Health Benefits Of Beans Uses And Side Effects
Beans help to reduce the risks of heart disease and colon cancer and even regulate diabetes. They also strengthen your immunity by helping to remove the free radicals within your body. Beans also keep your eyes and bones healthy and improve your digestive system. They are also found to reduce birth defects.
Beans
Green beans are members of the common bean family, Phaseolus vulgaris, and are popular all over the world. However, there are known by different names like French beans, string beans, fine beans, and others in different parts of the world. They may differ in shape and size.
Green beans can be cultivated in varied climates and so is popular in many parts of the world. It is thus recognized as a ‘versatile’ vegetable. There are about 150 varieties of green beans and despite some variations in their appearance, their nutritional and health benefits are more or less the same.
Nutritional Value of Beans
There is no doubt that beans have high nutritional content and that regular consumption of vegetables including beans will surely keep you healthy and strong. Being low in calories and fat and having almost no cholesterol, beans can be consumed regularly. It has a high fiber content and also provides you with essential proteins.
Beans also provide you with a supply of vitamins such as vitamins A, C, K, B6, and folic acid. Furthermore, beans also furnish essential minerals that are good for your body like calcium, silicon, iron, manganese, potassium, and copper.
Nutritional facts Per 100 Grams
Calories 347
Total Fat 1.2 g
Sodium 12 mg
Potassium 1,393 mg
Total Carbohydrate 63 g
Protein 21 g
Vitamins and Minerals
Calcium 0.11
Vitamin C 10 %
Iron 28 %
Vitamin B-6 25 %
Magnesium 44 %
Health Benefits of Beans
Since various types of beans are available in the local market and each one offers different health benefits due to their nutritional properties. Let’s check out some basic health benefits you get while consuming beans.
They are good for constipation, diabetes issues, and maintaining cholesterol level and acts as an immunity booster. We also look outside the effects of consuming beans in various conditions and cultivation details to know more about it.
Beans are healthy for the heart
Beans contain abundant amounts of soluble fiber that helps lower the levels of triglyceride and cholesterol and keeps your heart healthy and strong. Green beans contain high quantities of flavonoids which are polyphenolic antioxidants.
Flavonoid present in bean has anti-inflammatory properties and thus helps prevent blood clots in the arteries and veins. Risks of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases are thus substantially reduced.
Beans help to fight cancer
Various cancer-fighting chemicals such as isoflavones and phytosterols are found in beans. These chemicals help to prevent certain types of cancer. 3 cups of beans per week are recommended by scientists to prevent the onset of chronic diseases.
Bean reduces cholesterol levels
Beans contain soluble fiber which helps to control the cholesterol levels in the blood. Moreover, saponins and phytosterols present in beans also help to control cholesterol. Beans themselves contain almost no cholesterol and, hence, are beneficial for you.
Bean boost body immunity
Beans contain a variety of antioxidants that help to strengthen the immunity of the body. These antioxidants are compounds that seek out the free radicals that may cause harm to our bodies and destroy them. Beans are a good source of flavonoids and carotenoids which contain several anti-oxidants.
Green beans for constipation
Beans are a rich source o fiber and help in regularizing your bowel movements. Bid adieu to irregular bowel movements by including beans in your daily diet. If you are going for a high-fiber diet, make sure that you are taking lots of beans.
Takes care of your eyes
Green beans contain specific carotenoids that help prevent macular degeneration which is a decrease in vision and eye function. Carotenoids like Lutein and Zeaxanthin present in the eye helps to prevent any stress on the inner workings of your eyes. Thus, it is good to include green beans in your diet to keep your eyes healthy and in the best working condition.
Beans offer essential nutrients
If you are willing to shift to a wholesome dietary plan, you can include beans in your diet and enjoy all its benefits. Not only proteins, complex carbs, and fiber, beans are also a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like potassium, iron, copper, folate, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. These minerals are essential for the proper functioning of your body.
Beans help you to lose weight
A serving of beans fills you up quickly as it is rich in fiber. It causes blood pressure to rise slowly and provides you with a steady supply of energy. So instead of going for food rich in calories and fats, you can opt for a bowl of wholesome beans that will stave off your hunger for a longer period.
Green beans for diabetes patients
Beans are essential for a person suffering from diabetes. Beans contain a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein which ensures that you get a slow and steady source of glucose. This is better than receiving a sudden surge of glucose after eating simple carbohydrates.
Beans improve bone health
Green beans contain a variety of nutrients including calcium which is instrumental in preventing the deterioration of bones and osteoporosis. Deficiencies of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and silicon can lead to weaker bones and also result in bone loss. Green beans contain silicon which is an essential element for healthy bones.
Beans help in prenatal care
Folic acid, found in green beans, helps to regulate several internal processes. But most importantly, it helps to protect infants in the womb. Folic acid levels in the body of a pregnant woman are essential for the proper development of the fetus. Thus green beans help to keep folic acid levels high and ensure that the baby born is healthy.
Uses of Beans
Beans contain a wide range of nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help us to have a healthy body and lead a healthy life. It strengthens the immune system and prevents the onset of many diseases.
Beans help to manage diabetes and also ensure that you possess a happy and healthy heart. It prevents bone deterioration and osteoporosis and also reduces the chances of colon cancer.
Moreover, beans are the least expensive source of protein and are easily available. Beans are versatile in the sense that they can be incorporated into the main dish, side dish, appetizer or can even be consumed as a snack.
Side-Effects /Allergies of Beans
Beans do not generally possess any serious health risks. But dried beans, lentils, and peas can cause an embarrassing flatulence problem. Phytic acid present in green beans can cause nutrient deficiencies in your body as it binds with calcium, zinc, and other minerals and does not allow them to be absorbed by the body.
Lectins, although present in small quantities in beans can cause the proteins to bind up the intestinal system and this may cause digestive problems. People can also be allergic to beans.
Cultivation of Beans
Beans were an important source of protein throughout history and are still consumed almost all over the world. The oldest known domesticated beans can be dated back to the 2nd millennium BCE and were found in Guitarrero cave in Peru in the Americas.
Beans are a summer crop that needs warm temperatures to grow. It normally requires 55-60 days to mature from the day of planting. As a vine, bean plants need external support and which may be provided in the form of special cages or poles. Beans are heliotropic plants which implies that the leaves tilt towards the sun throughout the day.