You may add them to your Chipotle burrito bowl, but how much are you really eating beans? According to one longevity expert, adding them to your daily diet may help you live longer! DanBuettner has spent years studying the world’s longest-living people, who reside in so-called Blue Zones around the world and he suggests there’s nothing better than beans to nosh on if you’re hoping to live to reach 100.
In a lecture at the Global Wellness Summit, Buettner broke down what those Blue Zone folks eat to stay so healthy. He explains their diets are full of greens, whole grains, nuts, and very little animal products, but the biggest staple is beans. “The longevity all-star food is beans,” he says. “If you’re eating about a cup of beans a day, it’s probably worth an extra four years of life expectancy.”
In his research on the Blue Zone residents, Buettner finds they stick to that full cup of beans, not just the half-cup recommended by U.S. Dietary Guidelines. They can be dried or canned, just go for the low-sodium option and then add the protein- and fiber-filled foods to everything from soups to veggie burgers to salads. People in the Blue Zones live long, healthy lives and if you want to be one of them, it could be as easy as eating more beans.
Source: Well and Good