The bean is one of the most simple yet nutrition-packed staples of any healthy diet. Whether you are interested in losing weight, regulating your blood sugar levels or gaining more energy, a bean based diet could be something well worth considering. For their versatility and low cost of production, beans form a foundation of many cuisines around the world, and a basic source of low-fat, high-fiber protein and energy.
Nutritional Profile of Beans
Although they may appear in a number of different shapes, sizes and flavors, the nutritional composition of most varieties of beans is almost identical. Beans are low in fat, high in fiber and contain no cholesterol, which makes them suitable for restricted diets. They are high in a variety of essential minerals and vitamins, including calcium, folate, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. In addition, beans are high in protein, but low in calories, sodium and sugar.
Beans and Weight Loss
Beans seem to be a naturally excellent diet food. Not only are they low in calories, fat and cholesterol, but they are also full of the fiber that will help flush your digestive system. Each bean is composed of 18 percent dietary fiber. The fact that they are high in protein is also significant for dieters, because this helps you feel full for a longer amount of time and allows the body to build lean muscle mass through exercise, without the high saturated fat content that animal proteins carry.
Beans and Blood Sugar
Individuals who are watching their blood sugar levels, either for exercise and weight loss reasons or to help slow the symptoms of diabetes, may wish to consider a bean based diet. Beans are high in complex carbohydrates, which take the body more time to digest than simple carbohydrates. They are also low in sugar, which ranks them low on the glycemic index. This not only makes them a good source of valuable energy, but helps keep blood sugar levels at a reasonable level.
Beans and Heart Health
According to a research study at Michigan State University, those individuals who consumed beans a minimum of 4 times per week were found to have a 22 percent lower risk of heart disease, in comparison to those who consumed beans less than one time per week. This is indicative of the drastic effect that the bean may have on heart health. The reason for this includes the fact that beans are free of artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat, making them an ideal protein source.
Beans and Allergies
Another benefit of a bean based diet is the fact that beans are free from gluten, which many people are allergic to. Gluten is a type of natural vegetable protein that occurs in barley, wheat and rye. Individuals seeking an alternative vegetable protein source that is gluten free could turn to beans as their primary source of fiber. Furthermore, because the bean is so versatile, you can find it in bean flours or dehydrated forms that can be substituted in recipes that call for grain products.
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