The name of black beans is referred to the color of the shell-like which is shiny and dark. Black beans normally found in daily menu, mostly black beans are combined with rice but they are also found in various dishes like soup, pasta and salad. Originally black beans have been found since thousand years ago as part of Latin America’s cuisine and the popularity of this type of bean was started to spread worldwide around 1,500s through European explorers.
Black beans are considered to be affordable source of certain nutrients. In other words, if you are looking for affordable solution to fulfill the basic nutrients for your family’s daily menu perhaps black beans is what you have been looking for. Black beans could be found in several forms according to your need like dried and canned black beans.
Serving Suggestion
As serving suggestion it is always recommended to purchase the dried one, if possible, because processed black beans in the form of canned beans must have been through several processes that could reduce the nutrients contained in the beans and furthermore the additional substances that could be dangerous for your health.
However, when it comes to the cooking process, canned black beans is required lesser time than the dried beans. Well, it doesn’t matter, as long as you rinse the canned black beans to reduce the sodium level. Furthermore, when it comes to taste and texture, dried beans is better than the canned beans.
However, before you start putting black beans into your daily menu perhaps learning about nutrients and benefits of black beans is necessary. It is important, so you know exactly what kind or what type of food you serve to your family. Below is the explanation of the nutrient breakdown of black beans as well as the health benefits of black beans that you should know:
Nutrients Breakdown of Black Beans
| Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals to 172 gram per serving | |
| General Nutrients | Value (% of RDA) |
| Calories | 227 Kcal (11%) |
| Protein | 15 gram (30%) |
| Total Fat | 1 gram (1 %) |
| Saturated Fat | 0.2 gram (1%) |
| Omega 3 | 181 mg |
| Omega 6 | 217 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 41 gram (14 %) |
| Dietary Fiber | 15 gram (60%) |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A | 10.3 IU (5%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg (6%) |
| Thiamin | 0.4 mg (28%) |
| Riboflavin | 0.1 mcg (6%) |
| Niacin | 0.9 mg (4%) |
| Folate | 256 mcg (64%) |
| Pantothenic Acid | 0.4 mg (4%) |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium | 46 mg (5%) |
| Iron | 4 mg (20%) |
| Magnesium | 120 mg (30%) |
| Phosphorous | 241 mg (24%) |
| Potassium | 611 mg (17%) |
| Zinc | 1.9 mg (13%) |
| Copper | 0.4 mg (18%) |
| Manganese | 0.8 mg (38%) |
| Selenium | 2.1 mcg (3%) |
Health Benefits of Black Beans from its nutritions could be your best daily consumtions for your family. Some researches also prve that this beans very useful for human health.
- Healthy Bones
Black beans is so rich of minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorous, manganese and copper. Those substances are essential for bones. They contribute in maintaining and building a strong bone structure.
Phosphorous and calcium have prominent role in building the structure while the strength of bone is maintained by zinc and iron. Bones and joints are important organ in human body.
When you are still young, you may not realize that your diet has big contribution in maintaining your healthy bones but when you start entering senior ages some conditions like joint pain will start to appear. So, considering yourself lucky, so you could start from now consuming black beans may be a very good investment for your bones in senior ages.
- Lowering Blood Pressure
As rich in potassium and low in sodium of course black beans are good for those who have blood pressure problem. Sodium is one of the substances that could cause the raise of blood pressure level while potassium has function as natural enemy of sodium.
Potassium will bind sodium in your body and remove it away from your body system so it will assist in controlling your blood pressure. However, if you are consuming canned black beans, you should make sure to separated the black beans and rinse it cleanly to reduce the sodium content contained in canned black beans.
- Controlling Diabetes
Fiber contained in black beans is essential for those who are currently suffering Diabetes type 1 and type 2. In type one, fiber contained in black beans will assist in lowering the blood sugar level while in type 2 will assist in increasing the insulin and improve the insulin tolerance.
Besides that your current digestive system also has important role in affecting the blood sugar level, unhealthy or unsteady digestive system could cause the unstable blood sugar level and the same fiber substance is also prominent in flowing your digestive system in steady rate, so all nutrients will be absorbed optimally and reduce the chance of any nutrient uptake.
