Beans mean plant-protein to many, and not in a (deservedly) celebrated sense. Beans are baselessly notorious for being gassy while proven to improve nutrient intake [i]considerably. But not everyone knows that beans are more than just that. Only a few know that beans are actually one of the healthiest foods you can find around. The next few minutes of reading are going to blow your mind with the surprising heart-benefits of beans.
That Full-Feeling!
Proteins are bound to make you feel fuller[ii], and proteins are just what beans have in store for you. 100g of the popularly used beans, when cooked, can give you around 20-22g of protein [iii], and virtually no carbs.
The reason why you don’t get hungry for a while after eating protein-rich food is that proteins can block the receptors (mu-opioid receptors or MORs) in the gut that keeps making you eat more. [iv]
You are nothing if not (for) fibers.
Beans are rich in soluble dietary fibers that keep the intestines healthy and the helpful bacteria in the gut thriving. Gut bacteria are responsible for about 80% of your immunity[v], and feeding them means a better immune system.
The bonus is that when you eat beans, you are getting a good combo of protein and fiber in place of the (saturated) fat-drenched animal proteins. Soluble fiber also lowers cholesterol levels, [vi] which keep the heart smiling heartily.
Blood Pressure and Weight Management:
Studies show that people who consume more beans have better, constant blood pressure levels. Since the satiated feeling makes you eat lesser, beans help you bring down body weight and waist circumference, [vii] while you are still getting all the good proteins minus the fats if you are trying to gain some healthy weight. Lower blood pressure and body weight directly help the heart.
And it’s all natural too! What could be better?
Low GI = Happy Liver, Pancreas and hence, Heart
GI or Glycemic Index refers, in general, to the capability of a food to increase the blood sugar levels. Now if you are wondering how such seemingly-starchy, soluble fiber-rich foods as beans have a low glycemic index, science has got the answer.
Beans are rich in resistant starches [viii]. They are starches that make you feel full but are not digested or turned into carbohydrates. But they still stimulate insulin, again; making you feel full faster.
Fats:
Fats are directly linked to cardiovascular health and beans are low-fat, high-fiber protein sources. Pulses are found to have only about 3 to 7% of total fat content. 85% of these are unsaturated and 15% saturated; while 80% of fats in beef, a primary protein source to many, are saturated fatty acids.
Consumption of legumes is also directly linked to lower cholesterol levels [ix]and hence to heart-health.
Antioxidants:
Beans are also great sources of many phytochemicals, which have antioxidant properties.[x] Recent studies have also brought to light the fact that dried beans are also rich in polyphenols[xi], which again are natural antioxidants[xii]. Antioxidants rejuvenate all body tissues – of the skin, bones, muscles, glands, brain, and heart – on a regular and constant basis.
Overall Vascular Health:
Studies and studies, through and through prove that beans are one of the best heart-healthy, blood vessel loving foods around. This includes the studies conducted on both beans [xiii] and other legumes. [xiv]
Rich Micronutrient Reserve – Vitamins, Minerals, and Folic Acid:
Beans are packed tight with vitamins and minerals that promote heart health. They are high in folate, niacin, magnesium, zinc, iron, and potassium. Magnesium, in particular, prevents heart arrhythmias and ischemic heart disease. Beans also provide many B vitamins that are important in the health of nerves and the brain.
A B-Vitamin known as folate, along with the folic acid in beans, controls the levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood. This amino acid is capable of otherwise damaging the blood vessels, thinning the blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis, and increasing the chance of heart attacks and strokes. [xv] [xvi] You only need about 400 micrograms of folic acid a day, to keep stroke and heart attack at bay.
Beans are also the only plant-based food that provides significant amounts of the indispensable amino acid lysine. [xvii]
The Good Macros:
Have you noticed something peculiar about this list (or any list) that counts the benefits of beans? There is one very interesting thing in common that is also the gist of what this attempt is all about – beans provide all the good macronutrients in the very best quantities, while containing so few of the bad macros.
