Five new reasons to eat beans

Some time back, we talked about the importance of beans and other legumes in preventing dementia.

Now here are five MORE reasons to include beans in your diet on a daily basis. I’ve called these five “new” reasons, because most of this is from recently-published studies.

1.    Beans prevent cancer:

A study published in The Lancet in December 2023 looked at obese patients with a history of colorectal cancer. Could adding a simple and affordable prebiotic food—navy beans—improve their outcomes?  The answer was yes; adding a daily cup of beans resulted in a healthier and more diverse microbiome, with improvement in markers of metabolic obesity and colorectal cancer. In other words, diversify and support your gut microbiome with a daily serving of beans and this will help with cancer prevention and treatment.

2.    Beans prevent heart disease:

A study published in Clinical Nutrition in April 2023, as well as a 2022 study in Plants have pointed to the importance of adding beans to the diet to improve lipid profiles, reduce the tendency to atherosclerosis (fatty deposits on the arteries), lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Beans and other legumes are an important and affordable component of a heart-healthy diet.

 3.    Beans help control blood sugar

A 2009 review paper in Diabetologia point to the value of beans and legumes in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Not only is this important in preventing heart disease; it also reminds us that beans help prevent diabetes and also aid in blood sugar control for diabetics.

4.    Beans support healthy aging

While most of us hope for a long life, nobody wants to be old and frail. Hot off the press, a January 2024 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates the importance of vegetable protein for healthy ageing. An analysis of the Nurses Study suggests that, starting in mid-life, the more calories we replace with plant protein, rather than carbohydrates, fats or animal protein, the more likely we are to be free of physical limitations in old age. People who ate more plant protein from midlife on had better cognitive function in old age as well. Even if you only start your beans habit later in life, it will still reduce your chance of becoming frail.

5.    Beans promote longevity

It’s a good thing that a diet rich in beans and legumes help us live free of physical and mental limitations in old age, because eating beans does promote longevity. Legumes were found to be the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities. The more legumes the study group of over-seventies ate, the less likely they were to die during the subsequent years of the study. A great thought to enjoy with your kichari meal!

Despite all the benefits of legumes, I’ve seen that many of my patients don’t eat them very frequently. Next week, we’ll look at how to transition your diet to include more legumes.

 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00439-5/fulltext

 https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)66282-3/fulltext

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2405457723000098

https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/13/2/217.pdf 

Blood sugar control https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19526214/

https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2021/black-beans-help-fix-insulin-resistance-and-gut-bacteria-balance/

  Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!