Furthermore, healthy digestive will improve the liver function as well and if liver is functioning optimally removing excess sugar in your blood could be done in ease. One more thing why black beans are good for diabetes patient is the healthy or simple carbohydrate contained is safe for your blood sugar level.
- Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
There are some substances contained in black beans which are beneficial for your heart health. The first is of course minerals. All type of minerals contained in black beans are good for your heart like potassium, magnesium, and iron.
Potassium has important role in reducing the sodium level in your blood that will affect the cholesterol level in your body while magnesium and iron is good for the production of red blood cells and make the work of your heart a bit easier.
Furthermore, black beans are also containing soluble fiber which will has big contribution in binding necessary substances in your colon and flushing them away along with the waste. The gel like form of soluble fiber will bind cholesterol so the accumulation of plaque that could plug up the artery could be reduced or removed completely.
- Cancer Prevention
Flavonoid and phytochemical compounds found in black beans are powerful in preventing the development of cancerous cells in your body. Those two substances will act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant which are the reasons why cancerous cells cannot grow in your body.
The main cause of the development of cancerous cells is varies but one thing to note, no matter what the causes are, the first thing to prevent is the accumulation of damaged cells which will affect the healthy cells which will stimulate the rapid growth of cancerous cells.
Antioxidant has important role in removing or repairing the damaged cells before they could infect the healthy cells and help preventing the mutation of gene.
- Good for Digestive System
Black beans considered as one of the healthiest food in the world because of the high fiber which is contained in this variety of beans. Though fiber is one of the substances mostly found in food products that cannot be broken down but fiber has a lot of function in human body and one of them is very good for digestion.
Together with protein, fiber could assist in optimizing the function of digestive system, in the process they will make sure all nutrients were optimally absorbed while the waste will completely flushed away from the digestive tract. So, common stomach issue like constipation could be dealt with effectively just by consuming black beans.
- Good for Weight Loss
What kind of food which is good for you who are currently in weight loss program? Well, your diet will require foods rich of fiber, healthy carbohydrate, relatively high in protein and low in fats. Fortunately, black beans are rich of fiber, containing relatively high of plant based protein, simple carbohydrate and of course very love in fats.
Fiber has prominent role in optimizing the digestive system to make sure all nutrients are absorbed optimally and make you feel full longer because the moving of beans in your digestive tract is as slow as meat so you could reduce the food craving, the healthy or simple carbohydrate will provide you the energy you need without endangering your shape, plant based protein is essential for your metabolism because if you are in weight loss program you are no longer able to depend on protein obtained from meat, and as low in fats of course black beans is good for you.
- Enhance Fertility
One specialty that black beans have is it is containing a rare mineral which recent studies have found to be effective in reducing impotence and erectile dysfunction problem. The rare mineral is called molybdenum. Why it is called as rare? It is because it is really rarely found in foods so it makes black beans special.
Molybdenum has been proven to be linked with the increasing of energy during sexual activity. One more function of this rare mineral is it could help in detoxifying some acidic compounds found in daily foods that could cause some disorientation in some people.
- Good for Pregnancy
There are some substances that contained in black beans which are good for pregnant woman. The first is folate. Folate when entering your body it will be turned in to folic acid which is beneficial for the development of fetus’ brain as well as the spinal cord. So, it is essential substance that could prevent a baby born with birth defect. The second is minerals.
Black beans are rich of minerals, especially iron which has big contribution in producing red blood cells. During pregnancy, enough amounts of red blood cells is essential because they are required to build muscle, bones and nerve system of the fetal and iron is also essential to keep the mother in healthy condition during and after pregnancy. Without which, a mother could suffer iron deficiency which has fatal effect for both the fetal and the mother.
- Good for Nervous System
Folate system contained in black beans is not only good for pregnant woman but also good to maintain the health of your nervous system. The amino acid contained in black beans though already combined with molybdenum will not function optimally without folic acid.
