Nutritional Spotlight on Beans

Beans are packed full of nutrients and low in fat. In one serving (about ½ c. of cooked dry beans) you will discover 30% of your daily folate needs, as well as 25% of your daily fiber requirement. Beans are also rich in magnesium, iron, copper, and potassium. This article will give you some tips to help you incorporate them into your diet while minimizing the antisocial side effects.

1. Cook them thoroughly. Cooking beans to a soft consistency will help breakdown the starch, which can wreak havoc on your colon. The harder the beans are, the more gas will be produced. So always cook the beans thoroughly. A safe alternative is to purchase canned beans because they are already cooked through.
2. Rinse them thoroughly. Beans contain indigestible sugars. As beans cook many of these sugars migrate from the beans to the water that they are being cooked in. Rinsing the beans will get rid of these indigestible sugars and help prevent gas build up.
3. Incorporate beans slowly. If you body is not used to digesting beans then add them slowly to allow your body time to adjust to the added fiber and starch.
4. And if all else fails, try Beano. Beano is a product developed to aid digestion and prevent gas build up. Beano can be added directly to the food at the beginning or end of the meal.

Adapted from: Nutrition Action Health Letter, May 1999

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.