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IN A STUDY FINISHED in 2003, researchers
tried to find out which food category made the most difference
in how long people lived. Almost 800 participants in four countries
(Australia, Sweden, Japan, and Greece) were studied for up to
seven years. All of them were over 70 years old when the study
started.
The researchers carefully monitored what
the participants ate and divided the food categories into 9 groups:
1. vegetables
2. legumes
3. fruits and nuts
4. dairy products
5. grains and potatoes
6. meat
7. alcohol
8. fats (monounsaturated versus saturated)
9. seafood
Three of these groups were significant
predictors of longevity: fat, seafood, and legumes. But the single
food category that made the biggest difference across all cultures
and ethnic groups was legumes. For every 20 grams of legumes
per day a person added to their diet, they reduced their risk
of death by 8%.
Add more beans (peas, lentils, etc.) to
your diet and it will make you healthier. They are high in protein,
low in fat (except peanuts), high in phytonutrients, high in
vitamins and minerals, they have a low glycemic index, and they're
cheap! Not only that, but they contain two sugars that are not
broken down by our stomach acid, so they make their way to your
colon and selectively feed beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Here is a simple, easy, inexpensive, and
tasty thing you can add to your diet that makes a significant
difference to your health. Eat more beans.
read the original scientific
paper (PDF document) on this study |
