Author and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner has shared the top three foods that will reportedly increase our chances of living past 90 years of age.
The explorer and educator, 63, recently took to Instagram calling on people to take note of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica and three foods that form a prominent part of this region's diet.
Buettner has become well known for his research into five "blue" zones across the world where inhabitants regularly live well into their old age.
One of these regions - the Nicoya Peninsula - has the "lowest rate of middle-age mortality in the world", according to the New York Times bestselling author.
Nicoyans are likely to live well past middle age which Buettner largely attributes to "the best diet human beings have ever invented."
"Their diet is composed of three foods that I would argue are the best diet human beings have ever invented," Buettner commented.
The explorer continued: "Because of these foods, the people living on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica are two and half times more likely to reach the age of 92 than people living in the United States or Europe."
Here are the three foods that form a staple to the Nicoya Peninsula diet and why you should consider implementing them into your own.
Corn
Nicoya Peninsula inhabitants make 'delicious whole grain tortillas' out of corn, according to Buettner.
The National Geographic Fellow also talked about the Nicoya inhabitants' traditional process of soaking corn kernels in wood ash in his Netflix docuseries Live to 100.
This process reportedly "boosts the nutritional value", Buettner claims.
Rich in fibre, you can still enjoy all the nutritional benefits of the corn without making it into a tortilla.
Squash
Rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as magnesium and potassium, squash is reportedly crucial for our bones, blood, and heart health, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Squash is a straightforward vegetable that we can easily roast or add to a healthy and hearty stew or soup.
Beans
Finally, Dan notes that Nicoya inhabitants regularly add beans to their meals and apparently they enjoy up to five different varieties.
For instance, black beans are a prominent ingredient in a popular dish called gallo pinto.
The author also highlights that beans feature in many other Blue Zones like Ikaria in Greece and Sardinia in Italy.
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These three ingredients are known as the "three sisters" by Indigenous cultures in the Nicoya Peninsula.
"Those three foods together you can live your entire life," Dan claimed.
"You need a little vitamin B12, but it has all the complex carbohydrates and protein necessary for human sustenance."
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