Beans and Your Heart : Protien, Fiber, Vitamin B, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium : SuperFoodsRx

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Beans and Your Heart

Table of Contents

1.	Overview
2.	Beans and Your Heart
3.	Beans and Blood Sugar
4.	Beans and Obesity
5.	Beans and Cancer
6.	Beans in the Kitchen
7.	Healthy Tips

Beans are a superb heart healthy food. Eating beans frequently is associated with lower cholesterol levels. Though a diet that is low in cholesterol is not directly associated with low blood cholesterol levels, as there is a wide range of variation in people’s responses to dietary cholesterol, it is still a healthy goal to keep your dietary cholesterol intake low. Cholesterol is only present in animal fats, which are also saturated fats. Beans, like all other plant-derived sources of protein, do not contain any saturated fat, and therefore are also cholesterol free. Thus, if you limit your saturated fat intake by reducing the amount of meat that you eat and substitute beans and other plant protein sources into your regular diet, you are well on your way to reducing your blood cholesterol levels and improving your overall health. Moreover, beans are also a good source of fiber. Fiber in your diet helps to keep LDL levels down, while also helping to raise HDL (the good cholesterol) levels.

Here is a breakdown of some of the beans that contain the highest amount of fiber per serving:

•	Lentils	8 grams
•	Black beans	7.5 grams
•	Pinto beans	7.5 grams
•	Kidney beans	5.5 grams
•	Chickpeas	4 grams

However, cholesterol is just one piece of the heart health puzzle, and research has shown that beans contribute to heart health in many other ways than just through lowering blood cholesterol levels. Beans are also a rich source of folate.

Research studies have shown that folate plays a critical role in the reduction of homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a compound that damages the blood vessel walls when it accumulates in the body. Folate helps to reduce this damaging effect by neutralizing the homocysteine molecules. Data show that between 20 to 40 percent of coronary artery disease patients have elevated levels of homocysteine in their bodies. Lastly, beans deliver a potent combination of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. This combination of electrolytes is associated with reduced risk of heart disease and hypertension.

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What is a “Super Food”?

Well, the most important thing for everyone to know is that superfoods are easy to find in every local supermarket. They’re worth looking for!

These nutritional powerhouse foods are loaded with nutrients crucial to a healthy, long life.

If you can include a variety of them in your diet, everyday, we promise they will change your life!

These foods were chosen because they contain high concentrations of crucial nutrients, as well as the fact that many of them are low in calories. Foods containing these nutrients have been proven to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse the well-known effects of aging, including cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.

When you click on each superfood you’ll find information including a list of the primary nutrients that elevated them to superfood status.

This is not meant to be a complete list of every single nutrient that food contains, but rather, a list of the high-profile nutrients that have shown health benefits and that are present in that food in sufficient quantity to make a difference. Many of the superfoods have “Sidekicks”. These are foods that are generally in the same category as the flagship superfood and offer a similar nutrient profile.

So click around and find recipes and tips on how to incorporate these foods in your daily diet.

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Principle 2: Super Foods are whole foods

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