Beans are the seeds from flowering plants in the Fabaceae family and are categorized as legumes. They contain amino acids – the protein building blocks used to heal and to make new tissues, such as bone, muscle, hair, skin, and blood. There are 3 popular types of beans: black beans, kidney beans and garbanzo beans. Let us take a quick glance at their nutritional value and health benefits:
Black Beans
Black beans have been a staple of North American diets for thousands of years. They are also called turtle beans. They have a mildly sweet flavor and are incredibly healthy. Black beans are rich in antioxidants, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates, which make them a powerhouse of nutrients. They help regulate blood sugar, reduce risk of cancer, and protect your eyes against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Kidney Beans
Their red color and their shape are responsible for their name. Kidney beans are legumes that come in two varieties: light red and dark red. Both have a high nutritional value – fiber, protein, folate, iron, and other important minerals. They improve heart health by reducing cholesterol and reduce risk of colon cancer by regulating cell growth. Besides, they are great for weight management and controlling blood sugar.
Garbanzo Beans
Popularly known as chickpeas, they are legumes in the same family as kidney beans. They have a buttery, nutty flavor, and creamy texture. In the US, the tan, round, and slightly larger Kabuli variety is common. Chickpeas have calcium, magnesium, fiber, and other nutrients for strong bones. It is advisable to soak them first to get rid of phytates, which can get in the way of your body absorbing the calcium in chickpeas. They boost your mental health for they have choline, a nutrient that helps make essential chemicals for memory, mood, muscle control, and other brain activity. They also help lower cholesterol and lower cancer risk.
Clearly, beans are rich in many nutrients and including them in your regular diets should have positive health effects. But one thing we often overlook is how we cook them because pressure cooking beans in conventional pots change their health value:
Pressure Cooking beans in conventional pots: what are the effects?
Conventional pressure-cooking pots are typically made from reactive materials like metals, their alloys or materials like ceramic clay which is man-made clay that is made by using different chemicals and metal oxides. When cooking beans in conventional pots, the toxins leach from the pots and form chemical bonds with the nutritional cells in the food. These pseudo-nutrients when ingested regularly cause toxins to accumulate in blood, cells, and organs. Over time, they cause detrimental changes in the organs and their functioning, leading to serious diseases and illnesses.
Moreover, the harsh heat from such materials destroys the delicate nutrients and leaves cooked food nutritionally lacking. This means even though your ingredients are rich in nutrients, the cooked food will not have them anymore.
This calls for an alternative pressure cooking pot that is not reactive and can cook by preserving nutrients.
Cooking beans in MEC: a healthier alternative to conventional cooking
Miriams Earthen Cookware (MEC) – a pioneering company based in the US makes pots and pans from unglazed primary clay (the highest quality clay). Each piece is individually handcrafted to avoid chemicals, glazes, and additives.
MEC’s all-natural pots and pans are naturally inert so do not leach while cooking. MEC pressure cooking pots cook with unique far infrared heat – a gentle food-friendly heat that keeps nutrients intact – including the most delicate ones. There are many benefits to cooking in these 100% Non-toxic pressure cookers, but one such benefit that pertains to cooking beans is explained here, briefly:
Some beans have lectins (kind of antinutrients) that prevent the absorption of nutrients in the body. Eat insubstantial amounts of certain types of lectins can damage the gut wall. The far infrared heat penetrates deep into every bean, thoroughly breaking down the lectins, making beans more easily digestible.
Therefore, pressure cooking beans in MEC keeps them healthy, nutritious, and uncontaminated. Interested in cooking your beans nutritiously and more healthfully in MEC pressure cooker? Head over to their online store and order a pressure cooker today and have it shipped to you anywhere in the world.
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