Dan Buettner, who has spent two decades looking into the secrets of longevity, found that the breakfast being eaten by 100-year-olds in a Costa Rican village had amazing health benefits
Breakfast, often dubbed the “most important meal” of the day, could hold the key to a long life. Researcher Dan Buettner, who has dedicated two decades to uncovering the secrets of longevity, stumbled upon a breakfast recipe in a Costa Rican village that locals believe helps them reach the ripe old age of 100.
This meal, hailed as the “world’s healthiest breakfast,” is said to lower blood pressure and “reduce cancer risk”. Buettner discovered this nutritious dish while studying the dietary habits of residents in Nicoya, an area known as one of the world’s “Blue Zones,” where people enjoy longer, healthier lives.
According to Buettner, the world’s healthiest breakfast comprises a hearty serving of spiced black beans, cornmeal tortillas, and a mix of onion, red peppers, local herbs, and long-grain white rice. Each ingredient offers multiple health benefits, with the tortillas made from dough mixed with wood ash for a vitamin B boost.
The black beans are packed with antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin B, which help regulate insulin or reduce blood pressure, reports Surrey Live. Paired with the rice, Buettner says they “create complete protein, all the amino acids necessary for human sustenance.”
In a 2023 article for CNBC, the longevity expert explained: “The corn tortillas, chewy with a nutty flavour, are an excellent source of whole-grain, low-glycemic complex carbohydrates. The wood ash breaks down the corn’s cell walls, making niacin (a B vitamin that plays a role in cell signalling and DNA repair) available, and freeing amino acids so the body can absorb them.”
“The black beans contain the same pigment-based anthocyanins (antioxidants) found in blueberries. They’re rich, colon cleansing, blood pressure lowering, and insulin regulating, and they are filled with folates like potassium and B vitamins to boot. The bean-and-rice combination creates a whole protein, which is to say all the amino acids necessary for human sustenance.”
Buettner even found the local coffee in Nicoya healthier than anticipated. It’s brewed from a local strain of “pea berry,” offering an extra dose of antioxidants and a metabolism boost from the caffeine.
The entire breakfast is also budget-friendly, costing $4.23 – roughly £3.80 – per serving. Plus, it’s a meal the villagers can largely prepare in one go, consuming it throughout the week.
