Red beans: benefits and harms to the body

Bean products are considered a valuable dietary food: they are rich in vegetable protein, while not as fatty as nuts. Therefore, they are used to maintain and saturate the body, even with weight loss and active sports. Red beans stand out against the background of their counterparts of great benefit to the cardiovascular, reproductive systems, as well as to maintain the health of nerves. Read on about the benefits and best recipes with red beans - everything you ever wanted to know.

Red Bean Composition

Crimson beans have a high content of iron and copper in their composition, which ensures blood health and overall strengthening of the body. Therefore, the product is often recommended to be introduced into the diet after prolonged colds, with anemia, blood loss, low weight and a number of other ailments.

Beans also contain:

1. Magnesium is an extremely important component for the health of the nervous system. Its use provides recovery from stress and emotional upheaval, stimulates clear thinking and memory, the speed of switching and other reactions, in addition, it is involved in metabolism.
2. Potassium is one of the main elements supporting healthy heart function, as well as stimulating renal activity. Helps remove excess fluid from the body.
3. Calcium, supporting bone health and normal blood pressure.
4. Phosphorus, necessary for the implementation of nervous processes, strengthens bones and teeth.
5. Iodine is an indispensable regulator of the thyroid gland, on which hormonal balance, well-being and metabolism depend.
6. Sulfur, contributing to the fight against intoxications and infections, providing a disinfecting and anti-inflammatory effect. She also eliminates dandruff, peeling and dermatitis, actively fighting fungal diseases.
7. Zinc provides a healthy metabolism, cleanses the skin and promotes the formation of male hormones.

Among the vitamins contained in beans:

1. Carotene, necessary for the healing process, recovery, as well as maintaining visual acuity.
2. B vitamins that support the immune system and the health of the nervous system, including folic acid, which is necessary to balance hormonal balance.
3. Vitamins E, K, C, eliminating toxins, ensuring the health of cells and blood.

In addition, beans contain an important compound for diabetics - arginine. This substance helps break down sugar and maintain its normal level in the blood, reducing the required dose of insulin.

Beans act as an antioxidant, helping to cleanse the body and bringing a supply of nutrients for renewal, so it gives a rejuvenating effect. Beans are recommended for use from an early age, and especially for adults, during pregnancy, during sports and colds to accelerate recovery processes.

Calorie content and nutritional value

Ripe beans are stored in dried or canned form. Its calorie content is up to 300 kcal per 100 grams, but the finished boiled bean brings only 90-120 kcal. This is a medium-calorie product that can replace heavier animal proteins and supplement the diet for allergies to cereals.

In terms of nutritional value, beans contain about 8 g of protein, 15 g of carbohydrates and only 0.5 g of fat. 7 g is dietary fiber, the rest is water. The product does not contain cholesterol and can completely replace meat and fish components in the diet, so beans are used:

• during fasting;
• with a vegetarian diet;
• on diets for cardiovascular diseases;
• on sports diets and for weight loss;
• in baby food and for people aged.

Eating beans helps to maintain a feeling of satiety for 6–8 hours, which is very useful for people with irregular working hours, on hikes, during intense physical exertion, and during periods of intensive growth for children.

It is enough to consume up to 800 g of beans per week, while adding it both to the hot first and second courses, and to cold snacks. Beans are best absorbed in the morning and afternoon, providing a nutritious breakfast and hearty lunch. Eating beans at night is undesirable: proteins are digested for about 6 hours, and this should happen during the period of vigor.

On the day you need to eat no more than 200 g of beans for women and 250-300 g for men. In old age, consumption should be reduced by 2-3 times and monitor whether the body copes with legumes.

Varieties of Red Beans

During the cultivation of vegetables all over the planet, more than 100 varieties of beans were bred, which differ in taste, nutritional value and the presence of certain elements in its composition. Red bean is generally stable in terms of the content of nutrients, so it is not necessary to search for specific varieties: each of them will be valuable to the body.

A variety of beans is more important for summer residents who seek to plant early-ripening and fruitful varieties.

