Beans Glorious Beans
By Jill Weisenberger
Beans don't get much respect.
They're not chic or exotic, and well--they can cause gas. But
beans have more protein than any vegetable, and they're loaded
with energy-sustaining complex carbohydrates, folate and fiber
and even provide respectable amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium
and potassium.
Beans, along with peas and peanuts,
belong to the plant family, Leguminosae. Legumes are edible
seeds enclosed in pods. Beans are inexpensive nutritional powerhouses
and are linked to lower rates of disease. When dried, they have
a very long shelf life and are as versatile as any food.
Your Health--Worth a
Hill of Beans
Pass the pintos. Grab the garbanzos. Beans may be a key to longevity.
When researchers studied the diets of men and women age 70 and
older in Japan, Sweden, Greece and Australia, they found that
the consumption of legumes was the most important dietary predictor
of survival. Other studies suggest that eating beans may lower
your risk of cancer, heart disease and obesity.
Eating at least four servings
of beans per week lowered the risk of coronary heart disease
22 percent, according to a study of nearly 10,000 men and women
in the U.S. In Costa Rica survivors of a heart attack who ate
at least one serving of beans daily were significantly less
likely to suffer another nonfatal attack. The soluble fiber
in legumes may explain some of the benefit, says Marisa Moore,
R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Some
of these gel-like fibers bind with bile acids in the intestines.
With less bile available to aid digestion, the body converts
some of its blood cholesterol into bile. The net effect is lower
blood cholesterol and a decreased risk for heart disease.
Beans' potassium, magnesium
and folate likely protect the heart as well, notes Karen Collins,
R.D., nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer
Research. People who eat a lot of legumes are less likely to
have high blood pressure. Many studies show that high potassium
and magnesium intakes are vital for healthy blood pressure levels.
The fiber, potassium, magnesium and folate in beans are tied
to decreased cancer risk too, says Collins. Other phytonutrients--saponins,
lignins, phytosterols--linked to disease prevention are unique
to legumes. They may slow tumor growth and inhibit the reproduction
of cancer cells, she says.
"New analysis of the Nurses'
Health Study shows that women who ate four or more servings
of legumes a week were 33 percent less likely to develop colorectal
adenomas (non-cancerous tumors that are the source of most colon
cancer) than those consuming one serving a week or less,"
says Collins. And when men and women previously diagnosed with
colorectal adenomas were told to make several specific changes
in their diets, those who increased their intake of beans the
most were 65 percent less likely to suffer a recurrence of advanced
adenomas.
Beans also contain health-boosting
resistant starches, says Amy Barr, M.S., Ed.M., R.D., a communications
consultant specializing in the food and nutrition industry.
These carbohydrates don't break down the way other starches
do, and in many ways, they act like fiber. In the large intestine,
they increase the bulk of the stool, speed up transit time and
provide food for friendly bacteria. Studies suggest that resistant
starches promote intestinal health.
Bypass the Gas
Remember grade school rhymes? Beans, beans good for your heart.
The more you eat, the more you... well, you know. Don't let
fear of gas keep you from enjoying beans' versatility and nutritional
punch. Research suggests that the body gradually adapts to increased
bean consumption. Some cooking techniques and Beano, an over-the-counter
product, may also help. The errant vapor comes from sugars and
starches not completely digested by enzymes in your small intestine.
Once these carbohydrates travel into the large intestine, normal,
harmless bacteria make a meal out of them and produce gas in
the process. Beano provides a digestive enzyme your body lacks,
so take it when you sit down to your meal.
Draining canned or soaked beans
also helps, as it rids your meal of some of the hard-to-digest
carbohydrate. Finally, season your beans with herbs and spices.
Though there's no scientific proof, some people claim that various
additions decrease the noxious gas. Try tumeric, ginger, cinnamon,
cumin, anise, rosemary, epazote (common in Caribbean fare) and
asafoetida (found in East Indian cooking).
Cooking Beans
Rinse canned beans to lower sodium. When preparing dried beans,
peas and lentils, sort them carefully. Spread them on a white
towel, so you can easily see dirt or damaged legumes. Then rinse
them under cold water. Lentils and split peas cook quickly,
but beans with tougher skins, such as black beans and garbanzos,
require soaking to reduce their cooking times. Here are three
ways to prepare your beans:
More Than Baked
Aim for three cups of beans per week, according to the U.S.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Think the usual three-bean
salad and black bean soup, but also get creative with new recipes
and ways to use this dietary staple. Here are some ideas. Add
black beans to a tomato-basil sauce and serve over whole-wheat
pasta. Make meatless three-bean chili with black beans, kidney
beans and pintos.
Thicken chili or a favorite
soup with a can of mashed cannelloni beans. No one will know
they're there. Mix lentils into your meatloaf to use less ground
meat. Toss rinsed, canned beans into your mixed green salad.
Add garbanzos to tuna salad (season with fresh dill). Toss canned
black beans and corn with jarred salsa. Enjoy as a side dish
or a sauce over grilled chicken or fish. Top nachos with kidney
beans. Liven up a sandwich with hummus instead of mayonnaise.
Add kidney beans to store-bought or homemade pasta salads. Boost
the fiber and protein of vegetable soups with any canned bean.
Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D.,
C.D.E., is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator
for Hampton Roads Center for Clinical Research in Norfolk, Virginia.
