Yard long beans or snake beans are chewy, flavorful and close to black-eyed peas. It is kind of legumes and belongs to Fabaceae family. For many years, it is one of the most popular edible, tender, immature green in Philippines, and other East. In addition, the beans can also grow in the gardens of home in Southern United states, West-Indies and in the Mediterranean regions with small scales.
These fleshy, pendulous beans are often being used or eaten while they are immature or in green. It also means that they will be harvested in young, immature-beans, or probably left until dry to get dried beans. Furthermore, the beans have different ranges of length about 30 to 80 cm with different important nutrients such as:
- Energy – 47 Kcal
- Carbohydrates – 8.35 g
- Protein – 2.8 g
- Total Fat – 0.40 g
- Folate – 62 µg
- Niacin – 0.410 mg
- Pantothenic acid – 0.055 mg
- Pyridoxine – 0.024 mg
- Riboflavin – 0.110 mg
- Thiamin – 0.107 mg
- Vitamin A – 865 IU
- Vitamin C – 18.8 mg
- Sodium – 4 mg
- Potassium – 240 mg
- Calcium – 50 mg
- Copper – 0.048 µg
- Iron – 0.47 mg
- Magnesium – 44 mg
- Manganese – 0.205 mg
- Phosphorus – 59 mg
- Selenium – 1.5 µg
- Zinc – 0.37 mg
The nutrients contained in that beans bring some of health benefits of snake beans and here are the details:
- Supports in weight loss
In 100 gram of snake beans only contain 47 calories and it makes them as one of very low-calories vegetables. It also followed by less of fat that only contain 0.40 total fats. Therefore, snake beans are effective enough to lose weight or controls weight.
- Improves digestive system
Snake beans contain soluble and insoluble fibers. Fiber, has the benefit in improves digestive system or it is a great compound to the function of digestive system. Furthermore, fiber absorbs slowly in the body that makes you feel full where also can reduce the appetite.
- Reduce the risk of cancer
Dietary fiber also brings the benefit to protect the colon mucosa. It will reduce its exposure time to toxic substances that probably can lead to the risk of cancer in the colon. Furthermore, you can also get the health benefit of snake beans in prevents cancer in almost all of fruits and vegetables.
- Controls cholesterol
Other benefit of fiber is to reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in the body as well as protect HDL-cholesterol. Reabsorption of cholesterol binding bile acids in the colon will be under control that also can promote the health of heart.
- Helps to prevent defects in newborns
Snake beans are high in folates with 62 µg folates or 15% of daily requirement of folates. Folate mix with vitamin B-12 is known as DNA synthesis and cell division essential components. Moreover, consume folate adequately during pregnancy can prevent neural-tube defects for newborns or you can read in health benefits of folic acids.
- Increases blood vessel elasticity
Fresh snake beans are source of vitamin C or there are 18.8 mg of vitamin C in 100 g snake beans. It is as same as 31% of vitamin C. In addition, vitamin-C is a water-soluble antioxidant, and when you are in diet of vitamin C, it helps to boos immunity that will prevent infections, supports in maintains blood vessel elasticity as well as prevents cancers or you can read in vitamin c 1000 mg benefits.
- Improves vision
To keep eyes healthy, consume fruits and vegetables including snake beans is important. Vitamin A in snake beans is known to improve the vision as well as treats several conditions in eyes. Moreover, the other benefits of vitamin A you can read in vitamin a benefits.
- Supports the health of the skin
With high of vitamin A that is about 865 IU per 100 g snake beans, it is more than lima beans, fava, green beans, etc that belongs to legume family. Furthermore, vitamin A is one of beneficial vitamins for the health of the skin.
- Source of antioxidants
Minerals such as iron, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium can be found in snake beans. One of antioxidants named Manganese acts as a cofactor, where it is important antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase that other antioxidant source you can read in benefits of green tea.
Health benefits of snake beans are almost as same as other benefits of green fruits and vegetables and you can read in health benefits of green fruits and vegetables. However, make sure that it balances with other important nutrients such as protein in meats.