Health benefits of Kidney Beans are
1) Weight Loss
According to research, kidney beans are low in fat and high in protein and fiber. Thus it does comes in avoiding fattening foods categories which will help you to avoid weight gain and may also make it easier for you to lose weight. However, eating too many calories might lead to weight gain.
Overweight and obesity are also associated with increased risk for various chronic diseases.
The anti-nutrients in raw kidney beans also called as starch blockers, these are the type of proteins which can delay the digestion and absorption of carbs (starch) from the digestive tract.
Starch blockers come from white kidney beans which have been found to be taken as a weight-loss supplement.
However, if you boiled the beans 100°C for 10 minutes, this will completely remove the effects of starch blockers.
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2) Lowers Cholesterol and Reduces Heart Disease Risk
According to research, consumption of kidney beans can increase the excretion of bile acid which helps in lowering LDL cholesterol levels and improves HDL cholesterol levels. Thus, it might decrease cardiovascular diseases as well as other diseases.
3) Colon Cancer Prevention
Beans contain a variety of nutrients and fibers with potential anti-cancer effects. According to studies, legume consumption such as kidney beans can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
The fibers present in kidney beans like resistant starch and alpha-galactosides pass through the colon where the undigested materials are fermented by friendly bacteria and form short-chain fatty acids which will improve colon health and reduce the risk of colon cancer.
4) Improves Blood Sugar Control and reduces the risk of Diabetes
Kidney Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and also slowly release carbs. Kidney Beans are low in the glycemic index which implies that the increase of blood sugar levels in the bloodstream after eating them is low and slow. Therefore, kidney beans can effectively maintain healthy levels of blood sugar when included with meals. Thus it also helps in reducing the risk of becoming diabetic. These can be eaten by diabetic people too who want to improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases such as heart disease.
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Adverse Effects of kidney beans and how to avoid it?
Even though kidney beans have a lot of health benefits, the consumption of raw or not properly cooked kidney beans is toxic.
Some people also eat kidney beans within limits due to bloating and flatulence.
Raw kidney beans contain high amounts of a toxic protein (lectin) called phytohaemagglutinin. These are found in many types of beans but are present in high amounts in red kidney beans.
The side effects of such type of poisoning are diarrhea and vomiting. However, if you soak and cook the beans, it will remove most of the toxin, and thus be making it safe to eat, filled with nutrition and harmless.
NOTE – To avoid such effects, before consumption, kidney beans should be soaked in water for at least 5 hours and boiled at 100°C for at least 10 minutes.
