Benefits of Black Beans And Its Side Effects
Last Updated: Jun 30, 2020
The health benefits of black beans are such that it helps in providing healthy bones, lowers of blood pressure, controls diabetes, reduces the risks of heart disease, prevents cancer, helps in maintaining a good digestive system, helps in weight loss, enhances fertility, good for pregnancy, good for the nervous system, contains high antioxidant, helps in cure of anaemia.
Black Beans
The black bean is a small, shiny variety of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found in Cajun and Creole cuisines of south Louisiana. Black beans are native to America, but have been introduced around the world. They are also used in Punjabi cuisine and are referred to as black beans. They are used interchangeably with vigna mungo in countries such as the USA. They are also known as black turtle beans.
Nutritional Value of Black Beans
Black beans are enriched with a wide range of nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals. A one-cup serving of cooked black beans in daily diet provides 227 calories, 15 grams of protein, 15 grams of fibre, zero fat, 64% folate, 40% copper, 38% manganese, 35% vitamin B1 (Thiamine), 30% magnesium, 24% phosphorus, 20% iron.
Nutritional facts Per 100 Grams
Vitamins and Minerals
Health Benefits of Black Beans
Helps in providing Healthy Bones
Black beans are rich in 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. Consuming black beans may be a very good investment for maintaining strong and healthy bones in senior ages.
Helps in lowering of 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 binds sodium in our body and removes it away from the body system so it assists in controlling the blood pressure. However, if a person is consuming canned black beans, they should make sure to separate the black beans and rinse it cleanly to reduce the sodium content contained in canned black beans.
Helps in controlling diabetes
Fibre contained in black beans is essential for those who are currently suffering from Diabetes type 1 and type 2. In type 1, fibre contained in black beans will assist in lowering the blood sugar level while in type 2 it will assist in increasing the insulin and improve the insulin tolerance.
Besides that the 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 fibre substance is also prominent in flowing our digestive system at a steady rate, so that all nutrients 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 then removal of excess sugar in the blood could be done at ease. One more thing why black beans are good for diabetic patients is that the healthy or simple carbohydrate that is contained in it is safe for the blood sugar level.
Helps in reducing the risks of heart disease
There are some substances contained in black beans which are beneficial for maintaining a good heart health. The first is of course minerals. All type of minerals contained in black beans are good for the heart like potassium, magnesium, and iron.
Potassium has an important role in reducing the sodium level in the blood that will affect the cholesterol level in the body while magnesium and iron is good for the production of red blood cells and make the work of heart a bit easier.
Furthermore, black beans also contains soluble fibres which has a big contribution in binding the necessary substances in the colon and flushing them away along with the waste. The gel like form of soluble fibre will bind cholesterol so that the accumulation of plaque that could plug up the artery could be reduced or removed completely.
Helps in prevention of Cancer
Flavonoid and phytochemical compounds found in black beans are powerful in preventing the development of cancerous cells in the body. Those two substances will act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant which are the reasons why cancerous cells cannot grow in the body.
The causes of the development of cancerous cells are many but one thing to note, no matter what the causes are, the first thing is to prevent the accumulation of damaged cells that might 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.
Helps in maintaining a good digestive system
Helps in maintaining a good digestive system
Black beans are considered as one of the healthiest food in the world because of the high fibre which is contained in this variety of beans. Though fibre is one of the substances mostly found in food products that cannot be broken down but fibre has a lot of function in human body and one of them is that it is very good for digestion.
Along with protein, fibre could assist in optimizing the function of digestive system, in the process they will make sure that all nutrients are optimally absorbed while the waste will be completely flushed away from the digestive tract. So, common stomach issue like constipation could be dealt with effectively just by consumption of black beans.
Helps in weight loss
Our diet requires food rich in fibre, healthy carbohydrate, relatively high protein and low in fats. Fortunately, black beans are rich fibre, containing relatively high amount of plant based protein, simple carbohydrates and of course very low in fats.
Fibre has a prominent role in optimizing the digestive system to make sure that all nutrients are absorbed optimally and will make a person feel full longer because the moving of beans within the digestive tract is as slow as meat and it can reduce the food craving.
