Is Canned Beans a Superfood or a Food to Avoid?

Canned beans are added to salads, soups, stewed with vegetables or simply eaten as a side dish. Some consider it almost a superfood, others - a product in which harm is more than good. Who's right? The online edition “sb.by” dealt with this issue with a consultant on a healthy lifestyle Svetlana Sinichenko.

The expert listed the benefits of canned beans:

- It retains a significant part of useful substances. Moreover, in the process of industrial canning, the content of protein and dietary fiber in this product even increases. At the same time, hazardous substances such as lectins and trypsin inhibitors, which are contained in raw beans, are almost completely destroyed. That is why canned beans can be eaten immediately from the can, without fear of poisoning, which threatens with the use of poorly boiled dry beans.

Canned beans are also an excellent source of plant protein, fiber, B vitamins (especially folic acid) and minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

Fiber is important for digestion and gives a long feeling of satiety. Protein makes beans a valuable food for vegetarians and anyone who wants to reduce their meat intake. Potassium and magnesium support the work of the heart and vessels. A low glycemic index allows you to include beans in the diet of people who monitor blood sugar levels, explained Svetlana Sinichenko.

According to the consultant, the main problem of canned beans is salt:

- Manufacturers add it in large quantities to improve the taste and extend the shelf life. If you have hypertension, kidney problems or a tendency to swelling, excess sodium can hurt. Salt retains fluid in the body, increases pressure and creates additional stress on the heart and kidneys.

A lot of canned beans and sugar, she warned:

Sugar is added to some canned foods, especially beans in tomato sauce. It increases your calorie intake.

Many dislike beans due to the fact that it leads to flatulence and bloating, but this effect is easy to avoid. Svetlana Sinichenko explained how:

- Legumes contain oligosaccharides, which our body does not digest well. They start to roam in the gut. Preservation only partially reduces the content of these substances. If beans cause you discomfort, use a simple life hack: before eating, rinse it under cold water. This will reduce the content of gas-forming sugars and at the same time wash away up to 40% of salt.

Choose beans without unnecessary additives, wash it before eating - and this product will be a useful part of your diet, the consultant is sure.

Low glycemic index, an abundance of complex carbohydrates and trace elements. Expert on the benefits of buckwheat flour