Beans: Good for Your Heart

The more you eat, the more … free radicals you destroy.

These notorious legumes, it turns out, are not just a great source of fiber and protein; they also pack a powerful antioxidant punch.

Vegetarians have long depended on beans as a replacement for protein-rich meat.  Surprisingly, however, few scientists had bothered to see if beans contained antioxidants — free radical-destroying substances believed to help fight heart disease, cancer and more.

When Clifford Beninger, a researcher at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada, put them to the test in the laboratory, they passed with flying colors.  Beans are particularly rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, the ones found in tea and wine.  The darker the bean the better.  Of the 12 varieties tested, black beans had the most flavonoids of all.

"Eating black beans several times a week may give health benefits similar to drinking red wine," Beninger says.  "Though perhaps with a different set of side effects."

Alternative Medicine, March 2004