Beans protein? The planet friendly nutritional goldmines that are more carbohydrate than protein

Beans are amazing. They are full of nutritional benefits with complex carbs, fibre, and a little protein for long-lasting energy, keeping you feeling full of beans for longer. They are also super versatile and great for the planet. When we grow beans, they return nitrates to the soil and they have far less water use and air miles than many other food sources and reduce our need for meat, so are very environmentally friendly. They are also cheap to buy (especially if canned) and have a long shelf life, so great on a budget, and are more varied plant sources, so help to increase your dietary plant diversity, and fibre to increase your gut microbiota (as Tim Spector writes (3)). However, with more carbohydrates in them than protein, we need to shift the public assumption and see them as part of the carbohydrate, not just the protein source of a meal. If you are trying to lose weight, they are far healthier than ultra-processed foods and junk foods and lower in calories than nuts but are no nutritional protein equivalent to lean protein meat and fish.

What are beans?

Beans are the seed of a type of vegetable called a legume. Other types of legume include things like lentils and peanuts. Common types of beans include:

-??????? Haricot beans and Flageolet (baby haricot) beans

-??????? Chickpeas (also called Garbanzo beans), Kidney beans, Navy beans, Green beans, Red beans, Fava beans, Lima beans, Black beans, Cannellini beans, Pinto beans, Great northern beans, Fayot beans, Adzuki beans, Soya Beans (which is fermented to tofu and miso) and Edamame (immature soya beans), Black eyes Beans (also called black eyed peas).

-??????? Lentils

-??????? Green peas, Sugarsnap peas, Marrowfat peas, split-green and split-yellow peas.

Beans are wonderful unprocessed, natural, environmentally-sustainable plant-based, cheap sources of many health aiding nutrients. This is why the Food Foundation launched the “beans is how campaign” to promote these fantastic vegetables. We should all be pro-bean as they need to be on everyone’s plates far more then they are. They are high in gut supporting fibre (which is lacking in UK diets with a deficit of ~10g per day), immunity supporting, anti-inflammatory antioxidants vitamin C, E and Zinc and plant polyphenols. They are high in bone supporting calcium and phosphorus and energy giving iron and magnesium. They are rich in anti-inflammatory plant sterol containing monounsaturated fats.

However, beans should not be marketed to the consumer for consumption by the food industry based purely upon their protein content. They should not be seen as a direct bioidentical equivalent to meat and fish (pure protein no carbohydrate) as they are biologically not the same.

Beans are not pure protein- they are carbohydrates

The reason beans provide us with so much energy is because they are a great low glycemic index carbohydrate source for a meal. They add carbohydrates to a meal in a way that protein sources like meat and fish do not. A ? can of baked beans is 35g carbohydrate (same as in nearly 2 slices of sliced bread) and ? can of chickpeas 17g (1 slice bread). A jacket potato (40-60g carbohydrate) and portion (1/2 can) beans (30-40g carbohydrate) is the same (60-110g carbohydrate) amount of carbohydrates as a pizza. Whilst beans will contain more nutrients and be complex (as they contain fibre, monounsaturated fats and some protein) carbohydrates than a pizza (so will provide you with a longer lasting energy source), they are not pure protein. They are carbohydrates. Be careful to stick to beans portions in a meal, especially if diabetic and carb counting. In order to consume the same level of protein (say 30g of protein in an average chicken thigh or fish serving), you have to consume 3x as many beans (as 10g in an average serving of beans). This means consuming 3x as much carbohydrate too which can cause weight gain. As protein is the most filling macro-nutrient which helps to take in carbohydrate sugar from the blood and to form muscle (which again lowers blood glucose), a diet high in carbohydrate and low in protein can increase appetite and lead to weight gain.

The best beans are those not in a sugary sauce, which increases the blood glucose spike they cause and causes insulin hormone release and low blood glucose, increased appetite and low focus and mood. This included beans in tomato sauce with added sugar. Try to find a variety without added sugar or sweeteners, like the French flageolet beans which are known of the “caviar of beans”. ?Save the bean juice (the aquafaba) from canned beans like chickpeas and use it as an egg substitute in recipes and make your own sauce by adding spices to the sauce like dried chilli, paprika, basil and courgettes or canned tomatoes, that will not have the same blood sugar spiking effect as the chemistry experiment, ultra-processed, added sugar varieties (which are often more expensive as you use tiny amounts of herbs and veg and so price by quantity is cheaper).

Beans are missing key protein parts.

Beans are also not complete protein. Proteins like meat and fish contain all the building blocks (essential amino acids the stuff that makes up proteins). This means that they contain the muscle forming Leucine and Creatine amino acids, the blood vessel dilatating Arginine, the Valine that promotes uptake of other amino acid precursors from the blood (tryptophan which makes Serotonin our happiness brain chemical and tyrosine which makes Dopamine our pleasure brain chemical) and Lysine which stops viruses (like Covid and flu) from making us sick. Beans are missing many of these amino acids and this can have many consequences. This is why it is best to have beans and cheese on a potato, to ensure you get the missing amino acids from the meal, or to have beans and lentils together. Humus is a good protein source as it contains chickpeas and sesame seeds together which help to complete the meals missing amino acids sources. Again in order to complete the missing protein parts, you have to consume more beans, and more carbohydrate.

Beans are good for your heart

Beans also contain plant sterols and fibre that lower blood fat levels and cholesterol which in excess can cause fat to build up and cause weight gain and blood vessel damage which can damage the heart. However a diet too high in plant sterols and fibre will lead to insufficient cholesterol and as cholesterol makes hormones like Oestrogen and Testosterone sex chemicals and mood stabilizers, Vitamin D which helps the body absorb calcium and is needed for cell growth (including in the brain) and low low fat diets are associated with anxiety and depression. Therefore, we actually need butter, cream, lard, cheese, meat and fish cholesterol. Too much cholesterol is bad but too little cholesterol is terrible too. Its balance. We need cholesterol for our sanity.

Go beans!

It is important to remember that all foods are part of a balanced diet, in the right quantities. Beans are an essential plant-polyphenol rich source, with fabulous fibre that is lacking from meat and fish. They do not have the tragic and terrible consequences to animal and fish life and the environment that fish and meat have. Meat and fish we should consume rarely due to its effect on the planet (1-2 times a week max), therefore we really need to go beans. GO BEANS as they are BEAUTIFUL, nutritious wonders that are delicious. We should all go beans for beans. But not only beans. For our bodies and brains we need a little bit of everything. For health we need other cholesterol and complete protein sources.

Copyright Laura Campbell 05/12/2023