2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The beans is a variety of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), a legume from Central America and Mexico. Beans are an important food crop and a major source of protein worldwide.
Used in various traditional dishes, the beans usually eaten well cooked and tasty. Raw or improperly cooked beans are toxic, but well-cooked beans can be a healthy component of a balanced diet.
You can find different varieties of beans, colored in white, cream, black, red, purple, spotted and striped.
Nutritional information about beans
Beans are composed mainly of carbohydrates and fiber, but also serve as a good source of protein.
Nutritional facts for 100 g of cooked beans:
• Calories: 127
• Water: 67%
• Protein: 8.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 22.8 g
• Sugar: 0.3 g
• Fibers: 6.4 g
• Fat: 0.5 g
Proteins
Only 100 g of cooked beans contain almost 9 grams of protein, which represents 27% of the total calories. Although the nutritional value of bean protein is usually lower than that of animal protein, beans are an affordable alternative for many people.
In fact, beans are one of the richest plant sources of protein, sometimes called "poor man's meat." Beans also contain other proteins such as lectins and protease inhibitors.
Carbohydrates
The beans consist mainly from starchy carbohydrates, which account for about 72% of total calories. Starch consists mainly of long chains of glucose in the form of amylose and amylopectin. Beans have a relatively high proportion of amylose (30-40%) compared to most other dietary sources of starch.
Amylose is not as digestible as amylopectin. For this reason, bean starch is a slow-release carbon. Its digestion takes longer and causes a lower and more gradual rise in blood sugar compared to other starches, making it particularly useful for people with type 2 diabetes.
Beans have a very low glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how foods affect the rise in blood sugar after a meal.
Fibers in beans
The beans are high in fiber. It contains significant amounts of persistent starch, which may play a role in weight management.
Beans also provide insoluble fiber, known as alpha-galactosides, which can cause diarrhea and gas in some people.
Both resistant starch and alpha-galactosides function as prebiotics. Prebiotics travel through your digestive tract until they reach the colon, where they ferment into beneficial bacteria.
Fermentation of these healthy fibers results in the formation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate and propionate, which can improve colon health and reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Vitamins and minerals in beans
Beans are rich in various vitamins and minerals, including:
• Molybdenum. Beans are high in molybdenum, a trace element found mainly in seeds, grains and legumes;
• Folic acid. Also known as folic acid or vitamin B9, folate is considered especially important during pregnancy;
• Iron. This essential mineral has many important functions in your body. Iron may be poorly absorbed by the grains due to their phytate content;
• Honey. This antioxidant trace element is often low in various diets. Besides beans, the best sources of honey are seafood and nuts;
• Manganese. This compound is present in most foods, especially whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables;
• Potassium. This important nutrient can have a beneficial effect on heart health;
• Vitamin K1. Also known as phylloquinone, vitamin K1 is important for blood clotting.
Other plant compounds in beans
Beans contain many biologically active plant compounds, including:
• Isoflavones. A class of antioxidants present in large quantities in soy, isoflavones are categorized as phytoestrogens because of their resemblance to the female sex hormone, estrogen.
• Anthocyanins. This family of colorful antioxidants is found in the skin of beans. The color of red beans is mainly due to anthocyanin, known as pelargonidine.
• Phytohemagglutinin. This toxic protein exists in large quantities in raw beans, especially red varieties. It can be eliminated by cooking.
• Phytic acid. Found in all edible seeds, phytic acid (phytate) reduces the absorption of various minerals such as iron and zinc. It can be reduced by soaking, germinating or fermenting the beans.
• Starch blockers. A class of lectins, also known as alpha-amylase inhibitors, starch blockers, slow down the absorption of carbohydrates from your digestive tract, but are inactivated by cooking.
Weight loss with beans
Overweight and obesity are major health problems associated with an increased risk of various chronic diseases.
Several studies link consumption of beans with a lower risk of weight gain and obesity.
A two-month study in 30 overweight adults on a weight loss diet showed that eating grains and other legumes 4 times a week resulted in greater weight loss than a grain-free diet.
Among the most widely studied antinutrients in raw beans are starch blockers, a class of proteins that disrupt or slow down digestion and the absorption of carbohydrates (starch) from your digestive tract.
Starch blockers derived from white beans have shown some potential as a weight loss supplement.
However, boiling for 10 minutes completely inactivates starch blockers, eliminating their effect on fully cooked beans.
Even so, cooked beans offer many compounds beneficial for weight loss, which makes them a great addition to an effective weight loss diet.
Other health benefits of beans
In addition to being effective in weight loss, beans can have a number of benefitswhen properly cooked and cooked.
Improved blood sugar control
Over time, high blood sugar can increase the risk of many chronic diseases such as heart disease. Thus, alleviating the rise in blood sugar after a meal is considered beneficial to health.
As rich in protein, fiber and slow-release carbohydrates, beans are very effective in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. It has a low GI score, which means that the rise in your blood sugar after a meal is slow and gradual.
In fact, beans are better at controlling blood sugar than most dietary sources of carbohydrates.
Several studies show that eating beans or other low-glycemic foods can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating low-glycemic foods can also improve blood sugar control in people who already have type 2 diabetes.
Even if you do not have this condition, adding beans to your diet can improve your blood sugar balance, protect your overall health and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
Prevention of colon cancer
Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world.
Observational studies have linked the intake of legumes, including beans, to a reduced risk of colon cancer. This is confirmed by tests with tubes and animals. Beans contain various nutrients and fibers with potential anti-cancer effects.
Fibers such as resistant starch and alpha-galactosides pass undegraded to the colon, where they ferment to friendly bacteria, leading to the formation of SCFAs. SCFAs such as butyrate can improve colon health and reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Potential disadvantages of eating beans
Although beans can have a number health benefits, raw or inadequately cooked beans are toxic. In addition, some people may want to limit their consumption of beans due to bloating and gas.
Acute toxicity of beans
Raw beans contain large amounts of a toxic protein called phytohemagglutinin. Phytohamagglutinin is found in many grains, but is especially high in red beans. Bean poisoning has been described in both animals and humans. In humans, the main symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting, which sometimes require hospitalization.
Soaking the beans and cooking the beans eliminates most of this toxin, making properly cooked beans safe, harmless and nutritious.
Antinutrients in beans
The raw and improperly cooked beans contains many antinutrients, which are substances that reduce the nutritional value, disrupting the absorption of nutrients from your digestive tract.
Although they can sometimes be beneficial, antinutrients are a major concern in developing countries where beans are a staple food.
The main antinutrients in beans are:
• Phytic acid. This compound, also known as phytate, reduces the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc;
• Protease inhibitors. Also known as trypsin inhibitors, these proteins inhibit the function of various digestive enzymes by reducing the breakdown of proteins;
• Starch blockers. These substances, sometimes called alpha-amylase inhibitors, interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates from your digestive tract.
Phytic acid, protease inhibitors and starch blockers are completely or partially inactivated when the beans are properly cooked.
Flatulence and bloating
In some people, beans can cause unpleasant effects such as bloating, gas and diarrhea. Insoluble fibers called alpha-galactosides are responsible for these effects. They belong to a group of fibers known as FODMAPs, which can make the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) worse.
Beans are an excellent source of protein plant-based. They are also rich in various minerals, vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and other unique plant compounds.
Therefore, these grains can help with weight loss, promote colon health and moderate blood sugar levels.
However beans it should always be eaten well prepared. Raw or improperly cooked beans are toxic.
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