Beans: general characteristics
Beans, whose scientific name is Phaseolus vulgaris, are legumes that contain excellent nutritional properties and are produced from a plant belonging to the legume family native of Central America and Mexico, the area is characterized by a particularly warm climate. In the past, both for the relatively low price is because they are easy to find, beans represented the so-called food of the poor, but in reality the bean is a very nutritious food and it was thanks to their consumption in the Middle Ages were overcome appalling famine. It seems that the bean has been imported into European countries by the Conquistadors, and the kind Phaseolus soon supplanted the others already existing in Europe because the easiest to grow.
The varieties of bean are innumerable, and they even counted 500 types, of which about sixty are edible and are present in different colors and shapes, whites, blacks, variegated, red, big, small, round or crushed. The best known variety and used are still the Hills, the cannellini, Mexicans, Whites of Spain, the beans from Lamon, Vigevano and the Scots.
Beans: the beneficial properties
The beans are rich in vitamins pulses A, B, C, and E, contain mineral salts and trace elements, such as potassium, iron, calcium, zinc and phosphorus and are excellent bearers of lecithin, a phospholipid which favors the emulsion of the fat, avoiding to make them accumulate in the blood and allowing to reduce the level of cholesterol. All types of beans contain a lot of fiber, but there are some varieties that contain more, such as blacks beans, kidney beans and lima beans. The canned beans are just as good, but they are high in sodium, so it is good drain and rinse them before eating. The fiber is very useful for metabolism and allows you to reach more quickly the feeling of satiety. Among the properties of the beans, one that perhaps is not well known is that the high level of isoflavones that beans contain. Isoflavones are special substances which bring many benefits to our organism, especially as regards the decrease of heart disease. In addition, the properties of isoflavones improve bone health and prostate.
In bean they were found recently also probable anticancer properties: from a study performed by the Colorado State University showed that most likely to consume vegetables regularly may facilitate prevention of breast cancer. In this respect there is still no certainty but lie ahead positive news in the near future.
The bean are also attributed slimming properties: in particular, it seems that the bean pods are excellent aids in diets. In fact, thanks to the presence of fibers containing cellulose, pectin and flavonoids, the absorption of sugar undergoes a substantial slowdown and thus fosters slimming. This property specifies the bean pod is not convenient for the end of a diet, to maintain a stable weight and avoid gaining fat again.
Beans: the health benefits
The benefits of beans are great and thanks to their particular nutritional intake can also replace meat. In fact, from the point of view of protein intake of these vegetables are a great alternative to meat consumption and are a perfect food to balance the diet by establishing an exact ratio of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
A regular consumption of beans provides benefits on cholesterol, lowering its presence in the body and also preventing intestinal problems, constipation and hemorrhoids. These legumes also bring benefits on blood sugar: diabetes, for example, benefit from their consumption and can monitor this value thanks to the beneficial properties of the beans.
The beans are also good for your heart and show recent studies have revealed the presence of anti-cancer properties in beans. The news, however, is still not fully confirmed and is awaiting further studies demonstrating the validity of this hypothesis.
Another recent news is also the one that believes these bringers of legumes also benefits the circulatory system: it seems that consuming legumes four times a week reduces by 22% the risk of developing heart disease than people who eat only once a week . Other recent studies have shown that consumption of beans helps prevent atherosclerosis, but also because this news will await further study.
Furthermore, the beans also have detoxifying effect and, in particular white ones, contain molybdenum, a mineral that activates a series of detoxifying enzymes including the sulphite oxidase and aldehyde oxidase.
Beans: nutritional values and calories
Beans are a complete food with high stocks of:
- Carbohydrates (51 g of 100 of product);
- vegetable protein (23 g in 100 of product);
- Fat (2 g of product in 100);
- Water (10 g of 100 of product);
- Fiber (17.5 g in 100 of product).
These legumes are high in calories, in fact, have about 300 calories per 100 g.
Beans: all uses
The beans are found also in the form of tablets on the market, while with fresh pods prepares an effective infused for weight loss and also useful as a diuretic effect. Widely used in cooking, the beans, however, must be put to soak before cooking, for at least 6-8 hours in cold water, and then it is advisable to cook them in water different. An operation that should be followed to allow the release in water of some anti-nutritional substances which are found in all types of beans, said Cyanogenic glycosides, which cause a mild intestinal discomfort. If you buy fresh beans should shell and consume them a few days after the purchase, so that they retain all their nutritional properties. Purchase prefer cannellini beans with the skin of the outer pod yellowish, and the same is valid also for the beans that have red skin with white veins. Whether they are fresh or dried beans will never eat raw, but boiled or in the form of soups (see also: Recipes with beans).
These pulses are also used in the field of cosmetics and are excellent bases for the preparation of moisturizing masks and scrubs fast to the skin. To prepare in a few minutes a cleansing mask is recommended to mix the flour of beans with a little 'of yogurt and spread on face massaging mainly on T-zone to remove impurities from the skin. Your face will be uniform and bright in a few minutes!
Beans: contraindications and side effects
At the time, though in the market are fresh beans, you should check that the pod is intact and hard, while if it is dry beans must be checked that there are no foreign substances and that the seeds are intact. The consumption of beans tends to exhibit side effects that are intestinal flatulence. A cause they are oligosaccharides that the body can not digest and ferment within the gut, producing gas. This discomfort can be reduced by passing the beans through a sieve and adding in the cooking herbs like thyme, bay leaf and cumin, which aid digestion.
These legumes are also contraindicated for individuals who accuse intestinal bloating problems or gout, arthritis, arthritis or kidney stones. Finally, among the side effects of the beans there is toxicity (which disappears with cooking), also known by the name of phytohemagglutinin that can cause, if consumed in excess, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as act negatively on cell metabolism .
