String beans: properties and rules of use

The string bean was initially not popular and was considered almost a “waste” suitable for the poor and feeding of livestock. However, over time, people have noted the delicate neutral taste of green pods and their incredible benefits due to the characteristics of the chemical composition.

String bean has a diverse chemical composition.The green variety of culture is slightly inferior to legumes in the amount of proteins, but contains more vitamins and trace elements.

The product is characterized by a high content of vitamins A, C, E, PP, KK, but most of all here are vitamins of group B. The mineral composition is represented by potassium, magnesium, zinc, sulfur, iron, chromium, etc. All of this suggests a powerful antioxidant and immunostimulating action of bean strings. The content of organic acids and dietary fibers is also high, which makes this product useful for the digestive organs.

Speaking about the composition of green beans, it should be noted its ability not to absorb chemicals and harmful impurities from the environment. Legumes cannot be “stuffed” with genetically modified additives, so the beans are considered not only useful, but also an environmentally friendly product.

The calorie content of a bean depends on its variety, as well as the method of preparation. On average, it is 23-32 kilocalories per 100 grams of raw product. The balance of KBDU is as follows - 2.8 / 0.4 / 8.4 (g). Most of the composition is in dietary fiber, a certain part is water.

Fats have the appearance of saturated fatty acids, trans fats and “bad” cholesterol are absent. Proteins are "complete", that is, contain amino acids, some of which are essential, that is, not produced by the body, but are supplied with food. Present in the composition of mono - and disaccharides.

This or that type of heat treatment, as well as the addition of certain ingredients, alter this balance and lead to an increase, less often - a decrease in the energy value. Thus, boiled beans have a caloric content of 47-128 kcal per 100 g of product. This is not much, however, those who carefully monitor their weight should take these indicators into account when calculating the CBDU. Boiled beans are used as a garnish, an ingredient for salads, added to omelets, vegetable casseroles.

Changes and the ratio of BZHU - fats begin to prevail, while the protein in the composition decreases.

If boiled beans seem too fresh to you, and fried beans are high in calories, stewed meat becomes an alternative. It is distinguished by juiciness, tenderness, and adding spices will help make the dish fragrant, add spice to it. Its caloric value per 100 g on average is 138-140 kcal.

So far we have talked about cases in which the calorie content increases - this happens with any method of thermal exposure. The reduction in nutritional value is characteristic of the frozen product - 28 kcal per 100 g. At the same time, all the useful properties are fully preserved. The important point - to freeze the beans you need in small portions to use at one time. Multiple freezing and defrosting can lead to a deterioration in the taste of the pods, but most importantly - the destruction of useful elements.

The product is characterized by a low glycemic index, which is 15 units. This means that the beans do not inhibit metabolism and do not cause insulin spikes, and are also allowed to people with diabetes (the “threshold” of the glycemic index in products for them is 15 units). It is important that the beans contain "slow" carbohydrates, which when splitting, give energy, and are not deposited on the body in the form of unwanted fatty layers.

The presence of the most important minerals for the body makes green pods beneficial for immunity.These vitamins, especially ascorbic acid, demonstrate a pronounced tonic, firming and anti-cough action. Usually, during the flu and cold season, it is recommended to include more citrus fruits in the diet, however, such recommendations are also valid for green beans. The product will also help avoid vitamin deficiency, scurvy.

Beans are not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but also distinguished by their harmonious combination, which increases its benefits. Thus, the tandem of vitamins E and C has a powerful antioxidant effect, due to which it is possible to bind radionuclides in the body. The latter are molecules with a missing electron, which, falling to the surface of a healthy cell, disrupt its operation. It is known that malfunctioning cells are the main cause of the formation of tumors and cancer.

Vitamin E is considered a “beauty vitamin” because it affects the production of collagen and slows the aging process. The combination of vitamins A and E - one of the most useful options for "cooperation" for the female body. These vitamins are involved in the synthesis of female sex hormones, which determine the health of a woman, her reproductive functions.

A deficiency of these hormones provokes a violation of the cycle, up to amenorrhea (complete absence of menstruation), problems with conception and fetus bearing.

Another important component for women is vitamin B9, better known as folic acid. In the body, it is known as a “stabilizer” of hormonal background, therefore it is especially necessary at the stages associated with significant hormonal changes. First of all, this is the adolescent stage, the period of pregnancy and lactation, menopause. Folic acid is involved in the formation of the neural tube of the fetus, as well as a number of internal organs, including the brain and spinal cord. That is why asparagus beans are useful during pregnancy, especially in its first trimester.

In general, B vitamins are involved in almost all vital processes in the body. They take part in metabolism, blood formation, improve the work of the central nervous system (in combination with magnesium). Strengthening the nervous system occurs by improving the conductivity of nerve impulses between the endings. This makes green pods the recommended product for nervous disorders, mental overload, symptoms of chronic fatigue, insomnia.

