234. Are the Blue Zones BS or not?

This week, Paul is re-releasing an episode about the Blue Zones and why he believes they are cherry-picked and not completely accurate when talking about their “plant-based diets” contributing to longevity. He also shines a light on the fact that meat is indeed eaten in the Blue Zones. *Produced by Mountain Valley Media 00:10:20 What are the Blue Zones? 00:15:00 Regions left out of the Blue Zones 00:16:50 Epidemiology studies vs. interventional studies 00:37:20 Does red meat cause cancer? 00:43:50 Unpacking Okinawa, Japan 00:50:40 Unpacking Nicoya, Costa Rica 0053:20 Unpacking Sardinia, Italy 00:54:50 Unpacking Ikaria, Greece 00:56:30 Unpacking Loma Linda, California 01:03:50 Conclusion Sponsors: Heart & Soil: www.heartandsoil.co Joovv Light Therapy: http://joovv.com/paul, use code PAUL for an exclusive discount Marek Health: marekhealth.com/fundamentalhealth, use code PAUL for 10% off your first lab order References: Vegetarian diet and all-cause mortality: Evidence from a large population-based Australian cohort - the 45 and Up Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28040519/ Mortality in British vegetarians: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12001975/ Meat consumption and diet quality and mortality in NHANES III: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23486512/ Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the United Kingdom: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26657045/ Meat intake and cause-specific mortality: a pooled analysis of Asian prospective cohort studies: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23902788/ Major correlates of male height: A study of 105 countries: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26948573/ Nutrition for the Japanese elderly: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1407826/ The Nicoya region of Costa Rica: a high longevity island for elderly males: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241350/ Male longevity in Sardinia, a review of historical sources supporting a causal link with dietary factors: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267864042_Male_longevity_in_Sardinia_a_review_of_historical_sources_supporting_a_causal_link_with_dietary_factors Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Statistics of Oldest Old People (>80 Years) Living in Ikaria Island: The Ikaria Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3051199/ Lifestyle and reduced mortality among active California Mormons, 1980-2004: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17920112/ Food intake diet and sperm characteristics in a blue zone: a Loma Linda Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27280539/ Lifetime stress accelerates epigenetic aging in an urban, African American cohort: relevance of glucocorticoid signaling: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26673150/ The relationship between peripheral blood mononuclear cells telomere length and diet - unexpected effect of red meat: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4944490/

Om Podcasten

Throughout my training and practice as a physician I have come to one very disappointing conclusion: Western medicine isn’t helping people lead better lives. Now that I’ve realized this, I’ve become obsessed with understanding what makes us healthy or ill. I want to live the best life I can and I want to be able to share this knowledge with others so that they can do the same. This podcast is the result of my relentless search to understand the roots of chronic disease. I hope you’ll join me on this journey.