String beans are sometimes referred to as green beans or snap beans. They get their name from a tough, stringy, inedible fiber that runs along the length of the bean; it is removed by snapping the end of the bean and pulling it off. String beans can provide the body with several different important nutrients for good health.
Fiber
A single one cup serving of raw string beans cut into half-inch pieces contains 2.7 g of dietary fiber. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a healthy diet should contain at least 20 g of dietary fiber per day -- preferably even more. Your body needs this fiber to maintain the health of your digestive system. It helps ensure that your food is digested thoroughly and helps reduce your risk of health conditions like constipation and diverticulitis.
Vitamin C
There are 12.2 mg of vitamin C in each one cup serving of string beans. Your body uses vitamin C to create collagen, which is a major component of scar tissue, skin and ligaments, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health. It also helps to fight damage from free radicals, strengthens the immune system and allows the body to use iron properly. Adult men need 90 mg of vitamin C per day, and adult women need 75 mg per day.
Calcium
Each serving of string beans contains 37 mg of calcium. Of course, your body uses calcium to build strong, healthy bones and teeth, but it also contributes to proper function of the muscular system, nervous system and organs. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, adults need 1,000 mg of calcium per day until age 50, after which they need 1,200 mg per day.
Vitamin A
There are also 690 IU of vitamin A in a single cup of string beans. An adult man requires about 3,000 IU of vitamin A per day, and an adult woman requires about 2,310 IU of vitamin A per day. You need vitamin A for functions such as helping maintain the health of your eyes and building the mucous linings that prevent bacteria from entering your body through your eyes, mouth and nose.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Beans, Snap, Green, Raw - 1 Cup 1/2" Pieces
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- Office of Dietary Supplements; Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin C
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Calcium; Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD; March 2009
- Office of Dietary Supplements; Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A
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