Amino acid is the essential substance required by your nervous system, which without which could increase the risk of Parkinson diseases and in worst condition could cause diseases like Alzheimer.
- Contained High Antioxidant
Antioxidant might be easy to be found in vegetables, fruits and beans but black beans have its own perk. Antioxidant contained in beans is already proven to be the highest among other varieties of beans.
As we already know, antioxidant is chemical compound that effective in fighting free radicals that could cause some serious diseases. Antioxidant will act as the anti free radical compound which will remove it from your body system before they could affect the healthy cells that could cause the mutation of gene and rapid growth of cancerous cells.
- Energy Booster
Healthy carbohydrate contained in black beans is a good source of energy. Well, for you who are currently in weight loss program or carbohydrate diet program may put yourself in an ease because carbohydrate contained in black beans is safe for you.
The simple carbohydrate found in black beans will provide you the energy you need for your daily activity while the fiber and protein contained in black beans will help in optimizing the absorption of carbohydrate by turning it into energy and will not affect your sugar level at all.
- Plant-based Protein Source
One of the dilemmas that regularly should face by vegetarians is the source of protein. It is true that protein is mostly found in meat product. However, plant-based protein is also able to replace animal protein and black beans contained high plant-based protein that will fulfill the need of your body of protein.
There are a lot of varieties of vegetables, beans and even fruit that contain plant-based protein but to fulfill your need, sometimes you should consume them in high amount. With black beans you don’t need to do that, one cup of black beans or equals to 172 grams black beans is able to fulfill 30% of protein required by your body.
- Fighting Anemia
Since black beans are so rich of minerals especially iron of course it is good to fight anemia. The result of iron deficiency in your body is you will easily get tired, fatigue and then anemia. Just by consuming black beans you could deal with those problem easily and effectively because black beans is rich of iron and some more type of minerals which are good for the production of red blood cells.
- Good Carbohydrate Source
Some people may prefer to avoid carbohydrate due to the glucose level contained in carbohydrate could cause some conditions like the increasing of blood sugar level and excess fats. Well, carbohydrate contained in black beans considered to be simple carbohydrate and combined by soluble fiber that will improve the function of digestive system will assist the process of carbohydrate to be absorbed optimally as energy instead of excess fat or excess glucose that could cause the raise the blood sugar level and body weight.
Side Effects of Consuming Black Beans
- Contained Toxin Called Phytohenagglutinin
It is true that black beans contained toxin called phytohenagglutinin. However, you don’t need to worry, if compared to red kidney beans the amount of this toxin found in black beans is relatively low and considered not dangerous. However, it is still recommended to consume cooked black beans instead of raw black beans because the cooking process could reduce the level of toxicity of this toxin.
- Black Beans Contained Phytic Acid
Phytic acid may not cause any direct harm for your body but the existence of this substance as part of black beans could interference the absorption of minerals contained in black beans. The only way to deal with it is by removing the phytic acid that functions as one thin layer of protection of the seeds.
- Black Beans Contained Oligosaccharides
What is oligosaccharides? I’m sure, even you find it difficult to pronounce it but don’t take this substance for granted. Oligosaccharides is complex sugar which is not easily to be broken down in your system. It could cause a serious digestion problem but it is only happen if you are consuming black beans in really high amount. However, the cooking process could reduce the level of this substance.
So, the way you cook or process the black beans is really matter. Perhaps avoiding raw or under cooked black beans is must be done to avoid all the negative or side effects of black beans, so you are only get all the health benefits of black beans.
Black beans is good choice for vegetarian or non vegetarian, so you don’t need to worry anymore when one of the member of your family is vegetarian because black beans could be an alternative choice to replace protein of meat. Besides, it is available in affordable price so it won’t harm your monthly budget. Dried beans or canned beans are two possible choices and storing them is not that difficult as long as you put the dried beans in dried container, you could keep the beans in quite a long time.
While the canned beans usually has its expired dates that you should take into account. One important thing to note, if you prefer canned beans perhaps making sure that you are only purchasing canned black beans with organic label is highly recommended to reduce the possibility of toxins contamination since canned black beans already contained several chemical substances that might be harmful for your body.