The combination of vitamins B and zinc suggests the benefits of beans for men's health. Such a vitamin tandem is involved in the production of testosterone - the main male hormone. It is he who provides strength and endurance of a man, helps to restore and build muscle mass faster.

In addition, testosterone with a sufficient amount in the body improves the reproductive functions of men, increasing erection and libido, as well as improving sperm quality. Green pods will finally help prevent a number of male diseases associated with inflammation of the prostate gland.

Rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as delicate dietary fibers, green beans are a useful product for the children's body. It is better absorbed than the grain, does not provoke increased gas. Easily assimilable protein is what is needed during the period of growth and development.In the absence of problems with digestion and other contraindications, green beans can be included in the diet of a child from 10 months of age. It should be mashed in a puree or light vegetable soup based on it.

Medicinal properties of the product apply to the human cardiovascular system. First of all, it should be noted strengthening effect of magnesium and potassium on the heart muscle, thereby increasing the endurance of the heart, normalizes its rhythm. Vitamin PP improves vascular permeability, and thus, tissue nutrition. Vitamins E and C increase the elasticity of the vascular walls, which prevents the development of stagnation, reduces the likelihood of varicose diseases.

Add to this the presence of iron in the composition, which means sufficient oxygen saturation of the blood and maintaining an optimal level of hemoglobin, to assert that the green beans help fight diseases such as anemia, atherosclerosis, varicose veins, heart attack, stroke. Vegetable is especially useful for pregnant, lactating and children, since it is in this group that low hemoglobin is usually observed. In addition, the composition contains vitamin K, which is rather rare for vegetables, which also participates in blood formation processes and ensures good blood clotting. This vitamin also improves the absorption of calcium from other foods.

Returning to the statement that all the elements of the chemical composition of the pods very well complement each other, it is worth noting the combination of vitamin C with iron. Ascorbic acid improves the absorption of iron, which makes it even more useful for the circulatory system. And iron and molybdenum, also present in the culture, improve the functioning of the organs of the respiratory system.

Copper is present in the composition of the beans, which allows us to recommend it for diseases of the joints and ligaments. Pods should be included in the diet of those who suffer from arthritis, gout, athletes, they will help avoid problems with ligaments and joints, which sooner or later cause increased physical exertion. Especially useful in this case, freshly squeezed juices from beans. For example, in inflammatory processes of articular bags (bursitis), 100 ml of juice are taken twice a day for 10-14 days.

Use of the product helps to reduce blood pressure in hypertension. Fresh beans, especially juice from it, contribute to the production of insulin, which makes it a valid and useful product for people with diabetes. In this disease, it is recommended to combine the beans with other vegetables, meat, fish, because the beans have a large amount of fiber, which will prevent the rapid entry of sugar into the blood and, as a result, its jump. In addition, the beans provide the much needed insulin.

Diabetes mellitus in the early stages is characterized by edema, with which potassium contained in the beans helps to cope. By the way, this ability is useful for pregnant women, losing weight and those who have problems with the organs of elimination. Patients with diabetes are recommended daily to drink fresh juice from beans, carrots, Brussels sprouts and lettuce. This drink contributes to the development of insulin.

Bean decoctions have similar properties. For their preparation, 150 mg of pods should be crushed into a pulp, then boil them for a quarter of an hour in 1 liter of water. Strain and take before meals with 150 ml. Asparag bean is characterized by a diuretic effect, which allows to improve the functioning of the liver and kidneys, to remove toxins.

Beans are low-calorie, but nutritious. Its proteins contain essential and non-essential amino acids, and in terms of their quality they are close to proteins of animal origin. That is why green beans should be included on a regular basis in the diet of vegetarians and fasted.

Vegetable is rich in organic acids and fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the state of the digestive organs. The first components have the same function as the gastric juice - they help to break down the incoming food, which contributes to its more rapid and qualitative assimilation. Particularly useful beans for people with low acidity of the stomach.

When the digestive organs function correctly, the person’s well-being improves (such troubles as feeling of heaviness, heartburn, increased flatulence can be avoided), metabolic and lipid processes (splitting of fat) exchanges are accelerated, immunity increases (most immune cells are located in the intestine).

The use of beans will help to normalize the production of bile and eliminate its injection into the stomach. It also helps to improve digestion, helps to eliminate the appearance of heartburn after eating. Beans can be eaten in chronic pancreatitis, but only during remission. At this time, recommended bean-based decoction, which will help delay and reduce the periods of exacerbation of the disease.

This broth is made from dried pods of beans that need to be crushed. Then 1 tablespoon of raw materials pour a glass of water, bring to a boil and simmer over moderate heat for another 3-5 minutes. Take three times a day half an hour before meals, 200 ml.