1. Ordinary red beans have rather large fruits and ripen in 2 months. The crop volume is up to 2.5 kg per square.
2. A chocolate girl is a very tasty and tender large bean that spits 100 days and gives up to 3.5 kg of crop per 1 sq.m.
3. Little Red Riding Hood Beans is a two-tone type that produces about 3 kg of dense, well-stored beans. The fruits ripen for more than 3 months.
4. There is also a Mexican variety Pinto - a delicious yellow bean with streaks. It gives less crop, but has a more complete taste.

Varieties of red beans are dry, which must be peeled. From beans, pods of such beans are rude and cannot be eaten. But the grains themselves are always rich in protein and starch. Properly cooked beans are boiled in soft and tender mashed potatoes, which becomes a very light and tasty snack.

Usually red beans have denser membranes, so they need to be soaked well before cooking. But the red bean leaf is used for healing infusions, for the treatment of the heart and the genitourinary system. The outer peel of the fruit contains a high concentration of protective substances that provide the effect of disinfection and relieve inflammation.

Useful properties of red beans

General benefit

Rich in a full range of vitamins and minerals, beans can be considered a full-fledged main course in the diet, providing the body with all the necessary amino acids and useful compounds.

It completely replaces meat, fish and egg products in the diet of vegetarians, during fasting and diets. This helps to significantly relieve the body, because it takes less energy to digest beans. Beans are easily digested and contribute to the burning of excess fat. Among the valuable properties of red beans:

1. Comprehensive body cleansing, stimulation of the kidneys and the removal of excess fluid, getting rid of toxins.
2. Stimulation of the heart, strengthening muscle tissue and blood vessel walls, increasing skin elasticity and accelerating regeneration processes.
3. Antioxidant and anti-aging effect, normalization of metabolic processes, control of appetite and hormonal balance.
4. Strengthening the nervous system, normalizing the sleep cycle, getting rid of chronic fatigue and depression, increased anxiety and inhibition of the development of degenerative disorders.
5. Participation in hematopoiesis, an increase in the level of red blood cells.
6. The formation of a healthy immunity and increase the body's defenses.
7. The anti-inflammatory effect, especially in relation to the pelvic organs: excretory and reproductive systems, is the prevention of male diseases.
8. Lowering cholesterol and blood sugar, normalizing blood pressure.
9. Treatment of skin diseases, including fungal and bacterial nature, elimination of dandruff and otomycosis.
10. Maintaining the body in the treatment of infertility.

The main properties of beans are considered to saturate the blood, protect the cardiovascular apparatus, as well as the natural sedative effect. Therefore, it is indispensable in the diet in late autumn, with the onset of cold weather, and in the spring, after prolonged winter stress. It helps to strengthen the body and replenish the supply of useful substances, in addition, it saves from stressful overeating, saturating for the whole day and repulsing cravings for sweets.

For women

Women really appreciate the anti-aging properties of beans. It is able to cleanse the skin from rashes, normalize complexion, and eliminate signs of fatigue. In addition, cheer up, stabilize the emotional background, increase libido, relieve tension. This is especially true during critical days and after menopause.

Also, red beans stimulate fertility and increase the chances of pregnancy in people with problems in this area. Beans not only protects against inflammation and normalizes the production of hormones, but also prepares the woman’s body for bearing the fetus, supplying it with folic acid.

Bean fruits contribute to easy weight loss, increase the tone and endurance of the body, so they are useful when training in the gym and fitness classes. Beans quickly satisfy hunger and allow you not to think about snacks, thanks to this it becomes easier not only to lose weight, but also to get rid of bad habits.

For men

Strong sex beans help protect against heart disease, reduce the risk of heart attack or the development of atherosclerosis. It is also good for the prevention of impotence and prostate diseases. Zinc in the beans contributes to the production of healthy seminal fluid and a sufficient amount of testosterone. Calcium, iron and vitamins increase potency and sexual stamina.

Beans help athletes maintain a normal water balance in the body, easily sweat and replenish the salt composition. The components of the red bean product increase endurance during power loads and help to restore strength faster.

Beans in the diet will help teenagers go through a transition period and restructuring in the body more gently, relieve acne and increased excitability, and contribute to the formation of muscle mass.

