Some other time, the new evidence makes sure that we can actually have the health benefits of plants we love to grow in around the patio or all over the garden for its beauty. The same thing also happens for hyacinth. Hyacinth or also known as lablab purpureus is usually grown around trellis or fences in Far East.
The plant with its heart shaped leaves, purple tiny flowers, and green or purple pods is able to create such dramatic few at their garden entrance. It is also introduced as ornamental plants at America. But don’t you know that the beans inside the pods are actually able to give health benefits of hyacinth beans?
Well, the slightly curved and thin pods of hyacinth produce edible beans. People in Asia had been cultivated the plant into foods. Some people may only consume the beans. However, we can also eat them along with the young pods. In addition, all part of the plants including leaves and flowers of hyacinth are actually edible. In this article, we are going to go deep down the health benefits of hyacinth beans.
Nutritional Information of Hyacinth Beans
It makes no sense when some natural ingredient is said to be healthy without knowing what composed the beneficial value. From NutritionData website, it can be retrieved that every serving size of 210 grams hyacinth beans is able to provide:
Calorie: 722
It also contains a number of vitamin such vitamin A, B vitamins, and vitamin C. it also contains some minerals such copper, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus make it is reasonable for us to have the health benefits of hyacinth beans.
Health Benefits of Hyacinth Beans
Here are the health benefits of hyacinth beans we can gain from consuming hyacinth beans as nutritional food or for the medicinal need. We can also use the hyacinth beans as topical treatment.
Hyacinth beans contains complex carbohydrate which is able to succeed your weight lose effort. Consuming the beans can give such a full or satiated sensation to your stomach. Therefore, you can avoid from craving for unhealthy snacks such cookies, chocolates, nougats, and others since it effectively suppress your appetite. Keep those habits away means you are able to trim some inches from your waistline.
This light purple or pale green pods with seeds contains good amount of zinc. Zinc is very useful to prevent cancer as it has the ability to prevent cells mutation, assist cell division, and inhibit the growth of tumor cell. It is also able to fight the free radicals from the unhealthy lifestyle.
Likewise, the health benefit is also appear in Health Benefits of Water Hyacinth, the other species of hyacinth plant.
The proper intake of zinc from hyacinth beans is able to reduce inflammation, infections, and also reduce the oxidative stress. This way, hyacinth beans is able to promote the body’s immune system as one of the health benefits of hyacinth beans.
Stir fried hyacinth beans is not only delicious, but also very healthy for our digestive system. Traditional Chinese medicine even uses hyacinth beans as main role in treating stomach disorder such flatulence, vomiting, ulcer, diarrhea, and intestinal worms.
Consuming hyacinth beans or also known as Indian beans is able to reduce the level of LDL. The decreased level of LDL or the bad cholesterol is able to prevent some diseases such coronary heart. The ability of hyacinth beans in reducing cholesterol is also appear in another african super food, Health Benefits of Honey Beans.
Other health benefits of hyacinth beans are improving and maintaining the cardiovascular health. as mentioned before, the beans is able to reduce the bad cholesterol level, and we know it is very helpful for our cardiovascular system as the cardiovascular diseases mainly contributed by the high level of bad cholesterol. Besides, the content of vitamin B1 in hyacinth beans is able to inhibit heart diseases and treat heart failure.
A study found that the consumption of hyacinth beans is able to reduce the symptom of asthma such nausea. It is possible since hyacinth is able to reduce inflammation along the respiratory track which causes nausea. The minerals in hyacinth beans are also able to deal with lungs problems effectively.
As we know, hyacinth beans contain high level of protein. The protein is able to effectively balance the hormones such serotonin and dopamine. As we know, the mentioned hormones play essential role in enhancing mood, prevent mood swings and keep us calm.
Copper is one of the essential mineral which is useful for your brain health. The consumption of hyacinth beans is able to improve your brain function by lifting mood and improve your ability to focus. The high antioxidants in hyacinth beans can also fight free radicals that may decrease the brain function.
One of the habits which affect insomnia is the lack of high nutrition intake. The sufficient nutrients from food, especially the content of magnesium will help you avoid insomnia.
Magnesium in hyacinth beans is able to reduce stress and increase the sleep quality. In addition, you can also take warm and relaxing herbal drink prior to the bed time such included in Health Benefits Of Tazo Zen Tea or Health Benefits of Linden Leaves to improve sleep quality.
In order to treat sore throat, we can drink juice extracted from the hyacinth beans and pods. It is very good to treat sore throat because of inflammation. Hyacinth is very good at relieving inflammation. You can also add the juice into lemon water as it gives you the addition Health Benefits of Water with Lemon Slices.
The fact that hyacinth is a very good anti-inflammatory property enables us to use it as topical treatment. We can prepare a poultice of hyacinth beans and pods and apply it on to the abscessed area. The poultice will help to reduce the inflammation quickly and safely.
Hyacinth beans along with the leaves are able to be consumed as a supplement to improve lactation in new mothers. During the consumption of hyacinth beans as lactation supplement, the mother should make sure to have sufficient intake of water. It is also important for the mother to keep the health condition and avoid being too tired.
These curvy pods with its beneficial beans inside contain ample of iron. Iron is a mineral with ability to transport oxygen to the cells and make sure the whole body effectively absorbs the nutrients from food. This way, the sufficient intake of iron from hyacinth beans is able to prevent fatigue and enhance energy.
One of the health benefits of hyacinth beans is the ability as powerful anti-inflammatory agent. It is able to relieve inflammation in some parts of the body. Likewise, it is also able to prevent and treat inflammation in gum as it contains the precious vitamins for gum health.
Vitamins and minerals in hyacinth beans are able to maintain the health and strength of the teeth. Especially the content of phosphorus and calcium in the beans are able to improve tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay.
Hyacinth beans are very helpful to relieve muscle cramps as it contains proper amount of potassium. Potassium is very good in improving muscle strength and reducing muscle cramps.
Despite the health benefits of hyacinth beans we should aware about the side effects. To minimize the side effect, we have to cook the beans properly. Well, the excessive consumption of under-cooked beans may stimulate some stomach problems such bloating and flatulence.
In addition, the dry mature beans may be toxic when it is not properly cultivated. The dry mature beans may contain cyanogenic glycoside which is commonly converted into hydrogen cyanide when consumed.
However, the dry mature beans can still be consumed as long as you make sure to soak it overnight in a large amount of water and cook it perfectly.
People in India love hyacinth beans especially when it is cooked into their favorite curry. Yes, the hyacinth beans along with its young pods will be perfect dishes along with tomatoes, turmeric powder, and of course coconut milk. For the spices, you can add onion, mustard seeds, tamarind extract, and some chilies.
Therefore, you will get such a refreshingly gentle sour and spicy taste. Or else, you can also cook the beans into a stir fry. But for stir fry, you need to boil the beans first for some minutes so that it will be perfectly cooked.
This way, you can have more than health benefits of hyacinth beans. You’ll also have the tasty companion for your rice dish.