Health News Update: Eat Your Beans for Longevity
Hello again everyone:
As you know, I keep promoting a healthy unprocessed whole food plant-based dietary pattern to reduce inflammation and optimize health and longevity. I did not know that beans were so essential till I read this paper!
Conclusions: The FHILL (Food Habits In Later Life) longitudinal study shows that a higher legume intake is the most protective dietary predictor of survival amongst the elderly, regardless of their ethnicity. The significance of legumes persisted even after controlling for age at enrolment (in 5-year intervals), gender, and smoking. Legumes have been associated with long-lived food cultures such as the Japanese (soy, tofu, natto, miso), the Swedes (brown beans, peas), and the Mediterranean people (lentils, chickpeas, white beans).
https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/13/2/217.pdf
Bottom Line:
For a little more information, consider consuming legumes daily, and it does not take that much to make a difference. Even as little as several tablespoons per day is enough to make a difference. Perhaps it is the vegetable protein, or the resistant starch, or the fiber and gut microbiome effects that cause such a boost in health, but whatever it is, just eat some beans every day. There a quite a few to choose from:
Mung beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, adzuki beans, red beans, white beans, butter beans, Lupini beans and more…lots of different tastes and textures to add to your plate!
One reason that people do not eat beans is due to fear of flatulence! Studies show that this does not affect most of us, and for those that it does the effect will diminish and go away after several weeks of consistently consuming them. So, eat your beans within the context of a great Mediterranean plan!
The Traditional Mediterranean Diet has been characterized by:
1. Plentiful fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains.
2. Olive oil as the principal fat.
3. Lean red meat consumed only a few times per month or in very small portions.
4. Low to moderate daily consumption of dairy products.
5. Poultry, fish and eggs consumed a couple of times per week; and
6. Moderate consumption of wine. (Low or none is actually best)
PS: As more modern data becomes available, you might see # 3,4, & 5 get smaller as the advantages of vegetarian protein sources are proving superior for longevity and chronic illness and inflammation benefits.