For kids

Since ripe beans are a fairly dense product, and legumes sometimes cause allergic reactions, the child’s body should be accustomed to the new component gradually and it should be monitored for rashes and intestinal upsets.

Beans are introduced after 2 years. While the baby eats independently, it needs to be mashed and mashed and added to the main dishes in a spoon. Over time, the portion can be increased. Beans are not given simultaneously with animal proteins: meat, eggs - or bread products, cereals. You can give beans 2-3 times a week.

At preschool and school age, children are offered full-fledged servings of “meat substitute,” but no more than 3 times a week, alternating with other food products. If the child eagerly eats beans and asks for it more often, it is worth checking the baby for a deficiency of magnesium or iron and supplement the diet with greens: broccoli, spinach, nuts. With anemia, you can feed your baby a regular bean, for example 5 times a week, until the iron level rises. After you take a break.

There should not be a lot of beans in the children's diet: its components can irritate the stomach, and in children the mucous membrane is still very sensitive.In addition, in childhood, proteins and calcium from plant foods must be supplemented with dairy products and alternated with them.

When losing weight

The reason for losing a few pounds may be not only the desire for harmony, but also medical indications. For example, with diabetes or heart disease, overweight significantly overloads the body. Here beans come to the rescue, which can completely replace cholesterol-containing products: meat, eggs, oils.

Due to the content of dietary fiber, beans cleans the intestines, removes toxins, thereby improving the absorption of nutrients, normalizing metabolism and well-being. On a bean diet, at first you can feel discomfort while the body is cleansed and rebuilt. However, after 3-5 days you can feel lightness, increase endurance and performance, strengthen the nervous system and stabilize internal processes: regular stools, normal appetite, fast falling asleep, and a decrease in cravings for sweets, nicotine and alcohol.

Since bean protein can irritate the stomach, it is best to combine it with a lot of light fiber: cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, and apples in a diet. Also, fast digestion contributes to a plentiful warm drink.

You can not combine beans with aggressive acidic juices, so as not to provoke attacks of pancreatitis, gastritis and heartburn. Therefore, beans are not combined with grapefruit, pomegranate, cherry.

If in life there is a lot of activity, physical exertion or colds often happen, eating beans can be increased, but with low activity the product will not contribute to fat burning, it will only help to establish digestion and stay longer without snacks.

It is important to season beans with oil; on diets, delicious nut and grain types are better suited: sesame, hemp, linseed, and pumpkin.

Periodically, you need to take breaks, excluding legumes from the diet, to allow the body to break the habit of their action. However, beans can be entered into the regular menu. Thanks to this component, it’s much easier to get out of hard diets so that extra pounds do not return.

During pregnancy

Women expecting a baby need beans in their diets. She will maintain a normal level of hemoglobin, immunity and body strength, will contribute to the correct formation of the skeleton and internal organs of the baby. The constant use of beans before pregnancy in the first trimester will saturate the body with folic acid, which is important for the proper development of the child’s nervous system.

With beans in the diet, a woman will be less tired and feel calmer. But you can’t overeat this product. Excessive consumption can cause not only constipation and an undesirable diuretic effect, but also allergic reactions.

When breastfeeding

Rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron, red beans significantly improve the quality of milk, but you need to use it carefully, because the child may begin constipation, or the so-called colic. You can try to introduce it into your diet 1 month after delivery. During lactation, it is desirable to reduce the consumption of the product to 1-2 times a week and carefully monitor the baby's reaction.

Red bean in medicine

Cardiologists recommend including beans in their diet for heart disease, and endocrinologists offer this product for atherosclerosis and diabetes. Beans quite quickly normalize the composition of the blood, removes cholesterol and knocks down sugar, excluding sharp jumps in its level. Also, the product must be included in the diet for anemia and after serious illnesses to restore the body.

With pancreatitis

You should not get involved in the product with pancreatitis. Some complex bean proteins are able to provoke an exacerbation of the disease, therefore, before introducing it into the diet, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Since such a disease is often found in people in old age, doctors recommend that they give up the frequent use of legumes. Nevertheless, the infusion of bean peels can positively affect the body.

