Has any culture thrived on a plant-based diet? Yes. Many. And did they have low incidence of modern chronic lifestyle diseases? Yes.

The Seventh Day Adventists from Loma Linda, California, are known to have long lives and low rates of modern chronic lifestyle conditions. They follow a predominantly plant-based diet.

Traditional Okinawans are one of the Blue Zones population with low incidence of modern chronic lifestyle conditions. They consume a predominantly plant-based diet.

The Tarahumara Indians from Copper Canyon, Mexico are superfit — they can run hundreds of miles in a few days. They have low rates of Western lifestyle diseases which is attributed to their predominantly plant-based diet. In contrast, the Pima Indians, who are genetically related to the Tarahumara, have high rates of Western lifestyle diseases, which is attributed to adoption of Western dietary habits.

The Bantu People of Africa consume a predominantly plant-based diet. They are mentioned in Whole Food Plant-Based circles for low incidence of various chronic lifestyle conditions. In particular, they have strong bones despite low intake of dietary calcium!

The Tsimane are an indigenous people of lowland Bolivia with surprisingly low incidence of several Western lifestyle diseases, especially heart disease.

Dr McDougall points out that traditional Papua New Guineans eat a predominantly plant-based diets and had low incidence of chronic lifestyle diseases.

The Yanomamo from Amazon rainforests have stable blood pressures throughout their lives, which is attributed to zero salt added to their meals.

Blue Zones are populations with a large percentage of centenarians among them. They all consume a predominantly plant-based diet.

The Hunza people are a robust population living in a mountainous region of Pakistan known as Hunza Valley. They consume a predominantly plant-based diet.

Dr Greger explains that contrary to popular opinion, Eskimo Diet is quite unhealthy.