Effects of Lifestyle Factors on Cognitive Resilience: Commentary on “What This Sunny, Religious Town in California Teaches Us About Living Longer”

Abstract

Recent media reporting on healthy living and longevity highlights the ever-increasing public interest on the effects of lifestyle choices on disease risk. The recent CNN article "What this sunny, religious town in California teaches us about living longer" by LaMotte and previous media reports have featured stories about the city of Loma Linda in California, one of the five original "blue zones" in the world, areas or populations with documented high longevity. Loma Linda was labeled as a "blue zone" based upon research conducted at Loma Linda University on long-lived Seventh-day Adventist populations, as detailed below. A majority of the people in Loma Linda belong to the Seventh-day Adventist faith, which advocates healthy living and a life of service. This lifestyle encourages a vegetarian diet, exercise, reducing stress, promoting social connections, and the practice of faith, which is at the core of

Can the gut microbiome inform the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation trials on cognition?

“…A cohort study of Taiwanese vegetarians and vegans in midlife who do not consume seafood revealed lower risk of dementia or cognitive decline compared with nonvegetarians despite having low n-3 PUFA blood levels [19]. Among those living in the World Health Organization designated Blue Zones [20], such as the Seventh-day Adventist community residing in Loma Linda California, consumption of a plant-based diet that excludes red meat, chicken, or seafood is associated with lower levels of both cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD [21]. When compared to individuals that consume meat, vegans show lower levels of xanthine, histidine, branched fatty acids, acetylated peptides, ceramides, and long-chain acylcarnitines, among other metabolites [22].…”

“…plant-based diet that excludes red meat, chicken, or seafood is associated with lower levels of both cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD [21]. When compared to individuals that consume meat, vegans show lower levels of xanthine, histidine, branched fatty acids, acetylated peptides, ceramides, and long-chain acylcarnitines, among other metabolites [22].…”

Cohort profile for the Loma Linda University Health BREATHE programme: a model to study continuously incentivised employee smoking cessation

“…LLUH is a Seventh-day Adventist institution that as part of its mission to ‘Keep Man Whole’ promotes specific faith-based principles of healthy lifestyle and disease prevention in its healthcare, academic teaching, administration and campus and hospital environment 2 3. These include avoidance of tobacco and alcohol, and adherence to a plant-based diet pattern that encourages consumption of specific plant foods (ie, legumes, nuts) in place of animal products 2.…”

The omega-3 index in Alzheimer’s disease: Ready for prime time?

“…While a low ω-3 index score or fish consumption are risk factors for dementia, the risk conferred by a low ω-3 index score might be offset by other factors. For example, in the Adventist population, 1 of the 5 original “blue zones” ( 9 ) in the world with a high level of education, healthy lifestyles, and high longevity, many individuals follow a predominantly vegetarian dietary pattern that excludes fish consumption ( 10 ) and, presumably, they have low ω-3 index scores. Vegetarians who do not consume fish did not perform worse on cognitive measures compared with matched controls who consumed fish ( 11 ).…”