Beans

Beans are ancient foods. Originating primarily in Africa and Asia and the Middle East, they spread over most of the globe, carried by nomadic tribes. They have been cultivated allover the earth for thousands of years. Evidence also suggests that many beans were first grown on the American continent. In North America, most of the dried beans commonly eaten are descendants of beans cultivated in Central and South America, seven thousand years ago. Portable, tasty, highly nutritious, nonperishable, and adaptable to any cuisine, beans show up in the signature dishes from many lands. Dal from India, hummus from the Middle East, and rice and beans from Latin America all make use of the versatile bean.

Beans are also known as legumes or pulses. They're an extensive family of plants distinguished by their seed-bearing pods. Some beans, like string beans, are eaten fresh, pod and all. Soybeans are also beans. Beans are not just for vegetarians. Long regarded as "poor man's meat" because they offer an excellent source of protein. As the ailments associated with animal protein have skyrocketed-particularly heart disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes-savvy consumers begin to recognize the value in the humble bean.

Beans are one of the most healthy and most economical sources of protein available. For example, 1 cup of lentils provides 17 grams of protein with only 0.75 gram of fat. Two ounces of extra-lean trimmed sirloin steak has the same amount of protein but six times the fat.

Lysine is the principal amino acid deficient in a large percentage of plant protein, and most beans have a generous concentration of it. As a result, beans are an ideal complementary protein for most other vegetarian protein choices. Lysine is one of the two amino acids essential for carnitine synthesis, and carnitine is essential for efficient energy production in the mitochondria-the cellular energy factory.

Eating plant protein leads to less calcium loss than animal protein, a benefit to those who are vulnerable to osteoporosis. In general, as you increase your protein intake, you increase the amount of calcium lost from your bones. The acidity that occurs with eating meat increases the calcium loss compared with plant protein. Moreover, plant protein provides phytonutrients plus vitamins and minerals that are bone-friendly.

Medical properties

Beans are good for heart - Beans are a superb heart-healthy food. One study involving dietary patterns over a twenty-five-year period examined the risk of death from coronary heart disease in more than sixteen thousand middle-aged men in the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Greece, and Japan. Typical food patterns were: higher consumption of dairy products in Northern Europe; higher consumption of meat in the United States; higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine in Southern Europe; and higher consumption of cereals, soy products, and fish in Japan. When researchers analyzed these data in relation to the risk of death from heart disease, they found that legumes were associated with a very impressive reduction in risk.
Moreover, those who ate beans most frequently also had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol and were much less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Eating beans frequently is associated with lower cholesterol levels. This isn't simply because bean protein is substituted for animal protein that adds dietary cholesterol to the diet. Cholesterol is a fatlike substance manufactured by the body and is also found in foods in conjunction with fats. Cholesterol is found only in animal foods. Many people think that if you eat a lot of cholesterol, your blood levels of this substance will be high, but this isn't really the case. There's a wide range of variation in people's responses to dietary cholesterol. Since cholesterol is present only in animal fats, if you focus on the amount of saturated fat and partially hydrogenated oils in your diet and try to substitute plant-derived protein like beans, you're well on your way to reducing your blood cholesterol levels and improving your overall health.
That said, it is still a healthy goal to keep your blood cholesterol levels low. Increase the amount of beans in your diet by eating 1/2 cup of beans each day. Beans are also an excellent source of fiber. This fiber helps to keep "bad" cholesterol levels down while helping to boost the "good" levels.
Beans are also a rich source of the B vitamin folate. Lentils are particularly high in both folate and fiber. Folate plays a critical role in the reduction of homocysteine levels. Without adequate folate, homocysteine levels raise. Since homocysteine is damaging to blood vessel walls, when it accumulates, it poses an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated homocysteine levels are found in between 20 to 40 percent of patients with coronary artery disease. Just 1 cup of cooked garbanzo beans provides 70.5 percent of the daily requirement for folate. Along with the folate, beans deliver a healthy dose of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, a mineral and electrolyte combination that's associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and hypertension.

Beans and blood sugar - The plentiful soluble fiber in beans is a boon to your blood sugar. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, or diabetes, beans can help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady slow-burning energy. The fiber in beans keeps blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal. Researchers compared two groups of people with type II diabetes who were fed different amounts of high-fiber foods. One group ate a diet that provided 24 grams of fiber per day. The other group ate a diet containing 50 grams of fiber a day. The higher-fiber diet resulted in lower levels of both blood sugar and insulin. The high-fiber group also reduced their total cholesterol by almost 7 percent; their triglyceride levels by 10.2 percent, and their very low density level by 12.5 percent.

Beans and obesity - Beans play an important role in weight management. The simple fact is that beans fill you up: they provide lots of bulk without a lot of calories. When you add beans to your diet, you're more likely to get full before you can get fat. Beans' high-fiber content controls blood sugar and thus helps to keep hunger at bay while helping to maintain energy levels.

Beans fight cancers - There is promising evidence that beans may help to prevent cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer and cancers of the colon, breast, and prostate. In one study, the bean consumption and cancer rate of fifteen countries was compared, and the analysis revealed that higher rates of bean consumption were associated with a decreased risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers. Beans contain phytoestrogens called "lignins" that have been shown to have estrogen like properties. Researchers speculate that a high consumption of foods that are rich in lignins may reduce the risk of cancers that are related to estrogen levels-particularly breast cancer. The lignins may also have a chemo preventive effect on cancers of the male reproductive system. There are other compounds in beans called "phytates," which may be able to help prevent certain types of intestinal cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown a lower rate of cancer among people who consume higher quantities of beans.