A recent study revealed that you would be much more likely to live longer by eating a particular food.
A recent study has demonstrated the beneficial and nutritious benefits of beans for those who consume them as part of their daily diet.
Whether consumed as part of a plant-based diet or any other diet, beans, lentils, peas or chickpeas from the same family known as legumes can all help people live longer for various reasons.
Beans – full of nutrients
The reason that beans are so beneficial is thanks to the simple fact that they’re full of nutrients such as iron, copper, potassium, magnesium, zinc, folic acid, lysine and plenty of fiber and protein too.
“Fiber rewards you with a healthy gut microbe and lower inflammation and better immune function; only 5% to 10% of Americans get the fiber they need”, said author and entrepreneur Dan Buettner.
Dan has spent decades reporting on “blue zones,” which he describes as being areas where unique communities around the globe tend to live long and healthy lives, up to and often past 100 years.
Residents of these areas share a familiar environment and lifestyle, including a plant-based diet, which scientists believe is the main factor contributing to the longevity of people’s lives in these zones.
So far, Blue zones have been discovered in Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, Nicoya, Costa Rica; California; and the Italian island of Sardinia.
How beans can help people live longer – extending people’s lives
“In every blue zone I have visited, beans and other legumes were — and still are — a major component of the daily diet,” said Dan.
Beans are considered a superfood and have even been said to aid with weight loss as a 2016 study review found that people who ate up to 9 ounces of beans each day over six weeks lost three-quarters of a pound more than people who didn’t eat beans.
Combining beans with whole grains will give you enough amino acids to make up a nutritionally whole protein similar to what is traditionally found in meat.
“Beans are also packed with plant protein, which is healthier because it has more nutrients with fewer calories than animal protein,” he added.
Feeding a family a healthy diet – can be expensive
Besides all the benefits mentioned, beans have another bonus: they’re very cheap. They can be grown quite easily at home, so even disadvantaged populations can experience the benefits of beans.
“I always hear American families cannot afford to feed their families healthy food.
“That’s unfortunately true when it comes to organic and other fresh foods, but I tell them they can still get most of the way there by making beans and whole grains the basis of many meals,” explained Buettner.