A researcher studying 100-year-olds has revealed two foods that could add years to your life.
Dan Buettner has spent decades analyzing the diets of the world’s oldest people who reside in the legendary “Blue Zones” to reveal their secrets.
Their work has found that two items available in grocery stores that cost as little as $1 each are staples in the diet of centenarians: black beans and walnuts.
He recommended trying to eat a can of black beans a day to help extend shelf life, while, for nuts, a handful a day might help.
Dan Buettner has spent decades analyzing the dietary secrets of the world’s oldest people. He has revealed the two tweaks that can add years to your life
Both are easily purchased at a grocery store for amounts that won’t break the bank.
Revealing the list at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, he said: “I have two revolutionary supplements to tell you all about.”
The crowd immediately chuckled, reports Business Insiderprobably recognizing that I was about to tell them about foods that weren’t supplements at all.
Both beans and nuts contain a lot of fiber, which can reduce intestinal inflammation and reduce the risk of deadly diseases like cancer.
They are also high in protein, which can reduce cravings and reduce someone’s risk of overeating, which can lead to obesity, which is already linked to a host of life-shortening conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.
In the case of walnuts, they are a main source of linoleic and omega-3 fatty acids, which are also linked to a lower risk of heart disease and longer life. Other nuts do not contain these nutrients in such high quantities.
Revealing the list, the expert added that, in general, eating nuts or beans regularly was good for health. he said previously: ‘But at the end of the day, when it comes to longevity, there is no short-term solution.
“You have to think about the things you’re going to do for years or decades… to stack things up in favor of living to be 100.”
In favor of beans, he pointed out a 2004 study which surveyed hundreds of elderly bean fans living in Blue Zones in Japan, Sweden and Greece.
Overall, people who ate more beans were found to live longer, with a seven percent reduction in mortality risk for every 0.7 ounce of beans consumed.
and a 2016 review showed that eating a cup of beans a day led to weight loss, which is associated with a lower risk of numerous life-shortening conditions, such as heart disease.
Buettner’s own research in Blue Zones has also revealed that people in these areas consistently eat about a cup of beans a day, suggesting a link to longevity.
In Sardinia, where locals typically live to be 100, people typically enjoy a cup of chickpeas or fava beans a day, while in Nicoya, Costa Rica, where people typically live to be 90, diets focus on black beans.
In the case of walnuts, Buettner referred to his own work in longevity zones.
His team has found that Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, who live a decade longer than the average American, eat nuts five times a week.
Their work is also supported by research including a study published in 2021 which found that those who consumed nuts more than five times a week lived about 1.3 years longer on average than those who did not.
and a separate 2022 role found that those who ate nuts at a young age were more likely to be physically active and have healthier hearts than those who did not, which may also confer life-extending benefits.
It comes after scientists revealed they had discovered the secret to living to be 100 in a new study.
Researchers found that people who ran a mile in less than four minutes lived five years longer than their peers.
But they say this time is very unique, as only a few thousand people in the world have ever recorded being able to run that fast.
“The beauty of exercise is that it is stressful, but it is a stress that our body is actually designed to cope with, adapt to, and get stronger,” the researchers said.