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Beans are seeds from the Fabaceae family, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family. They are an affordable source of protein, fiber, iron, and vitamins that offer many health benefits.
Beans are the seeds from flowering plants in the Fabaceae family and are classified as legumes.
Several beans grow in pods or capsules that develop from flowers. Other legumes include peas, peanuts, and lentils. These beans are available dry, canned, or frozen.
They differ nutritionally from green beans or wax beans where a person eats the entire pod.
Beans contain amino acids, which are the protein building blocks that the body uses to heal and to make new tissues, such as bone, muscle, hair, skin, and blood. Protein is an essential nutrient.
There are many types of beans. Dried beans need cooking to make them tender enough to eat. Canned and frozen beans are typically ready to eat after warming on the stove or in the microwave. Some of the most popular bean varieties include:
· lima beans
· black beans
· black-eyed peas
· soybeans
· kidney beans
· garbanzo beans
· navy beans
· pinto beans
· red beans
Health benefits of beans
Beans offer several health benefits.
1. Protein
Protein is a vital nutrient that plays a key role in maintaining and repairing the body. Beans are high in amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
There are 20 amino acidsTrusted Source, and nine of these are essential. There are also two types of protein sources: complete and incomplete.
Animal products, soy, and quinoa are all complete proteins, which means they contain all nine essential amino acids.
However, of all the types of beans, only soybeans contain all nine amino acids.
People can combine incomplete proteins with nuts, seeds, dairy products, or grains at a single meal or throughout the day to make complete proteins.
For example, a person can:
eat beans with rice or couscous for lunch
have black beans at lunch with almonds or cheese
Beans make an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. They are also lower in calories and saturated fat than some other protein sources, such as meat and full fat or low fat dairy products.
Examples of the protein content of beans are:
A 1-cup, or 40 gramsTrusted Source (g), serving of canned black beans provides 14.5 g of protein, 16.6 g of fiber, and 4.56 milligrams (mg) of iron.
A 1-cup, or 155 gTrusted Source, serving of shelled edamame beans provides 18.5 g protein, 8.06 g fiber, and 3.52 mg iron.
2. Folate
Beans contain several vital nutrients, including folate. Folate is essential for overall health, to make healthy red blood cells, and help prevent neural tube defects in a fetus during pregnancy.
3. Antioxidants
According to researchTrusted Source, beans are rich in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant.
Antioxidants fight the effectsTrusted Source of free radicals, which are damaging chemicals that the body produces during metabolism and other processes
Free radicals can cause cell damage that can result in various diseases. Antioxidants help the body remove free radicals. In this way, antioxidant-rich foods, such as beans, can help protect the body from disease.
4. Heart health
People who consume beans regularly may be less likely to die of a heart attack or other cardiovascular problem. The authors of a 2017 meta-analysisTrusted Source suggested that one reason for the decrease in cardiovascular risk was that people had replaced higher fat animal meat proteins with beans.
A 2013 review and meta-analysisTrusted Source found a clear correlation between eating beans and a lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Other research suggests that nutrients in beans may help lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks.
There is evidenceTrusted Source that a high fiber diet may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A half-cup, or 88 gTrusted Source, serving of black beans provides about 14 g of fiber, which is over half an adult’s daily requirement for fiber.
5. Reduced risk of cancer
Some studies have shown that beans act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. These effects could reduce the risk of cancer.