Beans – Health Benefits, Negative Effect And More
Beans is from a family called “legume “. It is the seeds from the flowering plant in the legume family. They grow in capsules or cases that develop from flowers.
Beans are one of the major sources of protein, iron, and fiber. Most people prefer to eat beans as a source of protein because it is affordable.
Amino acids that beans contain are what is used in the body to make new tissues such as muscles, bone, skin, hair, and to heal.
Some of the varieties of beans
- Dried beans ( which needs to be cooked thoroughly before it can be eaten)
- Lima or butter bean
- Black-eyed peas
- Soybean or suya bean
- Navy bean or white pea bean
- Red beans
Health Benefit of Beans
They are rich in proteins
Proteins are a very important nutrient that helps in maintaining and repairing the body tissues and cells. Beans are the building blocks of protein and it is high in amino acid.
We have two types of proteins and they are complete and incomplete proteins.
Complete proteins contain all the essential amino acid such as animal product, soya beans, etc. (soya beans is the only bean that contains all the nine amino acid i.e. it is a complete protein)
Most times people combine other foods with proteins such as dairy products, grains, nuts, etc. to form a complete protein meal.
They are rich in folate
This is a vital nutrient in beans that make healthy red blood cells and also for the overall health.
Antioxidants present in beans helps prevents cell damage by fighting against damaging chemicals which the body produces especially during metabolism. It is advisable to eat antioxidant-rich food such as beans to help fight against diseases.
Improves heart health
Eating proteins such as beans and meat rather than fatty foods tend to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart failure/heart disease. From research, beans contain nutrients that lower cholesterol which reduces the risk of heart problems because high cholesterol enhances the risks of a heart attack.
Reduces the risk of cancer
As mentioned above, beans contain nutrients that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. These agents can reduce the risks of cancer.
Black beans contain the highest antioxidant properties which fight against intestinal cancer.
It acts as Diabetes and glucose mechanism
Beans reduces the blood sugar level and prevents diabetes. High fiber food such as beans can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and reduces the blood sugar level for diabetes patients.
Improving gut health
Beans and its varieties help Improve intestinal barriers and gut health in general thereby preventing gut-associated disease.
They are good for digestion
Beans work in keeping a better digestive system. Fiber nutrients contained in beans makes one full and not have the urge to eat more. It also prevents constipation.
How often should you eat beans?
Beans are very high in protein, iron, potassium, folate, and zinc.
It is recommended that you should eat at least 1/2 ounce of proteins daily and a half cup of beans is virtually equal to 2 ounces of protein.
Therefore, beans can be eaten every day or as often as possible.
Some Negative Effect of Eating Beans
It may interfere with vitamins Absorption
Some beans interfere with the absorption of some vitamins such as vitamin B12, vitamin D especially soya beans.
Therefore vegetables (Legumes) and fresh fruits should be eaten to compensate vitamin loss.
It makes one gassy
Although this is not a disadvantage of eating beans. It is embarrassing to excessively flatulate. Flatulence after eating beans can be reduced by changing the water during cooking.
It may leads to Constipation
One of the advantages of fiber is that it prevents constipation because the fiber content helps to move food through the intestines. This can only be possible if enough water is taken after eating beans to move food through the systems. If enough water is not taken it can lead to constipation.
It can lead to gastrointestinal problems
Excess eating of beans can cause protein indigestion which can lead to stomach discomfort, stooling, cramping, and other gastrointestinal problems. You can reduce this effect by taking digestive enzymes supplements and also carry out body exercises to help the stomach process the fiber nutrient in beans.
The iron that beans contain is non-heme iron which is difficult for the body to absorb unlike the iron in meat and fish.
As discussed above we have two types of proteins complete and incomplete proteins. Beans fall under incomplete Proteins i.e. they lack some essential amino acid.
It weakens the kidney
Plant proteins are excreted (discharged from the systems) via the kidney. The older a person becomes, the lesser the ability to excrete through the kidney. Therefore aged people should be conscious of their diet and avoid protein-rich foods such as beans because such foods weaken the functioning of the kidney.
- Select dirt and stones from beans. This should be done thoroughly to prevent cooking beans with some shaft or stone.
- Soak your beans for at least 30 minutes to dissolve unhealthy nutrients. Although most people skip this step which ought not to be
- Boil your bean to soften its fiber content.
- Change the boiling water of beans before cooking it proper
- Eat moderate quantities of beans. Do not overeat beans because you love beans. Eat beans with moderation.
Beans – Health Benefits, Negative Effects And More.
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