Beans and Plant-Based Diet Help People in the 'Blue Zone' Live Longer

Researchers have found that eating beans could actually help people live longer. How is this so?

A report on CNN said author and entrepreneur Dan Buettner has spent years studying about blue zones or those areas where residents live a long and healthy life.

Throughout his studies, Buettner discovered that a staple part of the diet of residents were beans and other kinds of legumes.

Blue Zones

It was found out that residents of blue zone areas share a common environment and lifestyle, including a plant-based diet, which scientists believe contribute to their longevity.

Buettner said blue zones have been discovered in Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; and the Italian island of Sardinia, just off the coast of Italy.

According to the report, all members of the legume family are full of nutrients, such as copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, zinc, lysine, which is an essential amino acid, as well as protein and fiber.

Buettner said, "Fiber rewards you with a healthy gut microbe and lower inflammation and better immune function." He mentioned that only percent to 10 percent of Americans get the fiber that they need.

The expert further explained that each type of bean has a different nutritional profile, meaning eating a variety of beans may be best for one's health and lifestyle.

According to Buettner, aduki, or the red mung bean, has more fiber than many other varieties, while fava beans are packed with the antioxidant lutein. Black and dark red kidney beans, meanwhile, are full of potassium and chickpeas have lots of magnesium.

Beans are also full of plant protein, which is healthier because it has more nutrients with fewer calories compared to animal protein.

A Washington Post said soybeans are an important part of the traditional meal in Okinawa, while fava beans are commonly eat in Sardinia and black beans are part of the diet of residents in Nicoya.

Previous studies have found that eating a lot of fiber-rich foods promotes satiety and improves one's cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

It also protects individuals against cancer and diabetes and lowers the risk of one from dying due to stroke.

Reducing heart disease

A previous study found that the consumption of beans and legumes could help in reducing the risk of having coronary heart disease (CHD).

The study, posted in the National Library of Medicine, said "legume consumption was significantly and inversely associated with risk of CHD (P =.002 for trend) and CVD (P =.02 for trend) after adjustment for established CVD risk factors."

"Legume consumption 4 times or more per week compared with less than once a week was associated with a 22% lower risk of CHD (relative risk, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.90) and an 11% lower risk of CVD (relative risk, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.98)," it indicated.

The study concluded that increasing legume intake could be an important part of a dietary approach to the primary prevention of CHD in the general population.

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