Regular consumption of beans significantly improves overall diet quality and can prevent nutrient deficiencies that have negative health effects. Beans may also help protect against chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
A new study involving experts from the University of Minnesota examined the effects of increased bean consumption on the quality of the diet of people with a typical American eating pattern. The results can be read in the journal “Maturitas”.
How beans affect nutrition
The team used data from a total of 44,574 participants in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to analyze how eating one or two servings of beans (kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas and pinto beans) per day would affect diet quality.
According to the researchers, eating just one additional serving of beans per day was associated with increased intake of nutrients (magnesium, iron, folate, fiber and potassium) that may be lacking in the diet and play an important role in public health.
Nutritional quality benefits
Adding one to two servings of beans (canned or dried) to the daily diet was associated with a significant improvement in overall diet quality in all age groups studied, the team reports. Accordingly, promoting bean consumption should be a goal of dietary recommendations.
Beans contain important nutrients
Nutritionist Savita Chaurasia from Bellarmine University confirms in a specialist article that green beans in particular are a good choice for people who want to eat healthily.
Regular consumption of beans provides the body with important nutrients such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenols and flavonoids, which are known to act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in the human metabolism.
Phytonutrients such as carotenoids, phenols and flavonoids have been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and Alzheimer's, reports Chaurasia. Overall, beans should therefore be part of any healthy diet. (as)