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“Beans, beans, good for your heart…”
You probably remember that little chant that was popular among second graders, at least at my elementary school. It lightheartedly reminds us of the cardiovascular benefits of eating legumes… among other things!
Turns out that there may be some truth in the old nursery rhyme. While it’s true that beans contain certain heart-healthy benefits (and on the downside, yes, they can cause flatulence as well), the health benefits of beans are not quite so cut and dried.
Why Are Beans Controversial?
Vegans and vegetarians often rely on black beans, lentils, and other bean varieties as their main source of protein. However, diets like Paleo and keto avoid beans entirely because they contain controversial compounds called lectins.
There are also different grades of beans. While chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), navy beans and many others are a good source of B vitamins, most Americans get their fill of beans from unhealthy soy products, which are devoid of such beneficial nutrients.
Peanuts are also technically in the bean family, as they’re classified as a legume (and not a nut). Sadly, allergies to peanuts are on the rise, especially among children.
Here’s the lowdown on the pros and cons of eating certain types of beans, and how you can prepare them to maximize their nutritional value.
The Pros: Health Benefits of Beans
There are quite a few nutrients packed into the humble little bean. They’re rich in dietary fiber, they’re a great protein source, and they contain vitamins like folate and iron.
They are also generally low-fat and contain few calories, making them a staple in the Mediterranean diet and slow carb diet.
It also turns out that the second graders in my class were right: Beans may, in fact, be good for your heart health! One study found that pinto beans, in particular, helped to reduce LDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease.
Another study showed that eating baked beans helped reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes, while other research finds that eating kidney beans can help reduce inflammation in the colon. And if you’re trying to lose weight, good news: yet another study found that bean consumption is associated with smaller waist circumference, lower body weight, and even reduced blood pressure.
But before you go crazy eating high fiber beans for every meal, we need to understand their risk factors, and how to mitigate it.
The Cons: Can Beans Be Unhealthy?
The biggest problem with beans is that they contain lectins, which are also present in high amounts in grains. Lectins essentially act as thorns do in rose bushes — as a protective measure for the plant. Instead of prickly deterrents that harm our skin, lectins assault our digestive systems, prompting predators (or consumers like us) to stay away.
One of the experts I look to most on this topic is Dr. Steven Gundry, renowned heart surgeon and author of the book The Plant Paradox. He explains in our podcast interview:
Lectins are a sticky plant protein, and they’re designed by plants as a defense mechanism against being eaten. These plants don’t want to be eaten… so one of the ways they fight against being eaten is to produce these lectins, which like to bind to specific sugar molecules in us or any of their predators. And those sugar molecules line the wall of our gut. They line the lining of our blood vessels, they line our joints. They line the spaces between nerves. And when lectins hit these places, they are a major cause of leaky gut. They can break down the gut wall barrier. They’re a major cause of arthritis, they’re a major cause of heart disease, and they’re a major cause, in my research, of autoimmune diseases.
We can understand from this that some lectins are more toxic than others, but all lectins have some effect on the body. This is the reason that grains, beans, and other lectin-containing foods cannot be eaten raw. In fact, ingesting even just a few raw kidney beans can cause vomiting and digestive problems.
Another problem with lectins is that they can contribute to obesity and diabetes. Lectins can bind to any carbohydrate-containing protein cells, including insulin and leptin receptors, desensitizing them. Without proper insulin and leptin function, problems like metabolic syndrome can emerge.
How to Reduce Lectins in Beans and Grains
Fortunately, it’s possible to reduce the number of lectins in beans and grains by using certain traditional cooking methods. Sprouting, fermenting, soaking, and pressure cooking are all useful ways to cut down on lectins, but keep in mind that none of these methods will remove the lectins completely. You can also buy certain brands that have taken some of these steps, so you don’t have to do any of the prep yourself.
You may choose to avoid beans entirely, but if your body isn’t too sensitive to lectin, you can reap the beneficial fiber content with these preparation methods. Start by enjoying a half-cup or so at a time to see how you feel. You might also want to get your cholesterol levels checked before and after you try these methods!
