A long-life and Blue Zone expert has said that there is a “simple, cheap, and proven” food that everyone needs to add to their diet. In fact, adding just a cup to your diet could see you live an additional four years – and you could even make it to 100.
The 64-year-old National Geographic Fellow and best-selling author, Dan Buettner, revealed the secret to a longer life: “The number one longevity food in the world is beans. It’s the cornerstone of every blue zone diet in the world, and we know that eating just one cup of cooked beans is associated with four extra years of life expectancy.”
But what makes beans so beneficial? The Netflix host and co-producer of the 3x Emmy award-winning: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones revealed: “It’s a great source of complex carbohydrates.
“It’s a great source of fibre, most Americans don’t get enough fibre, and with a protein-obsessed country, it’s a great source of healthy protein.”
He is not the only one to say this. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, which confirms that “beans, peas, and lentils – a subgroup of both the vegetable and protein foods groups – also are underconsumed by most adults”, it adds that “core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern” include:
- Vegetables of all types – dark green, red and orange beans, peas, and lentils, starchy and other vegetables
- Fruits, especially whole fruit
- Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
- Dairy, including fat-free or low-fat milk, yoghurt, and cheese, and/or lactose-free versions and fortified soy beverages and yoghurt as alternatives
- Protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs, seafood, beans, peas, and lentils; and nuts, seeds and soy products
- Oils, including vegetable oils and oils in food, such as seafood and nuts
Not only that, but experts at UCLA Health reveal: “A serving of beans provides many other important nutrients as well. One half-cup contains between 300 and 500 milligrams of potassium (varies by type of bean). Potassium is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in helping control blood pressure. Getting more of it can help balance out the negative blood pressure effects of consuming too much sodium. But most Americans don’t get enough potassium in their diets.”
Try this Blue Zone recipe
Buettner has spent decades exploring the globe and identifying five ‘blue zones’, areas where people enjoy the longest, healthiest lives. On his website, he has a list of Blue Zone recipes – and one of them is all about Minestrone, which is full of beans. Here is the full recipe below to help you include beans in your diet.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
