Loma Linda
Leading cause: Cancer · 91% plant-based · 88.5 yr life expectancy · UHC 88/100
What People Eat
Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda live 10 years longer than average Americans — the only US Blue Zone.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Cancer · 88 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Loma Linda's Seventh-day Adventists post the lowest cancer (88/100k) and heart-disease (27/100k) rates in the United States despite sharing its healthcare system, a difference driven almost entirely by lifestyle, not medicine. Their vegetarian-leaning, alcohol- and tobacco-free pattern adds roughly a decade of life versus the average American. Healthcare figures reflect the US.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- The Adventist model is itself the recommendation, a whole-food, largely plant-based diet, no smoking, no alcohol, regular exercise, and a strong faith community.
- Sustain it across generations as the surrounding US food environment pushes the opposite way.
Explore the evidence: Cancer
Adventist Health Study-2 · Fraser et al., 2009 · 96,000 participants
→ 10 yr longer lifespan · Lowest cancer rates in USA