How to Soak Beans
The easiest way to remove lectins prior to cooking is to soak dry beans overnight. For best results, cover the beans completely with cold water, and add a little baking soda to help neutralize the lectins further. Since the lectins will release into the water, try to replace the soaking solution at least once or twice. Drain and rinse a final time before cooking to ensure you’ve removed as much as possible.
How to Sprout Beans
If you want to take it a step further, you can sprout the beans after you’ve soaked them. To do this, its best to use special sprouting seeds, which are free of any bacteria that would be killed if you were simply boiling them as usual.
After the soaking process, put the beans in a mason jar with a sprouting lid, or a cloth secured by a rubber band. Invert the jar over a bowl, and set it on the kitchen counter out of the way. You should see sprouts within a day, but you can keep sprouting them for a bit longer if you prefer. Just be sure to give them a rinse once a day. For more details on how to sprout individual legumes and grains, this is a great resource.
How to Ferment Beans
If you like your beans a little funky, fermentation might be the way to go. Like the sprouting process, you’ll want to start with rinsing and soaking your beans, except this time you want to cook them.
I recommend boiling them for at least an hour on the stovetop, or throw the soaked beans into a slow cooker and set on low for six to eight hours. Next, add seasoning (like garlic or salt) and a culture, like kombucha, yogurt, or a culture powder you can buy at the store. Mash them up a little to get more surface area fermenting, cover, and store in a warm place for several days. Open the lid slightly every day to release the excess gas, then set in the refrigerator when done.
Serve your fermented beans as a side dish, or enjoy them as a refreshing side dish!
Use a Pressure Cooker
Another easy way to reduce and almost completely eliminate lectins is to cook foods in a pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot. This greatly reduces the lectin content of beans and is an easy and fast way to cook them.
As with the other preparation methods I mentioned above, I recommend soaking the beans overnight in several changes of water, then pressure cooking according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Buy Safe Brands
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of soaking and cooking the beans yourself, Dr. Gundry recommends Eden brand beans. They’re pre-soaked, cooked in pressure cookers, then stored in BPA-free cans. Go ahead and eat these beans straight out of the container for the ultimate low-lectin convenience!
What Level of Lectin Consumption Is Safe?
This is a difficult question with no single answer. Keep in mind that many foods contain lectins, not just beans and grains. We can’t avoid them completely. The key is finding a workable balance that minimizes the worst sources.
My personal recommendation is to soak, sprout, ferment, or pressure cook foods high in lectins, like legumes, seeds, nuts, and grains like barley, oats, and wheat.
Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant also contain lectins, and these can be reduced by peeling and pressure cooking.
What I Do to Avoid Lectin
Personally, I avoid grains and legumes unless properly prepared, soak nuts overnight, and avoid all processed and commercially prepared foods, grains, and soy.
When I was actively working to halt my autoimmune disease, I avoided lectins much more carefully. Similarly, if you are overweight or attempting to lose weight, a more stringent avoidance of lectins might be helpful.
For many, avoiding lectins for a year or so can help soothe the intestinal lining, improve gut bacteria, facilitate weight loss, and reduce allergy symptoms. If you or your children are suffering from unknown allergies or gut problems, try removing beans entirely from your diet to see if that helps.
The Bottom Line
While many people in the United States don’t sprout or ferment their beans and grains, it might be worth trying. After all, beans are proven to lower cholesterol and fight cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, if your gut health suffers when you eat beans, or your kids have a strong reaction to them, you might want to avoid them a bit more stringently.
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Lauren Jefferis, board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or work with a doctor at SteadyMD.
Do you eat beans? If so, what kind(s)? Share below!
Odd that there is absolutely no mention of the fact that your body naturally produces lectins, and that lectins can bind to other lectins to inhibit their effects. Also, apples, lemons, grapefruit, asparagus, beets, garlic, and numerous other vegetables all contain appreciable amounts of lectins. Your exmphasis should really be on the specific toxic lectins in question, like that of ricin in castor beans or the agglutinins in kidney beans, and not broadly lumping them all into the toxic category. Also, in the studies cited, animals were fed strictly a bean diet. Literally, nothing but beans. Human diets are in no way so restricted. How can you logically conclude that beans are bad, after so many reputable scientific studies should that eating these in a diet promote heart health?? More research from reputable sources and talk to a real scientist who understands lectin biology before you decide to scare people into dietary changes.
