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Beans
And Their Great Health Benefits
Author: ©Cole D. Carson
Beans
are an often-overlooked source of incredible health benefits.
– They have a lot of carbs, leading people to believe they
should be avoided and seen as a weight gain risk only. Nothing
could be farther from the truth though, as research has shown
that the carbohydrates found in most beans are of the complex
variety. Complex carbohydrates are not contributors to any sort
of weight gain, instead providing the brain and muscles with a
lot of good, stable energy supplies.
Beans
actually contain a wider variety of healthy nutrients than most
foods. These include calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium,
folate, and alpha-linolenic acid. These nutrients work together
on several key areas of the body promoting total health. Beans
also happen to be good sources of complete proteins, which is
rare in plants. Plants, while having many different nutrients,
often lack complete proteins of any kind. This is unfortunate,
as protein is a vital ingredient to the healthy and normal functioning
of the human body, and the most readily available sources of protein
have negative effects on the heart. Beans, however, are plentiful
in protein.
More
important than their simple nutrition, beans are generating a
lot of talk because they offer protection from many illnesses
found in America today. Extensive studies have shown that regularly
consuming beans can help you significantly lower your risk for
heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. How much? A
study done at Michigan State University found that people eating
beans regularly had as much as a 22% reduction in their likelihood
to suffer from a cardiovascular disease, and the powerful energy-providing
nutrients in beans can help the body more effectively manage its
energy sources, aiding in weight-loss. This also can help boost
your energy levels throughout the day, making you more active.
Also
contributing to beans increasing popularity with the health-conscious
is their high amounts of antioxidants. Antioxidants, of course,
are nutrients that guard the body against free radicals. Free
radicals are agents that attack and damage the body, causing many
undesired illnesses and effects. The most extreme of these, of
course, are premature aging, and cancer. This means that beans,
while protecting you from the development of cancer, may also
help you both look younger and feel younger with increased energy
and the benefits of antioxidants.
So
which beans are the best for you? Studies done at Michigan State
University have concluded that "dry" beans are the best.
Overall, though most all beans contain similar nutrients and benefits,
some of the best are considered to be Lima beans, Navy beans,
Kidney beans, and Pinto beans. Ideally, it is recommended that
you get about 3 cups of beans per week in order to maximize their
wonderful health benefits, but scientists have shown that as little
as 1 cup of beans consumed each week will yield impressive results.
Beans
are wonderful sources of nutrition that haven't truly been recognized
until now. Once thought of as a fattening food that gives you
gas, beans are now being correctly hailed as nutritional giants
that pack a lot of benefits in a tiny package. New science and
extensive research has done a lot to increase our understanding
of the bean, and fortunately for us, beans come in limitless varieties.
This makes it easy to get them in your diet, and you can find
them anywhere.
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