With diabetes

Beans are rich in valuable arginine compounds, which act similarly to insulin. When eating red beans, the sugar level is reduced by almost half, and you can reduce the dose of insulin.

Among other things, beans control appetite and hunger, contributes to weight loss, which will be important for people suffering from obesity due to diabetes. Vitamins A, E and other substances contribute to improving vision and healing the skin, which often suffer with advanced forms of the disease.

Beans are prepared not only as a main dish, but also as a dessert, which will help diabetics replace harmful foods without denying themselves a treat.

Important: glycemic index of red beans - 35 units. The largest GI of canned beans is 74 units.

With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

If there is damage to the gastrointestinal tract, doctors usually prohibit the use of beans. The components of the product can provoke an exacerbation of chronic ailments and bring down the acid-base balance, therefore, before introducing beans into the diet, it is necessary to consult a doctor in each individual case.

With urolithiasis

Despite the fact that beans give a diuretic effect and helps to remove excess water from the body, as well as relieve inflammatory processes, it is not worth using it without discussion with a doctor. Conditions such as gout, nephritis, cystitis, do not tolerate high levels of uric acid, and beans contain compounds that stimulate its formation.

Recipes of traditional medicine based on red beans

Traditional medicine offers many recipes based on the beneficial properties of red beans. The therapeutic effect is possessed by both dried bean leaves and brewed flowers, fruits. They save with gastritis and pancreatitis, edema and bronchitis, arthritis and diabetes, kidney stones and the bladder.

1. Pancreatitis In the chronic course, it is recommended to take the juice of green beans in the stage of milk ripeness. Half a glass of juice is added half a tablespoon of honey and 3 times taken during the day.
2. Diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, steamed red bean leaves containing glucokinin are used. 3 tablespoons of milled dried leaves are steamed in a thermos with 2 cups boiling water for 6 hours. Take half an hour before eating a tablespoon.
3. Urolithiasis disease. A decoction of red bean flowers is used to remove stones from the gallbladder and kidneys. 20 g of flowers are brewed in a glass of boiling water for 10 minutes and taken half a glass up to 4 times a day.
4. Wound healing. Powdered in red bean flour has healing properties. It is combined with water in a ratio of 1: 1 and a little honey is added. The resulting cake is applied to places of burns, suppuration, foci of eczema. Such a compress has an antibacterial effect and an inflammation-drying effect.

The use of red beans in cosmetology

Bean pods are used to make infusions that strengthen the structure of hair and nails, as well as increase skin elasticity.Rinsing the hair with this conditioner and using a facial tonic protects the epidermis from the negative effects of the environment, helps to eliminate traces of acne, relieve irritation, and masks from the bean gruel nourish the skin and curls, relieve peeling and dandruff, relieve inflammatory reactions and promote moisture retention .

Beans are a kind of “rejuvenating apple” that protects against wrinkles, sagging and tired skin. It improves complexion and makes skin fresh, accelerating cell regeneration. The product is more suitable for dry and normal skin, as well as age-related changes on the face.

What can be cooked from red beans

Red beans are a unique raw material from which you can cook cold and hot dishes, side dishes, dressings for first courses, fillings for pies and even desserts. On our tables, most often you can find dishes of Caucasian cuisine based on beans. They are quite satisfying and at the same time light. For example, you can cook beans with cilantro and garlic in vinegar-oil sauce - this will be a great snack for summer low-calorie salads, and when traveling to barbecue it will replace meat vegans.

Red Beans For Diet

1. To get a light snack from vegetables, you can stew boiled beans with celery and broccoli, adding spices: leek, coriander, cilantro, garlic. You can spice up a dish with a crushed nut: walnut or cedar. Such a side dish is good both in hot and in cold form.
2. There is a great recipe for spicy beans. For this, the boiled product is stewed with bell pepper, onion, hot peppercorns and tomato paste. Serve such a dish with rye or white bran cakes.
3. To have a satisfying breakfast, the beans are stewed with corn and carrots. You can add garlic and soy sauce. On diets, such a dish is served with lean rice, and in a normal diet porridge can be stewed in oil along with vegetables.

