Longevity Expert Names the No. 1 Food for Healthy Aging, and It's Surprisingly Cheap

In order to lead a long, happy existence, it’s important to optimize your daily routine. This means focusing on healthy habits like regular movement, stress management, a nutritious diet, and staying connected to loved ones. But if you’re looking to boost your longevity, you may want to reevaluate your diet first and foremost. Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner recently named his No. 1 food for longevity, and it may be something you already have in your pantry.

What Are the Blue Zones?

Whenever longevity comes to mind, the Blue Zones serve as a solid source of motivation. These are regions of the world where people typically live much longer than those in other areas. Their approach to healthy living is truly inspiring—and they seem to have it down to a science. 

The Blue Zones include Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya peninsula, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California. San Marcos, CA is even kickstarting its own healthy initiative called Blue Zones Ignite to promote healthier habits, lifestyle choices, and events for its residents.

Those who reside in the Blue Zones often follow healthy eating principles, which majorly contribute to their longevity. For instance, these super-agers consume plenty of fresh garden vegetables when in-season—specifically leafy greens like kale, spinach, collards, and chard, according to the official Blue Zones website. Those in four out of the five Blue Zones consume meat sparingly—and all of the Blue Zones eat sugar “intentionally, not by habit or accident.”

And there’s one key food that’s a regular part of meals in the Blue Zones. In fact, Blue Zones residents consume an average of at least four times the amount of it as Americans do…

The No. 1 Longevity Food, According to Blue Zones Founder Dan Buettner

@danbuettner

The #1 longevity food on the planet? ???? Beans. They’re the cornerstone of every Blue Zone diet — from Okinawa to Sardinia. Packed with plant protein, fiber, and nutrients that keep your gut, heart, and mind strong for decades. Simple, cheap, and proven. Eat beans, live longer.

♬ original sound - Dan Buettner

Drumroll, please! The number one food for longevity is simple, budget-friendly—and you may already have it in your pantry. Buettner praises beans for their health benefits—and he’s certainly on to something good.

“The number one longevity food in the world is beans,” Buettner says in his TikTok video. “It’s the cornerstone of every Blue Zone diet in the world, and we know that eating just one cup of cooked beans is associated with four extra years of life expectancy. Why? Because it’s a great source of complex carbohydrates, it’s a great source of fiber—most Americans don’t get enough fiber—and, with a protein-obsessed country, it’s a great source of healthy protein.”

The Blue Zones website notes that black beans are popular in Nicoya; white beans, lentils, and garbanzo beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa.

The Health Benefits of Beans

Beans are considered a superfood—and for good reason. This veggie is a solid source of B vitamins, which promote a healthy brain and nervous system. They’re also bursting with fiber, which aids digestion, and have high amounts of anthocyanins, which protect your cells from DNA damage that could cause cancer, according to Cleveland Clinic.

In addition to their celebrated health benefits, beans are extremely versatile. You can toss them into salads and grain bowls, add them to a protein-packed breakfast burrito, use them in hearty soups and chilis, or enjoy them as a side with chicken or fish. They can even be incorporated into baked goods, like black bean brownies, which are surprisingly delicious and healthy.