Superfood: Beans

Some foods deserve the title of superfood because they help keep you healthy. Beans deserve the title because they could help you live longer.

Beans come in a number of varieties. The most popular include garbanzo, navy, red, white and black beans.

Dan Buettner, an author who has spent years researching Blue Zones, which are areas of the world where people routinely live past 100 years old.

Buettner said, "In every Blue Zone I have visited, beans and other legumes were—and still are—a major component of the daily diet."

Beans are considered a legume plant.

Indeed, research has shown that every 20-gram increase in dietary intake of legumes per day reduces risk of mortality by 8%!¹ This finding led the researchers to call beans "the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities."

Every variety of bean has its own unique nutrient profile, so eating a variety is best. They are a good source of protein and fiber, while being a low glycemic-index carbohydrate.

Black beans, for example, provide 14.5 grams of protein and 16.6 grams of fiber in one cup.²

Because beans are high in fiber, they can help stabilize blood sugar levels.

In an animal study consuming a variety of beans for 3 weeks was shown to improve gut health by boosting beneficial bacteria and promoting intestinal barrier function.³

In a study that followed 9,632 people for an average of 19 years, results showed that consuming legumes four times per week was associated with a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease and an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.⁴

Another study showed that consuming just ½ cup of beans per day was associated with a 38% lower risk of heart attack.⁵

In a randomized controlled trial of patients with metabolic syndrome, participants were randomized to receive meals with black beans, fiber, or antioxidants. Blood samples were taken before and 5 hours after a meal. Insulin was lowered after a black bean meal as compared to meals with fiber or antioxidants.⁶

In a review of clinical trials, type II diabetics who consumed legumes on a regular basis showed reductions in fasting blood glucose, A1c, fasting blood insulin, and two-hour post-prandial blood glucose.⁷

Beans and legumes—whether dry or canned—provide a low-cost way to include more superfoods in your diet. These versatile foods can be added to casseroles, tossed into salads, made into a soup, added to tacos, or served as traditional beans and rice.

References

1. Darmadi-Blackberry I, Wahlqvist ML, Kouris-Blazos A, et al. Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(2):217-20.
2. Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175238/nutrients. February 27, 2024.
3. Monk JM, Lepp D, Wu W, et al. Navy and black bean supplementation primes the colonic mucosal microenvironment to improve gut health. J Nutr Biochem. 2017 Nov;49:89-100.
4. Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, et al. Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women: NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Arch Intern Med. 2001 Nov 26;161(21):2573-8.
5. Kabagambe EK, Baylin A, Ruiz-Narvarez E, et al. Decreased consumption of dried mature beans is positively associated with urbanization and nonfatal acute myocardial infarction. J Nutr. 2005 Jul;135(7):1770-5.
6. Reverri EJ, Randolph JM, Steinberg FM, et al. Black Beans, Fiber, and Antioxidant Capacity Pilot Study: Examination of Whole Foods vs. Functional Components on Postprandial Metabolic, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome. Nutrients. 2015 Jul 27;7(8):6139-54.
7. Bielefeld D, Grafenauer S, Rangan A. The Effects of Legume Consumption on Markers of Glycaemic Control in Individuals with and without Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Literature Review of Randomised Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 17;12(7).