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Lifestyle layer

Plant-Based Score — The variable that drives everything

This score estimates the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds) in a country's typical diet. It is the single variable that, in study after study, predicts heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and life expectancy at a population level — usually better than GDP, healthcare spending, or genetics.

94%
Okinawan traditional diet (highest scored)
15%
Standard American Diet (lowest in West)
70%+
Score threshold for "Blue Zone" status

Countries on this metric

Highest (best)

01 Okinawa 94% 02 Loma Linda 91% 03 Nicoya 87% 04 Ikaria 86% 05 Vietnam 85% 06 Sardinia 83% 07 Thailand 82% 08 Burundi 81% 09 Ethiopia 81% 10 Niger 80%

Lowest (worst)

01 Russia 21% 02 Ukraine 24% 03 Hungary 25% 04 United States 27% 05 Argentina 27% 06 Belarus 28% 07 Czech Republic 29% 08 Poland 31% 09 Mongolia 36% 10 Romania 37%

The Evidence

EAT-Lancet Commission (2019)

A planetary health diet — ~70% plant — could prevent 11M premature deaths/yr.
Adventist Health Study-2

Vegans had the lowest mortality, ischemic heart disease, T2D and cancer rates.
PURE Study · Yusuf 2017

Higher fruit, vegetable and legume intake → lower mortality globally.

The Cause

Plants come pre-packaged: fiber, micronutrients, water, antioxidants, and slow-digesting carbohydrates. Animal foods come with saturated fat, heme iron (pro-oxidant), and zero fiber. Ultra-processed foods strip nutrients and add salt, sugar, oil and additives. The signal is consistent across cultures, geographies and decades.

What You Can Do

  • Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit.
  • Make legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) a daily staple.
  • Switch to whole grains (oats, brown rice, whole-grain bread).
  • Use nuts and seeds instead of cheese as a snack.
  • Minimize ultra-processed foods — read the ingredients.
Bottom line

You don't need to be vegan. The benefits scale almost linearly: every step toward plants moves the needle.

The evidence is unambiguous: diet is the single largest modifiable risk factor for the leading killers worldwide.
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