Beans pack all sorts of important protein in each bite along with a very little bit of good carbs and calories. They contain only a little share of fatty acids, of which a surprisingly good majority are good ones. They are rich in fiber and resistant starches too.
It is thus safe to say that beans are perfect for any diet plans – whether you are looking for weight loss, weight gain, keto, low-carb, high-protein, or just overall health.
No wonder why people teach kids to sing and play:
“Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel.
So let’s have beans with every meal.” [xviii]
They have had it all figured!
[i] Papanikolaou Y, Fulgoni VL, 3rd. Bean consumption is associated with greater nutrient intake, reduced systolic blood pressure, lower body weight, and a smaller waist circumference in adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. J Am Coll Nutr 2008;27:569-76.
[ii] https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/feel-full-protein-3087.html#:~:text=That%27s%20because%20protein%20can%20help%20you%20feel%20full,the%20day%2C%20include%20protein%20in%20your%20waking%20meal.
[iii] http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/protein-in-kidney-beans.php
[iv] Ziauddeen, H., Chamberlain, S. R., Nathan, P. J., Koch, A., Maltby, K., Bush, M., Tao, W. X., Napolitano, A., Skeggs, A. L., Brooke, A. C., Cheke, L., Clayton, N. S., Sadaf Farooqi, I., O’Rahilly, S., Waterworth, D., Song, K., Hosking, L., Richards, D. B., Fletcher, P. C., & Bullmore, E. T. (2013). Effects of the mu-opioid receptor antagonist GSK1521498 on hedonic and consummatory eating behaviour: a proof of mechanism study in binge-eating obese subjects. Molecular psychiatry, 18(12), 1287–1293. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2012.154
[v] https://www.allhailkale.com/home-1/80-of-your-immune-system-lies-in-your-gut-keep-those-bacteria-happy-part-1#:~:text=It%20turns%20out%20approximately%2080%20per%20cent%20of,a%20foreign%20invader%20and%20your%20body%E2%80%99s%20own%20tissues.
[vi] Bazzano L. A. (2008). Effects of soluble dietary fiber on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and coronary heart disease risk. Current atherosclerosis reports, 10(6), 473–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-008-0074-3.
[vii] Papanikolaou, Y., & Fulgoni, V. L., 3rd (2008). Bean consumption is associated with greater nutrient intake, reduced systolic blood pressure, lower body weight, and a smaller waist circumference in adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 27(5), 569–576. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2008.10719740
[viii] Fabbri, A. D., Schacht, R. W., & Crosby, G. A. (2016). Evaluation of resistant starch content of cooked black beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas. NFS Journal, 3, 8-12. doi:10.1016/j.nfs.2016.02.002
[ix] Bazzano, L.A., et al., Non-soy legume consumption lowers cholesterol levels: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2009.
[x] http://www.phytochemicals.info/#:~:text=How%20do%20phytochemicals%20work%3F%201%20Antioxidant%20-%20Most,replication%20-%20Saponins%20found%20in%20beans%20interfere%20with
[xi] Virginia Messina, Nutritional and health benefits of dried beans, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 100, Issue suppl_1, July 2014, Pages 437S–442S, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071472
[xii] https://www.verywell.com/what-are-polyphenols-2507085
[xiii] Zahradka, P., et al. Daily non-soy legume consumption reverses vascular impairment due to peripheral artery disease. Atherosclerosis. 2013 Oct;230(2):310-4. Epub 2013 Aug 6.
[xiv] Xu BJ, Yuan SH, Chang SK. Comparative analyses of phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity, and color of cool season legumes and other selected food legumes. J Food Sci 2007;72:S167-77.
[xv] Holt, E.M., et al., Fruit and vegetable consumption and its relation to markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc, 2009. 109(3): p. 414-21.
[xvi] Mente, A., et al., A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med, 2009. 169(7): p. 659-69.
[xvii] Virginia Messina, Nutritional and health benefits of dried beans, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 100, Issue suppl_1, July 2014, Pages 437S–442S, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071472
[xviii] https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1078&context=student_orgfarm
