Dan Buettner, an entrepreneur and researcher who has spent decades researching "blue zones" – unique communities around the world where people live long and healthy lives up to and beyond the age of 100 – has discovered a surprising common denominator: beans and other legumes are a key component of their daily diet.
"In every blue zone I visited, beans and other legumes were - and still are - a staple of the daily diet," Buettner says. Blue zones have been identified in Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Loma Linda in California and the island of Sardinia in Italy. Residents of these areas share a common living environment and lifestyle, including plant-based diets, which scientists believe contribute to their longevity.
In Sardinia, where one of the first groups of centenarians was studied, chickpeas and fava beans are the preferred legumes. Chickpeas are a staple ingredient in minestrone soup that is often eaten at more than one meal, allowing Sardinians to enjoy the benefits of legumes at least twice a day.
Why legumes? All members of the legume family are rich in nutrients, including copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, zinc, lysine (an essential amino acid), protein, and many dietary fibers.
"Fiber rewards you with a healthy gut microbiome, lower inflammation, and improved immune function," Buettner explains, noting that "only 5% to 10% of Americans get the amount of fiber they need." Aduki beans contain more fiber than many other varieties, while fava beans are rich in the antioxidant lutein. Black beans and dark red kidneys are full of potassium and magnesium-rich chickpeas.
"Legumes are also rich in plant protein, which is healthier because it has more nutrients with fewer calories than animal protein," adds Buettner. In fact, combining legumes with whole grains provides all the amino acids that make up a complete protein from a nutritional point of view - similar to what is found in meat.
* Kikar Hashabbat contributed to this article.
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