Health expert Dan Buettner has revealed that a store cupboard staple could make a huge difference in extending your life.

His findings suggest that beans are not just a superfood but the bedrock of diets in these longevity hotspots.

According to Buettner, beans are nutrient-dense, affordable, sustainable, and have been a human dietary staple for over 13 millennia.

He explained: "Beans are the ultimate longevity food. Packed with protein, fibre, and complex carbs, they're a staple in every long-living culture.

"One study even found that eating a cup of beans a day could add four extra years to your life. No supplement can do that. If you want to live longer, eat what humans have thrived on for thousands of years.

There are many types of beans. Dried beans need cooking to make them tender enough to eat.

Canned and frozen beans are typically ready to eat after warming on the stove or in the microwave. Some of the most popular bean varieties include:

  • lima beans
  • black beans
  • black-eyed peas
  • soybeans
  • kidney beans
  • garbanzo beans
  • navy beans
  • pinto beans
  • red beans

"Beans are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world. Why? They are complex carbohydrates, they are full of protein, and they have a lot of fibre," explained Buettner.

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"They are cheap, people in blue zones know how to make them taste delicious, they are sustainable, they grow sustainably, and there is one very good study that followed a lot of people for decades, and they found that the more beans people ate, the longer they lived.

Consuming beans regularly can help preventTrusted Source cardiovascular disease.

This may be because beans can replace higher fat meat proteins in the diet. Their high fiber content may also play a role.