Hearty Bean Snacks

There is a very interesting recipe for a fish dish with red beans. Ready beans are pickled with onions (you can choose a red variety) and add salted herring slices. The dish can be sprinkled with your favorite herbs.

Some like red beans with mushrooms. To do this, oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms are fried in oil, put beans in a pan, add onion at the end so that it does not have time to podzolotatsya, and rosemary. Before serving, you can add a little lemon juice.

Bean first courses

It is red beans that are usually replaced or supplemented with the meat component in lean hodgepodge or soups with smoked meats. You can also cook bean soup. To do this, add chicken (not necessary) to the bean broth, some potatoes, frying onions, sweet pepper and parsnip. The soup is light and satisfying.

To prepare a delicious cream soup, boiled beans are mixed with basil, garlic, carrots and butter. Another option is with spinach and tomatoes.

Fresh salads with boiled red beans

The product perfectly complements green salads. For example, it can be added instead of mushrooms or olives in the "Greek" preparation. Tasty salad with beans, Beijing cabbage, lettuce and apple.

There is still an option:

• Tomatoes
• Red onion.
• Dark boiled beans.
• Spinach and other greens.

In "heavy" appetizers, beans are placed in a "Chinese" salad of pickled carrots, eggs, chicken and onions, which are seasoned with mayonnaise.

Mashed beans with garlic and spices can be crushed in breadcrumbs and fry vegetable cutlets that replace meat. They are eaten with side dishes and in appetizers with pita bread and fresh vegetables.

To prepare a dessert with beans, it is stewed in a pot in cream with the addition of sugar and cloves. The dish may contain raisins, dried apricots, prunes and nuts.There is also an exotic recipe with oranges. To do this, the beans are stewed in syrup with citrus juice and pulp.

Vegetable stew with beans or pickled beans can be closed for the winter: home-made preserves retain more useful components than factory preservation. You can also prepare semi-finished products - salted beans, which in winter can be added to any dishes. Do this most often when you have your own fresh beans from the beds so as not to dry them.

Selection and storage of red beans

Red beans in the kitchen are usually bought dry. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the condition of the beans:

• they should not be wrinkled and dry;
• damage and breaks are excluded;
• grains should be the same size, without plaque or evaporated;
• dry beans have no smell.

Different varieties can be stored in a common container at room temperature. It is advisable to choose glass or ceramic dishes - jars with lids. You can keep beans in bags, provided that there is no excess moisture in the room.

Harm and contraindications

Some varieties of legumes can cause allergies (in cases with individual intolerance). Therefore, if you notice discomfort in the intestines, heartburn, itching, general malaise, you need to abandon the product. Sometimes excessive gas formation occurs in the body due to toxins. Moderate use usually does not cause any discomfort.

In some cases, beans can cause constipation or indigestion. Then you can try softer varieties or the green option in the pods. Overeating beans can lead to a violation of the absorption of some nutrients and irritation of the mucous membranes, a feeling of heaviness. Proteins are not stored in the body, so consuming them more than the norm is not recommended.

Avoid the product for kidney and gastrointestinal diseases in both acute and chronic stages, as well as for those who are prone to salt deposits in the joints. Caution and normalized should eat beans for the elderly, children and pregnant women.

Interesting Bean Facts

1. Beans have been found on all continents of the world; she was loved by Indians, Chinese, Indians, and also the northern peoples of Africa. Even then, various varieties of legumes were common, some of which were distinguished by a high sugar content and were used as dessert.
2. Beans are used not only as an independent product, but also as a moisture-retaining agent and weighting agent when baking pies. Filling with legumes allows you to form a cake of the desired shape.
3. Raw fruits contain the toxic substance phenazine, which is a toxin for the human body. This component disintegrates during prolonged heat treatment. That is why beans must be cooked for at least 45 minutes, and it is better to pre-soak them. This will not only speed up the preparation of beans, but also remove excess starch into the water, making the kernels softer.

Beans are found in almost all cuisines of the world and remain a favorite vegetable on many tables. If you like to enjoy a hearty snack with red beans, do it boldly, knowing what benefits the nutritious fruits have.

Photo of red bean