Have you ever heard of the island of Ikaria?
It is a small Greek off the coast of Turkey, and the people there live longer than anywhere else in the world!
We recently were captivated by this New York Times article “The Island Where People Forget to Die“. In the article, we first learned about the island of Ikaria and their extraordinarily long-living residents.
Research has shown that people on Ikaria were reaching the age of 90 at 2 1/2 times the rate of Americans. In fact, Ikarian men were nearly 4 times as likely as American men, often in better health.
Residents of Ikaria were also living 8 to 10 years longer before succumbing to cancer and cardiovascular disease. Residents also suffer less from depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
How is it possible that the people of a small remote island discovered the Fountain of Youth?
In the article, the experts and people on the island they talk to chalk it up to their way of life. They stay up late, sleep in, take naps, drink wine, don’t wear watches, don’t worry about money and generally try to enjoy themselves by surrounding themselves with friends and family and have a good time.
While this way of life certainly sounds great to us, there may be more to it than that: their diet.
They typical diet of almost all Ikarians consists of goat’s milk, bread, potatoes, wine, greens, coffee, fish, low amounts of red meat and – you guessed it – beans, particularly garbanzo beans. In fact, the people of Ikaria consume six times as many beans a day as Americans.
The connection between beans and a healthier, longer life is no coincidence.
We have spoken at length before about the extreme benefits of including beans as a regular part of your diet. Beans help regulate your weight because they are extremely low in cholesterol and fat and they are an excellent source of protein. Beans are full of vitamins and nutrients that keep your heart healthy and pumping strong and help prevent cardiovascular disease. Beans are also one of the best food options for preventing cancer.
So, with all the extreme health benefits of beans, the high number of beans consumed by Ikarians and their long and healthy lives… could this mean that beans can help you live longer? We aren’t scientists, but what’s the harm in trying?
Randall Beans are the delicious, fully cooked beans in the glass jar. Our beans are healthy, gluten-free and with a taste you and your family will love. We select only the highest quality beans and use a rigorous sorting process to make sure you receive a jar full of the best beans possible. Our beans don’t include any artificial preservatives, chemicals or heavy seasonings. You can see the quality of our plump, delicious beans through the distinctive Randall Beans glass jar.
Our organic and traditionally grown varieties are available in grocery stores across the Midwest and online. For unique and delicious ways to start incorporating more beans into your diet, be sure to check out our collection of recipes and free cookbooks.
