The Best Kinds Of Beans For Your Health

Forget pricey supplements being hawked on TikTok or potent wellness shots that make you want to hurl. Scientific research is clear that, hands-down, one of the best foods to eat if you want to add years to your life is beans.

According to a 2023 meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition that took into account more than 1 million people, the more beans you eat, the lower your risk of mortality. People who ate more than 50 grams of beans a day (less than half a cup) had a 6% lower risk of mortality than people who didn’t eat beans. Regularly eating beans can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and many forms of cancer.

Tara M. Schmidt, the lead registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic Diet and the host of the Mayo Clinic on Nutrition Podcast Series, told HuffPost that all types of beans are an excellent high-fiber plant protein that are packed with other beneficial nutrients. No matter what type of bean you go for, you’re benefiting your body. That said, there are particular traits that some specific beans have that make them stand out, especially when it comes to longevity.

Especially if you eat a primarily plant-based diet, Dr. Anju Mathur, a functional medicine doctor and founder of the Angel Longevity Center, says that soybeans are great to eat regularly because they are the beans with the highest amount of protein. “The protein and unsaturated fats in soybeans provide energy and also help stabilize blood sugar,” Mathur said.

Scientific research shows that maintaining stable blood sugar supports longevity because it lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dementia — all health conditions that can shorten lifespan. Registered dietitian Emily Mitchell added that the high protein content in soybeans also helps with maintaining muscle mass, which naturally declines with age.

One type of bean registered dietitian Nisha Melvani wishes people would eat more of to support longevity is edamame, which are not soybeans — despite many people thinking otherwise! The bean comes from the same plant as soybeans but is harvested at an earlier stage when the plant is younger. “[Edamame are] high in plant protein and fiber, and because they’re harvested fresh, they’re also rich in vitamins like folate and vitamin K, which support bone and cardiovascular health,” Melvani said.

Mitchell also shared that edamame supports longevity, saying that, like mature soybeans, edamame is high in protein.

Soybeans, including edamame, may be the bean highest in protein, but kidney beans take the crown for bringing the most fiber to the table, and all four experts say that this is a perk directly linked to longevity. According to scientific research that takes into account more than 31,000 people, a high-fiber diet lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by between 24% and 59% in men and between 34% and 59% in women.

Schmidt explained that dietary fiber supports both heart health and gut health. Mathur added that fiber also helps reduce inflammation, another reason why it’s tied to longevity. Schmidt pointed out that the vast majority of Americans don’t eat enough fiber (the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming between 22 and 34 grams a day), so upping your intake of kidney beans is a great way to get enough; one cup of kidney beans has 46 grams of the nutrient.

Besides being high in fiber, Mitchell said that kidney beans are also high in folate and magnesium, two nutrients that support healthy blood pressure. This, she explained, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease — the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S.

Speaking of lowering inflammation, one key way to prevent or lower it is to eat foods that are high in antioxidants. The bean that is the highest: red beans. (Other dark-colored beans like pinto beans, navy beans and black beans are high in antioxidants, too.)

“Antioxidants are protective molecules. Studies have found a positive correlation in tissue concentration of specific antioxidants with lifespan of mammals,” Schmidt said.

Also called garbanzo beans, Mitchell told HuffPost that chickpeas are also a good food to eat regularly to support longevity. They’re high in fiber, protein and B vitamins (which are crucial for DNA synthesis and repair, brain health and heart health). Chickpeas are also good for your gut and lower the risk of gut-related diseases.

As you can see, different types of beans boast different benefits, which is why all four experts recommend switching up the type of beans you eat regularly. If you’re not used to eating a lot of beans, Mathur suggests starting with just a small serving (just one-fourth cup a few times a week) to not overwhelm your digestive system due to beans’ high fiber content. She also says that rinsing and soaking beans makes them easier to digest.

“Beans may slow biological aging at the cellular level. Their mix of resistant starch, fiber and polyphenols not only feeds gut microbes but also reduces inflammation and helps maintain telomere length — the caps on our DNA linked to lifespan,” Melvani said. And that’s true of all beans.

They may be small, but this plant-based food is proving to be so powerful that it can add years to your life.