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World's longest living people add 3 common ingredients to their vegetables

People living in Blue Zones regions known for exceptional longevity share a way of preparing veg

[Midsection of woman adding fresh chopped vegetables in saucepan. Utensil is placed on gas stove. Close-up of female holding container and wooden spoon. She is preparing food in domestic kitchen.]

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Vegetables are the cornerstone of many diets of the world's longest living people(Image: Neustockimages via Getty Images)

Vegetables are a vital component of any meal, offering remarkable versatility and impressive health benefits. Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre, they support overall wellbeing and can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses.

It comes as no surprise, then, that vegetables form the cornerstone of the diets of the world's longest-living people in the five 'Blue Zones' dotted across the globe.

These zones, a term coined by National Geographic journalist Dan Buettner, are extraordinary locations where residents regularly live past the age of 100. The original blue zones include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.

While demographers have questioned the reliability of Blue Zones, citing concerns, such as inaccurate birth certificate records, one thing remains abundantly clear in these regions, according to Dan.

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As detailed in several books he has authored on Blue Zones, Dan maintains that the world's oldest people attribute their long lives to a diet abundant in vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, reports Surrey Live.

[Young woman pouring olive oil in to the salad. Healthy lifestyle eating concept.]

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Dan said: "The secret to making any vegetable taste good is a little salt, the right spices and oilespecially olive oil"(Image: SimpleImages via Getty Images)

Despite the well-documented benefits of beans and vegetables, many people struggle to prepare them in a tasty and appealing manner.

Dan highlights a few common threads amongst the world's oldest communities when it comes to preparing vegetables. Drawing on his observations of their cooking techniques, he believes the key lies in the seasoning.

"The secret to making any vegetable taste good is a little salt, the right spices and oilespecially olive oil," he shared on the Blue Zone website.

According to Dan, beans, packed with fibre and protein, can be effortlessly improved by throwing in some onions. He explained, "You can make beans taste better by not just boiling them but by browning them in the oven with onions, a process that caramelises the finish."

He went on to advise: "Rather than frying food in olive oil, a process that destroys the healthy fats, it's better to finish the foods by sprinkling olive oil on at in end."

Steer clear of pre-mixed seasoning blends, which frequently contain preservatives and other additives. Opt for whole foods instead; use fresh garlic, chilli, lemon, and lime juice to bring out natural flavours - they're often far cheaper than buying countless jars.

[Bulbs of garlic]

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Opt for fresh garlic to avoid preservatives in jars(Image: Norman Posselt via Getty Images)

Blue Zone diets are also seasonal, which contributes to better-tasting produce. These communities eat an "impressive variety of garden vegetables when they are in season," says Dan.

And they don't let things go to waste when there's surplus. It is commonplace for people in these communities to pickle or dry any surplus produce to savour during the off-season.

Best Blue Zone vegetables

According to the Blue Zone expert, these veg are the "best-of-the-best longevity foods":

• Spinach
• Kale
• Beetroot
• Turnip tops
• Chard
• Collards

Combined with seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans, complete longevity meals.

This follows as Dan shared a "superfood" we should all be consuming daily to extend our lives. Also drawing inspiration from the diets of those living in Blue Zones, he encouraged people to eat at least half a cup of this food each day.

He described beans as the "cornerstone" of every Blue Zones diet across the globe. In Nicoya, black beans are widely consumed, while across the Mediterranean, lentils, chickpeas, and white beans are firm favourites, and in Okinawa, Japan, soybeans are a staple ingredient.

Dan said: "The long-lived populations in these blue zones eat at least four times as many beans as we do, on average. One five-country study, financed by the World Health Organisation, found that eating 20 grams of beans daily reduced a person's risk of dying in any given year by about eight per cent."

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