Holistic Health
Beans make you live longer and healthier
Different bean types are all beneficial
Beans are a nutritional powerhouse associated with a wide range of health benefits , so it ’ s no surprise that they ’ re often a common staple in so-called blue zones , communities where people tend to stay healthy up to or past 100 .
Blue zones have been discovered in five areas : Okinawa in �apan , Sardinia in Italy , Nicoya in Costa �ica , Ikaria in Greece , and Loma Linda in the US . People in these communities consume lots of plant foods , with limited intake of meat , sugar , and dairy products .
�In every blue zone I have visited , beans and other legumes were � and still are � a major component of the daily diet , � author and entrepreneur Dan Buettner , who has spent decades reporting on these zones , told CNN .
Classified as legumes , beans are rich in important nutrients like plant-based proteins , dietary fibres , and minerals .
�eplacing animal proteins with those from plants can contribute to lower blood cholesterol levels , reducing the risk for heart problems , while fibres can improve gut health and make you feel full for longer stretches of time , which helps reduce calorie intake . Beans are also full of antioxidants , substances that help prevent cell damage while fighting diseases and ageing by removing free radicals . These are the chemicals that can damage tissues and contribute to several diseases .
A 2013 medical review found that eating beans could help reduce the risk for coronary heart disease , one of the most common conditions globally that can prevent the arteries from pumping enough blood to the heart .
Buettner told CNN that each bean type has a specific nutritional value , so it ’ s best to eat a variety .
Adzuki beans , for instance , are particularly rich in fibres and folates , the nutrients that studies say can help reduce the risk for chronic diseases . �Folates are a super important B-vitamin for normal cell function , cell growth and metabolism , � nutritionist �enna Appel told Hu�Post .
Kidney beans are not only loaded with important nutrients like magnesium , manganese , and potassium , but are also highly resistant to digestion in a way that reduces spikes in blood sugars , which can help prevent diabetes or keep it under control .
Another study , from Northeast China , found that black beans could prevent or slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells , making them an ideal component in a diet that aims to prevent or treat cancer .
One potential negative of beans is that they can produce gas in the stomach , but there are ways to keep it under check .
�If you want to avoid gas , the way to start with beans is with a couple tablespoons a day , � Buettner said . �Then you go up to four tablespoons and over the course of two weeks you work yourself up to a cup . Now you ’ re feeding the good bacteria in your gut and your microbiome is ready for it . I have no gas at all from eating beans . � n
Kidney beans are not only loaded with important nutrients like magnesium , manganese , and potassium , but are also highly resistant to digestion in a way that reduces spikes in blood sugars , which can help prevent diabetes or keep it under control .
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