Health Benefits of Kidney Beans

Health Benefits

Because of their high nutritional value, nutritionists frequently recommend beans as part of a healthy diet. Kidney beans, like other beans, can be classified as both a protein source and a vegetable.

A half-cup of beans per day can help improve overall health. People who eat beans on a daily basis consume less fat and saturated fat while consuming more fibre, protein, folate, iron, and other important minerals, according to one study.

Improve Heart Health

When eaten as a replacement for meat or other high-cholesterol protein sources, beans may have a positive impact on health. Lowering your cholesterol levels is one way to reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your heart health. Kidney beans are one of the healthiest types of beans to use as a protein source, with slightly less fat and saturated fat than other bean varieties but comparable fibre and protein levels.

Prevent Colon Cancer

According to research, people who regularly consume common beans, such as kidney beans, are less likely to develop colon cancer. The nondigestible fibre in common beans regulates cell growth in the colon, which may help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. More research is needed to determine exactly how this mechanism works.

Control Blood Sugar

Beans have a low glycemic index, so they do not cause blood sugar spikes when consumed. They can also help to mitigate the effects of foods that cause blood sugar spikes. Kidney beans or other common beans, for example, can be eaten with rice to slow the rate at which the rice digests.

Weight Management 

Many people struggle with dieting, particularly when attempting to follow a low-carbohydrate diet. A fibre-rich diet may provide an alternative way to lose weight. Because fibre is filling, it can help people feel fuller for longer periods of time, preventing overeating. Eating beans as part of a high-fibre diet may help people who are trying to lose weight, according to research.

Things to Watch Out For

A naturally occurring protein in beans can cause gastrointestinal distress such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Kidney beans have the highest concentration of this toxin, known as phytohaemagglutinin, of any common bean (PHA). Toxins are destroyed by cooking, so make sure to thoroughly cook kidney beans.

Canned beans are fully cooked during the canning process, making them perfectly safe to consume. However, using a slow cooker to cook fresh or dried beans may not sufficiently heat the beans to destroy the toxin.

Kidney beans, like most beans, can cause gas. When cooking dried beans, the hot soak method may be the best way to reduce the compounds in kidney beans that cause gas.