Bean are edible seed or seedpod of certain leguminous plants of the family Fabaceae.
Physical description
Most varieties of bean grow either as an erect bush or as a climbing plant, but a few important kinds are of intermediate form.
Dwarf and semiclimbers are grown extensively. When the climbing type is grown for its immature seedpods, artificial supports are necessary to facilitate harvesting. Varieties differ greatly in size, shape, colour, and fibrousness or tenderness of the immature pods.
In general, varieties grown for dry mature seeds produce pods that are too fibrous to be eaten at any state of development. Most edible-podded beans produce relatively low yields of mature seeds or have seeds that are of low eating quality.
Seed colours range from white through green, yellow, tan, pink, red, brown, and purple to black in solid colours and countless contrasting patterns. Seed shapes range from nearly spherical to flattened, elongated, and kidney-shaped. Pods are of various shades of green, yellow, red, and purple and splashed with red or purple; pod shapes range from flat to round, smooth to irregular, and straight to sharply curved; length ranges from 75 to 200 mm (3 to 8 inches) or more.
As with other legumes, beans have a symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and can be rotated with nitrogen-intensive crops such as cereals to improve soil conditions
Dry Beans Provide Complex Carbohydrates
- Complex carbohydrates, also referred to as dietary starch, are made of sugar molecules strung together like a necklace. Complex carbohydrates are typically rich in fiber.
- The majority of the calories in dry beans come from carbohydrates in the form of starch, resistant starch (digested by beneficial bacteria in the gut), and small amounts of non-starch polysaccharides (also digested by beneficial gut bacteria).
- Being rich in complex carbohydrates, as well as a good source of protein, beans have a low glycemic index. This makes them an ideal food for the management of insulin resistance, diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
- Beans contain some complex sugars called oligosaccharides (all-uh-go-SACK-are-rides), which are non-digestible, fermentable fibers. They are broken down by beneficial bacteria in the colon, which may result in gas production and flatulence. There is increasing research and attention about the health of the gut or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and how certain foods benefit or harm the gut . Beans may be a very important food for a healthy gut!
Dry Beans Provide Beneficial Dietary Fiber
- Dry beans are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers.
- Soluble fiber traps dietary cholesterol inside the digestive tract. The cholesterol is then excreted versus being absorbed, which helps to lower blood levels of LDL cholesterol, especially if LDL cholesterol levels were high to begin with.
- Dry beans also provide substantial amounts of insoluble fiber, which help attract water to the stool and keeps you regular. This may help to combat constipation, colon cancer, and other digestive health conditions
Dry Beans Are A Source of Plant-based Protein
- Dry beans are a good source of plant-based protein
- Beans contain between 21 to 25% protein by weight, which is much higher than other sources of vegetable protein.
- Regular intake of dried beans is extremely important worldwide as they provide a good source of protein at a low cost compared to animal protein sources like beef, pork, and chicken.
Dry Beans Contain Essential Vitamins and Minerals
- Most types of beans are good sources of potassium, a mineral that promotes healthy blood pressure levels.
- Beans are excellent sources of copper, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium—nutrients that many Americans don’t get enough of.
- Most types of dry beans are rich sources of iron, which makes them important for vegetarians and vegans who do not get an animal source of iron.
- Dry beans are an excellent source of the water-soluble vitamins thiamin and folic acid and a good source of riboflavin and vitamin B6.