There are "Blue Zones" around the world that are homes to the longest-living people. Okinawa, Japan, Nicoya, Costa Rica, Ikaria, Greece, Loma Linda, California, and Sardinia, Italy are all within these zones, and they are all home to most of the world's centenarians.
When nutritionists and centenarians chimed in about what leads to a healthy lifestyle, half of the top 10 recommended foods were members of the bean family: lentils, soybeans, peanuts, chickpeas, and black beans were all mentioned as a part of a stable diet.
Beans provide the complex carbohydrates, proteins, and trace minerals that all of us need. They are essential to boosting our immune system, and the residents of the Blue Zones have avoided obesity, illness, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many other ailments due to being proactive about a healthy lifestyle.