In most markets across cities in Nigeria, you will find green beans for sale. People often use them to decorate or garnish fried rice. New studies show that green beans are very healthy. They can help lower the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and help control diabetes. Green beans also help strengthen the immune system and remove harmful substances from the body.
Green beans are full of nutrients that are good for your eyes and bones. They also help with digestion. For pregnant women, eating green beans can lower the risk of birth defects. Since they are low in calories, they are a healthy source of vitamins and minerals.
Green beans are part of a plant family called Phaseolus vulgaris. There are around 150 different types of green beans grown in different weather conditions. Some people mistakenly think green beans are only eaten in Western countries. But in reality, they are widely grown and eaten in Africa and Asia, where they are used in many traditional meals.
Nutritionally, green beans are similar to other vegetables like snap peas and okra. They are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and also contain important nutrients like folate, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, and potassium. These nutrients give green beans many health benefits.
1. Green beans help fight and prevent cancer.Studies show that eating green beans can help prevent and stop the growth of some types of cancer. This is mainly because they contain a lot of antioxidants, which fight harmful substances in the body. One large study found that green beans have special nutrients like resistant starch, fiber, and plant compounds (like saponins and protease inhibitors) that help stop cancer from growing.
These nutrients work together to help protect the body from cancer, not just through antioxidants, but also in other ways. This makes green beans one of the top foods for cancer prevention. Some parts of green beans may even slow or stop the growth of cancer cells.
Eating green beans regularly is linked to a lower risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Some types of green beans can also help slow the growth of leukemia and lymphoma (cancer of the blood and lymph nodes).
Certain nutrients in green beans, like lutein, help fight cancer. Lutein is an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of breast, colon, cervical, and lung cancer. Green beans are among the top 10 foods with the most lutein. They also contain a lot of vitamin C, which some health experts use to help fight cancer, especially during chemotherapy.
A single serving of green beans gives you over 25% of your daily vitamin C needs. Green beans also have a lot of vitamin K, which can protect the body from cancers like prostate, colon, stomach, nasal, and mouth cancer.
2. Green beans may slow the spread of HIV.A study done in Hong Kong in 2010 found that a substance in French green beans had positive effects against tumors, fungi, and HIV. The most interesting result was its ability to slow down the HIV virus, which is usually hard to treat and can turn into AIDS if not managed.
HIV spreads by inserting its virus into the body’s cells using a process called reverse transcription. Most treatments focus on stopping this process with special drugs called anti-retrovirals.
The Hong Kong study found that green beans helped stop this reverse transcription in HIV-1, the most common type of HIV in the world. This means green beans may help support HIV treatment when used along with regular medicine and other healthy foods like spirulina.
3. Green beans help reduce the risk of diabetes and manage it better.Eating beans and other whole grains three or more times a week can cut your risk of getting diabetes by up to 35%. Foods like green beans also help because they have a low glycemic index, which means they don’t cause sudden spikes in blood sugar.
The fiber and carbs in green beans digest slowly, helping to keep blood sugar steady. Green beans are better than other foods like potatoes or rice, which can raise blood sugar quickly. This makes green beans a great food choice for people watching their blood sugar or trying to avoid diabetes.
If you already have diabetes, your diet is very important. Green beans are a smart choice for a diabetic meal plan. Eating low glycemic foods helps the body respond better to insulin and control blood sugar levels more effectively.
Studies show that green beans (and other Phaseolus vulgaris beans) can improve blood sugar control better than some diabetes medicines. In diabetic patients, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin. But one study in Mexico showed that giving green beans to diabetic rats lowered their blood sugar, cholesterol, and fat levels, and protected their pancreas.
Other studies focus on how green beans reduce inflammation, which is common in diabetes. These studies show that green beans can help reduce the body’s inflammation and support better health for people with diabetes.