This is a great point… I had a friend of mine freak out when I told her that I love black beans. All because of ill-informed people who use scare tactics and unreasonable data to support their idiocy.
So true, beans are amazingly healthy but the meat/dairy/paleo types try to scare people. Interesting that this is what we are calling wellness these days, yikes.
About halfway through I had a thought so I went to your recipe section and say all the meat recipes. I don’t care if people eat meat but to try to discredit other healthy options is bullocks. Do you get money from the meat industry for this blog, seriously. There is nothing wrong with beans they will not hurt your body unless you eat them raw. Beans alone will not make you fat. It’s the oil, sour cream, cheese and other stuff. If beans made you fat then the people in third world countries would not be starving to death. Beans and rice are a staple the world over. It is a cheap food with high nutritional value. I started a diet 8 weeks ago eating rice, beans, corn tortillas and fresh fruits and veggies no processed food. I have lost 15lbs which has brought me to my goal weight. My food bill went from $500 to $100 a month. I eat meat occasionally now. My doctor checked all my levels and they are perfect. There is no good or bad food , real food that is. Meat is no worse or better than beans. It’s the fake food like cereals, processed snacks, soda, candy etc. Take those out of your diet and you are home free.
I doubt very seriously that you only pay $100 a month for groceries, if you are in fact, truly eating the right quantities of fruits and vegetables. Yes, only eating rice and beans could bring the grocery bill down to $100 a month for one person, but that is not a diet I would recommend.
I’m not the person who you replied to, but I can support the fact that you can eat healthy for $100 or less and that rice and beans is not the only option. For me – it’s my own 100% organic garden. I live in the northeast and have a very short growing season and a very small piece of property (less than 1/4 acre) – yet I have taken advantage of every inch of space and during the summer my yard is a flourishing organic food factory. I grow enough that I can preserve (mostly dehydrating) fruits and vegetables to get me through the winter. There are many ways to eat healthy for cheap; it’s all a matter of how bad you want it. In my case, I want/need to eat cheap (i’m out of work), but MUST eat healthy and the way to achieve that is to grow my own food. I save my own seeds from year to year so there are no seed costs, start my own seedlings from those seeds, no plant costs and use compost from yard scraps as the ONLY fertilizer for the garden so no chemical/fertilizer costs. It costs me NOTHING (but my time doing a hobby I love) to garden and the rewards are HUGE. It can be done.
Not a single credible reference in this article.
Einstien said: “The true test of knowledge is experimentation.” Is he on the credible reference list? not meaning to be insidious, but sarcastic with a tad of light humor. Don’t go getting your grain eating panties in a bunch.
Why is looking for credible references a bad thing? When deciding if something is healthy, it’s a good idea to be a critical thinker. While I can appreciate your sense of humor, Albert Einstein can most certainly be found in credible sources. Many of his contributions are largely considered valid and worthy in the scientific community.
Where on earth do people get ideas like these?
Hello Wellness Mama,
I actually came across this article because my friend was curious as to how correct the information was. As an student in training (Masters in Dietetics currently working on my RD hours at various hospitals) I want to simply put out that I think you’ve approach the situation in a way that might not be completely true. I understand that you might not like to eat fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. that are highly concentrated in lectin (as you’ve stated above) however everyones different.
What you have recommended above is similar to how a lot of people have turned gluten free because they think it’s better. In fact, gluten free diets should really ONLY be used for those with diseases that deal strictly with gluten intolerance (i.e.: celiac disease). As I tell my patients all the time, if there’s nothing holding you back why not eat it? Unless it has shown in multiple ways that eating beans have caused major negative changes to your health there is no reason NOT to eat them.
I have a variety of patients would unfortunately can not have beans, why? Because they suffer from digestive cancers. Of course, there will be issues when you suffer from digestive cancers, which is why many cancer patients are ask to eat items with a variety of nutrients. Fish (high in selenium) is a good staple for some patients with cancer. But fish can also be high in mercury. Do I tell my patients not to eat fish then? No, but choose wisely. So I understand your last paragraph about choosing to eat legumes with low concentrations of lectin. But I really don’t see a reason behind you not eating legumes other than personal reasons.
