The Real Reason Japanese People Live Longer

Japanese people are one of the longest living people in the world, with a life expectancy of 85 years. They also have the most centenarians in the world, with over 120k people over the age of 100, making up 0.1% of their entire population. That's 2-3 times more than other countries. Now there are many reasons why the Japanese live longer than others. They have healthier culture, smaller portion sizes, they walk more, they eat a little bit less processed food, they're less obese, they smoke less, they exercise more regularly, and they have good healthcare. However, there's one specific thing that sets Japan apart from other countries, and it could also explain the reason why they have lower rates of chronic diseases and lower risk of mortality. The reason is their exceptionally high omega-3 index, which reflects the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. Japanese people have an omega-3 index of over 8%, whereas it's less than 4% in the USA and Canada, and 4-6% in France and Spain. The Japanese diet is very rich in seafood, fish, crab, shrimp, as well as sea vegetables and sea moss. These foods are high in omega-3 fatty acids that have a consistent and long track record of health benefits. I think we've all heard that omega-3 fatty acids are good for you, and the Japanese people are a prime example of that, and they prove it with their blood work. The omega-3 index reflects the amount of omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA, in your red blood cells that you can measure with a blood test. It's a long-term marker of your intake of omega-3 fats, whether from food sources such as fish, seafood or sea vegetables, or omega-3 supplements. There's consistent research linking a higher omega-3 status with lower rates of heart disease, lower dementia and lower risk of mortality. A 2021 meta-analysis of 17 studies saw that people with the highest omega-3 index, over 7.55%, had a 15-18% lower risk of total mortality. A 2022 study also found that the risk of Alzheimer's disease among the highest red blood cell DHA quintile, over 6.1%, was 49% lower compared to the lowest quintile, less than 3.8%, in fully adjusted models. The omega-3 index associated with the lowest risk of heart disease mortality is over 8%, whereas an index of less than 4% is linked to the greatest risk. So what is a good omega-3 index to have? Based on the research, an omega-3 index of 6 to 8% is already seen to be associated with a slightly lower risk of dying than an omega-3 index of 4% or lower than that. However, having an omega-3 index of 8% or higher appears to be even better. The benefits keep increasing until 11%, after which they seem to plateau. But 11% is better than 8%, 8% is better than 6% and 6% is better than 4%. As I shared with you in the beginning of the video, Japanese people have an omega-3 index of over 8%, as do the South Koreans. Americans are below 4% and Europeans are between 4% to 8%, depending on the country. This works pretty parallel to the consumption of seafood in these regions. Americans eat the least seafood and Japanese and South Koreans eat the most seafood. There are also some regions with a very high omega-3 index, such as Alaska and Greenland, but these regions tend to have poor health care and other comorbidities that shorten their life expectancy, compared to regions like Japan or South Korea. Now that we know these omega-3 fats are good for you, the next question is why? Why is it so? The reason has to do with how omega-3 fatty acids lower inflammation and improve metabolic health. A 2024 meta-analysis of clinical trials found that omega-3 supplementation improves heart function, reduces inflammation, and decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with heart failure. On top of that, a 2020 meta-analysis of 26 randomness control trials concluded that omega-3s might improve insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetics. Two 2021 meta-analyses of randomness control trials found that supplementation of EPA and DHA at a dose of 0.4 to 6 grams a day was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease events and myocardial infarction in a dose-dependent manner. So having more omega-3 fats in your blood means you'll have lower inflammation, better endothelial function, better insulin sensitivity, and better lipid metabolism. All of this translates to lower risk of heart disease, dementia, and lower risk of mortality. Having a higher omega-3 index is a biomarker that you pretty much want to maintain for the rest of your life. There's no benefits to having a low omega-3 index. Based on the vast amount of research, having a low omega-3 index is only harmful. So how much omega-3s are we talking about? The health organizations recommend consuming 250 to 500 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day. A recent analysis across the world saw that Japanese consume at least 500 milligrams per day, resulting in an omega-3 index above 8%, whereas most other countries consume less than 250 milligrams per day, which is why their omega-3 index is below 6%. Globally, about 85% of people are not consuming enough omega-3s. In the USA, it's around 95%. Europe, 80%. Africa and South Asia, 90%. And Japan is the only country where less than 10% of people aren't getting enough omega-3s. Just think how crazy it is. In the USA, 5% of people are getting adequate amounts of omega-3s every day. In Japan, it's 90%. If you're not eating seafood regularly, then chances are your omega-3 index is suboptimal, unless you're taking an omega-3 supplement, such as some marine-based omega-3s or algae-based omega-3s. Another thing we need to talk about is taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that's also been seen to have longevity benefits. In animal studies, taurine extends lifespan, and in human clinical trials, taurine supplementation improves blood sugar, lipids and blood pressure. And that's one of the dietary factors thought to contribute to the longevity of the Japanese, with higher urinary taurine being associated with lower heart disease mortality. The Japanese diet is high in one of the highest taurine-containing foods, such as tuna, scallops, nori and other sea vegetables and sea moss. In comparison, foods more often eaten in western countries like turkey, beef and chicken are much lower in taurine, and they're also low in omega-3s. The Japanese people are probably getting 2-3 times more taurine in addition to 3-4 times more omega-3s in their diet. When we're comparing omega-3s and taurine, then there's a lot more evidence suggesting that omega-3s have more benefits than taurine. However, both have benefits. And the Japanese people eat a lot of both. As I said in the beginning, there are a lot of reasons why Japanese people live longer than others. First of all, they're less overweight and obese than Americans or Europeans. They eat better food, although their diet isn't completely unprocessed or low-carb. Their Asian cuisine still comprises of high-carb refined foods as well as deep-fried foods cooked in seed oils, but they seem to compensate for that with their very high omega-3 intake. Another thing is obviously good healthcare. Europeans also have very good healthcare, which is why life expectancy in European countries is still above 80s in most western and northern European countries, despite their omega-3 index being slightly lower at 6-8%. Japanese people have good healthcare and a high omega-3 index, which is the best combo. Healthcare is obviously very underrated. If you live in a more impoverished region with bad healthcare, then your life expectancy appears to be shorter, compared to living in a region with good healthcare and a high omega-3 index. If you want to know why omega-3 supplements and taurine are god-tier supplements, then check out my video where I rank 100 supplements from worst to best next.