Eating legumes lengthens people's lives. That's how clear it is by the researchers who studied the diet of residents of blue zones (places in the world where people live the longest). The study found that between 90 and 100 percent of their diet was based on plant foods, with legumes being the main food.
Residents of the blue zones eat an average of one cup of legumes a day, an amount that could be enough to increase people's life expectancy by up to four years. The long-awaited secret of longevity has been in front of us all this time! To live longer, you have to boost the consumption of lentils, chickpeas, beans ...
But what is it that makes legumes so special? To start with, your fiber richness. Although the amount varies slightly depending on the type of grain, a cup of legumes ensures about 15 grams. Fiber is essential for the health of the digestive system, satiates the appetite (which keeps us full with fewer calories), lowers cholesterol, improves blood sugar regulation (which prevents diabetes) and helps reduce tension arterial and inflammation. As you may have deduced, a diet low in fiber puts many vital processes at risk.
Legumes are also a great source of protein and plant nutrients, such as B vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. It is true that they can cause gastric upset (something to which legumes owe their bad reputation), but that is a problem that can be remedied by soaking them for 12 to 24 hours. They are then rinsed and cooked with clean water. This process can help eliminate a large part of the oligosaccharides that cause its difficult digestion.