I hope I didn’t come off strong. I see that you’ve labeled yourself a nutritionist, which is fine. But in my own professional defense, I really would advice that in the future if you should post information like this that you should advice people to seek medical professional help in the article.
I’ve just been reading ‘The Perfect Health Diet’ which also goes into great lengths about the toxicity of beans. Before reading this I would never have believed it either. Thanks for information.
Professionals aren’t all right. And sometimes they don’t run ahead trying o find the truth they wait until the damage is done before they wonder why. That’s where problems start. I’d rather be safe than sorry for my kids sake. My family already messed me up pretty bad. And doctors and professionals played a major role in that too. Antibiotics since I was a child indeed. What do they know about health?! Nothing. Money money all the way.
Thank you so much. I agree 100%. I have been treated in an ayurvedic clinic run by a Siddha from Sri Lanka. He has thousands of clients healed from terrible diseases including cancer. He tells every patient to stop eating any sorts of beans. I have become a vegan thanks to him, but in all the vegan/vegetarian sites beans are often the main ingredients in the recipes. The Veda (doctor) simply explained that I don’t digest beans very well, but this article explained everything for me.
Those skeptical about the reasoning may just go on consuming the beans. However those who just would give it a try and reduce grain and beans in their diet, will feel an incredible effect, that’s a fact.
Hi Aizhan
This blog post has scared me so much because I love legumes and beans. I am also Sri Lankan but I never really understood why I was not tolerating things like Chia seeds really well. What I don’t understand is that my ancestors consumed a variety of grains like Finger Millets, Orange Lentils and Chickpeas for thousands of years and these are some of my staples. I am also not a big meat eater and I am at a loss now as to what I should consume to get my proteins. I also saw in another article that gram flour or chickpea flour should never be used for baking. Do you have suggestions or sites. I also eat a lot of Mung beans and I guess the key it to let them sprout or soak really well to remove the toxins.
Oh my god. so much bashing. thanks for the information. I will keep this in mind.
Yes, I agree, David. So much anger from the bean eaters. Seems the beans don’t do much for their personalities. Most of their comments are just plain rude.
I’m a vegetarian and my main source of protein is nuts and beans. I eat a lot of lentil and bean soups and bean patties but not much grain. This article has scared me to death; I’ve been a vegetarian and have been eating nut butters and beans all my life! I want to do what is healthiest for me but I also have a strong ethical opposition to eating meat; I just can’t do it. Even looking at pictures of meat, poultry or fish makes me gag. What should I do?! I’m an avid 16 year old female runner, yogi, skiier, and soon to be Crossfitter and I really need the best fuel to keep up with my very active lifestyle.
I wouldn’t worry to much if i were you. Vegetarians/vegans have been around for a very long time and numerous studies were conducted on their diets, with no proof that it might be a health risk in any way. Vegetarian/vegan diet tend to be rich in those foods that contain lectins. I assume some people may be genetically predisposed (have a genetic defect) to lectin damage, however this number would be insignificant as there would be plenty of studies to show that. I think variety in the diet is the key, so consuming soya beans everyday might not be the best thing. But there are so many plants around that i’m still discovering every week ( and i have been mostly vegan for 9 years now). By the way i also have acive lifestyle doing cycling, running, tennis, gym workouts and snowboarding. Regarding people being omnivourous, well until we had tools to hunt we ate very little meat as it was simply not accessible to us, and those teeth that we have aren’t proof either, look at vegetarian gorilla, their canine teeth are bigger than ours.
The healthiest and longest lived group of people in the US are the 7th Day Adventists in Loma Linda, CA and I bet they eat 3 times as much beans as the general population. This lectin bogeyman was invented by Peter D’Adamo who wrote “Eat Right for Your Blood Type”, and he’s turned his followers into a very profitable cult.
Where do legumes like sugar snap peas, snow peas, and green beans fall into things? They are often eaten raw, so the lectins can’t be very high in them.
They are on the lower end of the scale on lectins, except for regular green peas, which I typically recommend for those trying to increase fertility as there is a compound in them that can suppress it…
If lectins are destroyed by cooking, what’s the issue? We don’t eat raw legumes, do we?
They aren’t completely destroyed… jus somewhat lessened…
Where can we find documentation of this? All I noticed about this in the article was that lectins are destroyed by proper cooking.