As bird flu looms, mad cow
disease continues to hang in the air and people look for
increasingly healthful ways to eat, beans have suddenly
achieved "superfood" status. Scientists affirm that
beans are packed with nutrients that fight chronic diseases,
such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, while
helping to control your blood sugar. And, as part of a
healthful diet, beans make it easier for you to maintain a
healthful weight, which also cuts your risk of chronic
disease.
So, despite their socially bad
reputation, beans are worth considering as part of a healthful
diet.
SPILLING
THE BEANS ON BEANS
Beans are a member of the
legume family, which also includes soybeans, lentils, peas and
peanuts. (For purposes of this article, we'll talk about those
legumes Americans think of when they hear the word
"beans" -- such as pinto, red, pink, navy and black
beans, cannelini and red kidney, chickpeas, black-eyed peas
and green peas.)
Beans are a good source of
low-fat protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But
perhaps the best reason to eat beans is the fiber, says Alice
H. Lichtenstein, DSc, professor of nutrition science and
policy at Tufts University in Boston. Most Americans fall
short of the recommended 20 g to 30 g of fiber a day (some
health experts call for even more). A half-cup serving of
legumes contains about 120 calories and anywhere from 4 g to 6
g of fiber -- including about 2 g of soluble fiber, which can
reduce your cholesterol and help lower your risk of heart
disease and stroke.
Besides filling you up, making
weight control easier, the fiber in beans also...
- Slows the absorption of
blood sugar from the small intestine, helping some people
with pre-diabetes, diabetes or hypoglycemia.
- Makes stools softer, bulkier
and easier to pass, relieving constipation and decreasing
your exposure to carcinogens that may be in the stool.
- Lowers your risk of
hemorrhoids (swollen anal tissues), diverticulosis
(microscopic pouches that protrude through weak spots in
the lining of the colon) and irritable bowel syndrome
(muscle spasms in the wall of the colon).
- Manages bile acids and
bacterial enzymes that in excess may promote the growth of
precancerous polyps (tissue growths that protrude from a
membrane such as the intestinal lining) and colon cancer.
- Binds with certain estrogen
metabolites, possibly reducing your risk for
estrogen-responsive cancers such as those of the breast
and prostate.
Getting your fiber from beans
and other plant foods provides all the other disease-fighting
nutrients you don't get in a fiber supplement, says Dr.
Lichtenstein, who's also director and senior scientist with
the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
at Tufts University in Boston.
GOOD,
BETTER, BEST BEANS?
When USDA researchers analyzed
antioxidant levels in more than 100 different foods, small red
beans topped the list, beating even the exalted wild
blueberry. Red kidney beans and pinto beans also made the top
four, while black beans came in among the top 20.
But Dr. Lichtenstein says you
shouldn't select beans based on antioxidant content, because
scientists are only just beginning to identify the
health-promoting compounds in plant foods and don't fully
understand how they work most effectively. "The benefits
of using beans to replace foods high in saturated fat outweigh
minor differences among beans," Dr. Lichtenstein says.
LABEL
CLAIMS
Although beans bear no
FDA-approved labels advertising their health benefits,
research shows they significantly influence America's most
lethal chronic diseases. By lowering your cholesterol, helping
you control your weight and lowering blood levels of the amino
acid homocysteine, beans can reduce your risk of developing
heart disease and stroke. And, according to the American
Institute for Cancer Research, phytochemicals in beans can
protect cells from DNA damage, which can lead to cancer... may
inhibit the reproduction of cancer cells... may potentially
slow the division of cancer cells and the growth of tumors and
inhibit tumors from destroying nearby cells.
JUMPING IN
THE BEANPOT
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid
recommends three cups of beans per week -- that equals six
one-half cup servings -- for Americans eating about 2,000
calories a day. When adding beans to your diet, Dr.
Lichtenstein makes these recommendations...
- Don't select beans based on
their fiber, protein or antioxidant content. Instead, eat
a variety of beans in a variety of bean dishes such as
burritos, soups, casseroles and dips or spreads like
hummus (made from ground chickpeas) to keep your diet
interesting. Like with fruits and vegetables, the more
variety of your beans the better.
- Enjoy canned beans,
especially if that enables you to consume them more often.
There's little nutritional difference between canned beans
and dried beans you have to cook yourself -- just rinse
beans or buy low-sodium versions if that's a concern, says
Dr. Lichtenstein. Enjoy bean soups, too -- pureed beans
still provide nutrients.
- Simply adding beans to your
diet can result in unwanted pounds that hurt your health.
Instead, substitute them for less-healthy foods, such as
meats high in saturated fats.
And, oh by the way, if all of
the nutritional and health benefits of beans are not enough of
an inspiration, it's useful to know that one serving of beans
costs a small fraction of the average serving of meat, fish or
poultry. A nutritional powerhouse at a low price. That's a
bargain.
Be well,
Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
Best Bites & Buys
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