The American population is expected to live to an average age of 77.5 years. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionWhile factors you cannot control, such as family history, traffic accidents, and environmental conditions, can shorten your lifespan, other factors you can control can increase your risk of premature death. Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise can lead to chronic diseases that can shorten your lifespan by years.
The nutrition your body receives cannot be ignored. If you want to live a longer, healthier life.a 2019 Survey A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that people who strictly follow a plant-based diet can reduce their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 19% and their risk of premature death by 11%.
A plant-based diet doesn’t mean gobbling down only fruits and vegetables — it means getting most of your diet from plants and cutting down on meat and dairy. 2023 Meta-Analysis According to Advances in Nutrition, eating more plant-based protein sources such as beans may reduce the risk of premature death by 6%.
Nutrients in beans improve health
Legumes include lentils, soybeans, black beans, chickpeas, and peanuts, and are packed with healthy nutrients. For example, one cup of chickpeas has only 269 calories, more than 14 grams of protein, and less than 1 gram of saturated fat. Legumes are also known for being rich in fiber, with chickpeas providing more than 12 grams of fiber per serving. Beans are good for you too These are usually low in sodium and high in potassium and magnesium, which help lower blood pressure.
The researchers 2023 Meta-Analysis A paper in Advances in Nutrition concluded that legumes have the ability to lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and appetite, all of which are risk factors for death. The soluble fiber in legumes lowers cholesterol by binding with bile acids and removing them from the body. The body can then use the cholesterol in the blood to make new bile acids, meaning less artery-clogging cholesterol. Legumes also contain substances such as plant sterols that lower cholesterol.
Beans also contain fiber and resistant starch that slow digestion, helping to keep blood sugar in check. The protein and fiber in beans make you feel full, so you eat less and lose weight. The more beans you eat, the better: for every 50 grams (about ⅓ cup) of beans eaten per day, your risk of premature death decreases by 6%.
Replacing animal protein with legumes offers the following benefits:
Even if you like to eat animal products, you should avoid butter, eggs, and small amounts of red meat. Plant ProteinStudies have shown that foods such as nuts and legumes have health benefits. 2023 Meta-Analysis According to BMC Medicine, replacing processed meats (such as bacon, pepperoni, and hot dogs) with legumes reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 23%. Replacing processed meats and eggs with legumes reduces the risk of premature death by 9% and 10%, respectively.
It’s not too late to improve your diet to extend your life. Articles from 2017 Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tracked the diet quality of more than 70,000 people over a 12-year period. A high-quality diet means more fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, lean protein, and whole grains, and less saturated fat and alcohol. People who improved their diet quality by just 13% had a 16% lower risk of death.
The more you improve the quality of your diet, the lower your risk of death from any disease.
