Health Benefits Of Navy Beans

The navy bean is a type of kidney bean also known as the Boston bean or Yankee bean. It got its name after serving as an important source of nutrition to the Navy during the second half of the 19th century. As a nutrient-dense food, the navy bean is considered both a vegetable and a protein food, making it a healthy addition to your diet.

Healthy Meat Alternative

The navy bean is a good source of protein, zinc and iron, nutrients commonly found in meat, fish and poultry, making it a healthy meat alternative. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked navy beans contains 7 g of protein, 0.94 mg of zinc and 2.1 mg of iron. In addition to being a good source of these nutrients, navy beans are also very low in fat and saturated fat, making them a heart-healthy meat alternative. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked navy beans contains 0.5 g of total fat and 0.1 g of saturated fat.

High in Fiber

A 1/2-cup serving of cooked navy beans contains 9.6 g of fiber, meeting 38 percent of your daily value for fiber. The fiber in the navy beans offers a number of health benefits. Fiber in food adds bulk to stool, improving bowel movements and alleviating constipation. Fiber can also help lower blood cholesterol levels, improving heart-health. Fiber also takes your body longer to digest, helping to control hunger and aiding in weight management. In addition, people with higher intakes of fiber have lower rates of diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com.

Low Glycemic Index

The glycemic index ranks how food effects blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, less than or equal to 55, only cause a small rise in blood sugar, while foods with a high glycemic index, greater than 70, cause a more rapid rise in blood sugar. The glycemic index is most commonly used by people with diabetes to aid in blood sugar control. But including more low glycemic index foods in your diet may lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and also aid in weight control, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Navy beans have a low glycemic ranking of 31.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Not only are navy beans a good source of iron and zinc, but they can also help you meet your magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, folate and calcium needs. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked navy beans contains 48 mg of magnesium, 131 mg of phosphorus, 354 mg of potassium, 127 mcg of folate and 63 mg of calcium. Magnesium and potassium both help control blood pressure, phosphorus and calcium are important for bone health, and folate is needed to make new blood cells.