ehealthyland.com

Health:

What are Beans Health Benefits? |High Protein Beans Health Benefits | Vitamins and Nutrition Benefits Of Beans

Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed.The whole young pods of bean plants, if picked before the pods ripen and dry, are very tender and may be eaten cooked or raw. Thus the word green beans means green in the sense of unripe, as the beans inside the pods of green beans are too small to comprise a significant part of the cooked fruit.

How can the lowly bean be a powerful soldier in the chronic disease war? Let’s take cholesterol, to start, since the soluble fiber in beans can help improve your cholesterol levels. In particular, a 2001 study found that eating legumes four times a week, as opposed to only once, was associated with a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease. If you’re tired of eating oatmeal every day in an effort or lower your cholesterol, try increasing the amount of beans you eat instead.

Beans contain high levels of phytic acid or phytate, nature’s way of preserving the bean as it lies on the ground waiting for the spring rains before it can germinate. When the rain comes, the bean soaks in the ground until this natural preservative is exhausted, and at that point the new plant is ready to grow and the nutrients it will need are released from the bean. After you have soaked beans for 12 to 15 hours, the phytate has been reduced and the nutrients in the bean have been made available. It is the preservative quality of phytate that make unsoaked beans so difficult to digest and so apt to produce gas when eaten.

In addition to these benefits, the compound found in beans isoflavins lagnins phytic acid sapopin and protease inhibitors have been shown to keep normal cells from turning cancerous and inhibit their growth. The soybean contains phytoestrogens, a weaker version of the estrogen produced in our bodies naturally. Phytoestrogens are believed to reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer, by blocking overactivity of estrogen and testosterone which can spur cancerous tumor growth. Overall studies have shown Hispanic women have half the risk of breast cancer as white women. This disparity is believed to be due to the high content of beans in their diet.

Antioxidants have become the hottest, most talked about nutrient in recent times. Most of this is because of its ability to protect the body from free radicals, which cause many health problems and premature aging. Beans are plentiful sources of antioxidants, giving them the ability to help keep your appearance young and vibrant. Antioxidants have also been shown to help reduce the risk of cancer by protecting the body from damaging outside agents.

Beans, in addition to their fiber content, are also good for your heart. They contain potassium, which can reduce the risk of strokes and high blood pressure. Most adult Americans don’t get enough potassium. Adding beans to your diet can help improve your potassium intake. Beans also provide folic acid, which breaks down an amino acid known to contribute to heart disease. People who eat beans four times a week or more have a twenty percent reduction of their risk of developing heart disease, independent of other healthy habits. Lentils and beans also help reduce blood cholesterol and contain anti oxidants also found in red wine, tea, and other foods.

The largest USDA study of food antioxidants reveals common beans are amoung the best sources. Researchers with the United States Department of Agriculture analyzed antioxidant levels in over 100 different foods. Each food was measured for antioxidant concentration as well as antioxidant capacity per serving size. Base upon the results, the USDA has provided a list of the top 20 ranking of foods by antioxidant capacity.

Incoming search terms:

• beans
• health benefits of white beans
• string beans