The healthy or simple carbohydrate will provide the person with energy he/she needs without endangering their body’s shape. Plant based protein is essential for metabolism because if in a weight loss program, a person is no longer able to depend on protein obtained from meat, and as a low fat diet of course black beans is a good option.
Helps in enhancing fertility
One speciality that black beans have is that it contains a rare mineral which in recent studies have been found to be effective in reducing impotence and erectile dysfunction problem. The rare mineral is called molybdenum. Molybdenum has been proven to be linked with the increasing of energy during sexual activity. One more function of this rare mineral is that it can help in detoxifying some acidic compounds found in daily food items that can cause some disorientation in some people.
Good for Pregnancy
There are some substances contained in black beans which are good for pregnant woman. The first is foliate. Foliate, when it enters the body will be turned in to folic acid which is beneficial for the development of foetus’ brain as well as the spinal cord. So, it is an essential substance that could prevent a baby born with birth defect.
Black beans are also rich in minerals, especially iron which has big contribution in producing red blood cells. During pregnancy, sufficient amount of red blood cells is essential because they are required to build muscle, bones and nerve system of the foetus and iron is essential to keep the mother in healthy condition during and after pregnancy. Without sufficient iron, a mother could suffer from iron deficiency which can have fatal effects for both the foetus and the mother.
Good for the Nervous System
Foliates contained in black beans is not only good for pregnant woman but is also good for maintaining the health of nervous system. The amino acids contained in black beans though already combined with molybdenum will not function optimally without folic acid.
Amino acid is the essential substance required by the nervous system, without which it could have increased the risk of Parkinson disease and in worst condition could cause disease like Alzheimer’s.
Contains High Antioxidant
Antioxidants might be easily found in vegetables, fruits and beans but black beans are unique in this case. Antioxidants contained in beans are already proven to be the highest among other varieties of beans.
As already known, antioxidants are chemical compounds that are effective in fighting free radicals that could cause some serious ailments. Antioxidant acts as the anti-free radical compound which removes it from the body system before they could affect the healthy cells that could cause the mutation of gene and rapid growth of cancerous cells.
Helps in cure of Anaemia
Since black beans are so rich in minerals especially in iron of course it is good for fighting against anaemia. As a result of iron deficiency, the body easily gets tired, fatigue and then ultimately leads to anaemia. Consumption of black beans could help in dealing with these problems easily and effectively because black beans is rich in iron and some other important minerals which are essential for the production of red blood cells.
Uses of Black Beans
Side-Effects of Black Beans
Consumption of black beans is safe and not much side effects are seen. Despite the known health benefits of beans and legumes, many people tend to shy away from them because of fears of excessive and embarrassing gas. Flatulence and stomach distress, including stool changes and bloating are the common side effects of consuming black beans.
Cultivation of Black Beans
Black beans, botanically known as Phaseolus vulgaris, are native to the Americas. One of over 500 varieties of kidney beans, black beans is also known as turtle beans, caviar criollo, and frijoles negros. These beans date back at least 7,000 years when they were a staple food in the diets of Central and South Americans. They remain a popular food in many households in the Americas.
While the black bean is native to the Americas it has become popular around the world. These beans have become especially popular in contemporary Punjabi cuisine. In Louisana, Cajun and Creole cuisine, the turtle bean has also become a staple.
References
- Black gram (Vigna mungo)- Feedipedia [Internet]. feedipedia.org. 2015 [Cited 19 June 2019]. Available from:
- Girish TK, Pratape VM, Rao UP. Nutrient distribution, phenolic acid composition, antioxidant and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory potentials of black gram (Vigna mungo L.) and its milled by-products. Food Research International. 2012 Apr 1;46(1):370-7. [Cited 23 June 2019]. Available from:
- Suneja Y, Kaur S, Gupta AK, Kaur N. Levels of nutritional constituents and antinutritional factors in black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper). Food Research International. 2011 Mar 1;44(2):621-8. [Cited 23 June 2019]. Available from:
Table of content
Ask a free question
Get FREE multiple opinions from Doctors