World's Healthiest Foods: Northern Beans Nutrition

Northern beans, often called Great Northern Beans, resemble a cream-colored lima bean, but the taste is far different. You can use this flavorful bean as an alternative to cannellini beans or navy beans. This is one of the world's healthiest foods, containing little fat, high amounts of fiber and large quantities of vitamins and minerals.

Basic Nutrition

A 1-cup serving of Northern beans contains 209 calories, or 10.4 percent of the calories you should consume if you follow a 2,000 calorie diet. These beans are quite low in fat, with only 0.8 g per serving. You get a quality energy boost when you include this food in your diet due to the carbohydrate and protein content --- each serving provides 14.7 g of protein and 37.3 g of carbohydrates.

Fiber

Northern beans are a good source of fiber. Each serving has 12.4 g, a considerable portion of the 25 to 38 g of fiber your meal plan requires daily. The fiber in these beans plays a pivotal role in digestive health, helping to decrease your risk of developing diverticulitis, constipation and diarrhea. Additionally, it may help you lose weight. A study published in the August 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" correlates a diet high in fiber, such as the type found in beans, with a decrease in waist circumference. The study observed more than 100 obese subjects over a period of 18 months.

Folate

Eating Northern beans is a particularly good choice if you are pregnant or thinking about conceiving a child: Each serving contains 45 percent of the daily recommended intake of folate, an essential vitamin recommended by obstetricians and pediatricians to help ward off birth defects and prevent deformities that occur in utero. It may also help you avoid some forms of anemia.

Manganese

One serving of Northern beans contains 46 percent of the manganese you require each day. The manganese in these beans is critical for the production of connective tissues and certain types of hormones. It also helps your body absorb calcium and keep your brain functioning at optimal levels. You do not need much manganese in your diet, but not taking in enough can put your body at risk. Northern beans can help prevent a deficiency from occurring.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

Northern beans contain 29 percent of the phosphorus you should consume daily as well as 22 percent of the magnesium and copper, 21 percent of the iron, 20 percent of the potassium and 19 percent of the thiamin. Calcium also comes into play, with 12 percent of the recommended daily intake per serving of beans. You also take in ten percent or less of the vitamin B-6, zinc, selenium, riboflavin and niacin you should eat.