The Multiple Health Benefits of Eating Beans
- Editor OGN Daily
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Scientists says that tucking into fibre-rich legumes will lift our mood, increase motivation and lower risk of dementia.
According to The Food Foundation, beans are a real-life ‘superfood’ that come with a triple win for health, climate and affordability objectives and are also a rare example of a food that pretty much everyone can agree delivers on multiple fronts.
We all know the names of these humble beans: haricot, cannellini, black, broad, kidney, fava, pinto, soy, and runner. Not only are these little fibre bombs excellent for our hearts and digestive health - not to mention planet-friendly and among the most affordable items on supermarket shelves - but they improve brain health, too.
The Food Foundation says that only 4 percent of adults in the UK eat the recommended 30g a day (sadly, their data only relates to the UK, but how much are you eating?), and that this needs to change as beans provide not only fibre but key micronutrients essential for brain and immune function: potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Even a handful of beans regularly can make a real difference. They stabilise blood sugar, feed your gut microbiome and provide slow-release energy that helps you feel focused and calm.
As healthy brain ageing appears closely tied to metabolic and cardiovascular health, high-fibre foods, like beans, help stabilise blood sugar, reduce inflammation and support heart function - and “what’s good for the heart is usually good for the brain,” says Dr Oliver Shannon, researcher and lecturer in Nutrition and Ageing at Newcastle University.
Rebecca Tobi, a registered nutritionist and head of food business transformation at The Food Foundation, urges us all to look to international cuisine to see the delicious potential of this incredibly versatile food group. “If you look to other cultures, beans are heroed everywhere: Spanish, Lebanese, Mexican, Indian,” she says. “For food lovers, there’s a whole world of inspiration out there beyond baked beans on toast.”
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