In every Blue Zone, they're eating about a cup of beans a day," Buettner previously told Insider. "I believe the only superfood there is in the world is beans."
For some Seventh-day Adventists, refined foods, shellfish, and red meat (especially pork) are off-limits. In fact, a study of 81,000 Seventh-day Adventists from the US and Canada found that even eating a small amount of red meat was associated with a two-fold increase in heart problems.
Instead of meat, the local Loma Linda Market is filled with bins of beans and grains, reported the Los Angeles Times, and the local university cafeteria is vegetarian.
Unlike other SuperAgers, many Loma Linda residents avoid alcohol
Seventh-day Adventists don't drink alcohol. Nicotine and caffeine are also forbidden for followers of the religion.
This differs from other groups of SuperAgers, like those in Sardinia, Italy and Ikaria, Greece who enjoy indulging in a glass of wine.
While wine may have some antioxidant properties, and could help with socializing and stress relief, some evidence suggests that any amount of alcohol is unhealthy.
Loma Linda residents share community dinners
Loma Linda residents, like other Blue Zone regions, are big on community.
Residents share potluck dinners at church where they share hearty plant-based meals and socialize.
Fitness is open and welcoming to all
Loma Linda University's fitness center is open to all residents of Loma Linda, including its programs on diet and exercise, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Seventh-day Adventists are also encouraged to spend time outside in the fresh air, NBC News reported. After potluck dinners, it's common for families to go on nature hikes.
Residents try to de-stress and enjoy life
For Seventh-day Adventists, Saturday is Sabbath — a day off from work and school.
"It's not just that we worship on the Sabbath; we honor that day as a day of rest," Alexander Bryant, executive secretary for Seventh-day Adventists of North America, told NPR. "We don't engage in secular activities, we don't work during that time, and we look at that time to be rejuvenated."
Students at Loma Linda University told Los Angeles Times that during Wednesday chapel the champlain encourages them to "stop stressing about tests, stop texting" and to "put away our to-do lists."