Due to the presence of organic acids in the composition of the beans may be harmful to people with increased acidity of the stomach. It is necessary to refuse its use during the acute period at a peptic ulcer, gastritis, colitis, cholecystitis, and also diseases of a liver and kidneys.

With a tendency to diarrhea active eating beans can aggravate the condition. The same can be said about people suffering from increased gas formation. Especially often this phenomenon occurs in older people, when bowel motility significantly decreases. Because of the presence of vitamin K in the composition of the beans should be eaten with problems with blood clotting and taking anticoagulants.

This is due to the presence in the composition of feazina - a toxic substance. It disrupts the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, provokes damage to the gastric mucosa and can cause severe poisoning.

You can not immediately put the beans in the soup or use the water in which the pods were boiled, because the liquid will be filled with feazin. Proper cooking of beans implies boiling them until ready and half-ready; in the second case, subsequent heat treatment is expected (for example, a similar technology is provided for cooking soups).

Pre-soaking the pods in soda solution will help to avoid increased flatulence and the appearance of intestinal colic after eating beans. In order to reduce flatulence, it is recommended to cook legumes with carrots, dill and fennel seeds.

When using juice or broth on the basis of beans, they should be prepared immediately before use. With prolonged infusion of such products, they lose most of the beneficial elements (the same vitamin C "lives" no more than 30-40 minutes when in contact with air) and can accumulate toxic compounds.

If you experience these symptoms, you should take an antihistamine drug, with a significant deterioration in the condition - go to the hospital.

Children's age is not a contraindication to the use of asparagus beans, but you can give it in small portions. From 6-7 months in very small dosages, such beans can be added to squash puree, broccoli-based puree and vegetable mixes allowed for feeding children of this age.

From 10-11 months you can try to give the baby a monopure on the basis of beans. The first dosage is a third of a teaspoon. If, after such a tasting, there was no negative reaction of the body, you can give this puree, every 2-3 “sessions”, increasing the dosage by another half a teaspoon. There is no need to give the crumbs beans daily, 2-3 times a week in one form or another is enough.

In pregnancy, beans can and should be added to the diet. However, during this period, due to a dramatic change in the hormonal background, the appearance of negative reactions from the body - allergies. Even if, prior to the “interesting situation,” you did not have an allergy to the beans, when you become pregnant, you should start to include it in the diet with minimal doses, carefully monitoring your condition.

Due to the large amount of fiber, which accelerates intestinal motility, the use of beans may have to be abandoned in the last weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that the enlarged uterus is literally in contact with the stomach and intestines, the enhanced peristalsis of the latter can cause its reduction. This, in turn, is fraught with hypertonicity of the uterus and premature labor.

Lactation is also not a contraindication to receive asparagus beans. It all depends on the reaction of the body of the baby to the product. If the condition of the baby does not deteriorate, then the newly-made mother should definitely include green pods in her diet. They do not cause strong gas formation, contain a lot of iron, as well as vitamins and minerals.

Reduce ingestion of fiber will not use the pods, and juice. In the presence of anemia, the juice of asparagus beans should be diluted with beet and carrot fresh juice (2 parts of carrot juice and 1 part of bean juice and beets). If the child is experiencing problems with the tummy in response to mother eating beans - colic, flatulence, stool disorders or rash on the skin, it is better to temporarily exclude the product from the diet. You can try to return to it after the child reaches 3-4 months of age.

Harm from beans can provoke its combination with high-protein and high-calorie foods. Such dishes will be too heavy for the stomach, and digestion will take a lot of time and may simply not be enough enzymes. In this regard, the beans should not be combined with meat (possible options - chicken, rabbit, turkey). Do not avoid increased gas formation and pain in the stomach when combining beans with other legumes, cabbage, vegetables, containing a lot of coarse fiber.

The beneficial effects on the intestines and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the ability to speed up metabolism in combination with a low nutritional value, make the string beans an optimal product for weight loss. In addition, it contains many slow carbohydrates and proteins that give a feeling of satiety, provide the body with strength and energy, help in building muscle tissue. Finally, a high content of vitamins and minerals will ensure the stability of the functions of all organs and systems, preclude the development of beriberi, which often happens while following diets, especially strict ones.

Its consumption contributes to the production in the body of cholecystokinin - a hormone that reduces appetite and is involved in metabolic metabolism. In addition, the beans contribute to the inhibition of the absorption of carbohydrates, in particular - starches. Also reduced blood sugar levels. That is, with the help of beans you can in some way "neutralize" the effect of more high-calorie sweet or fatty foods. Within reasonable limits, of course.

For weight loss, there are 2 options for the use of green beans.

• The first approach involves reducing the daily amount of calories., adherence to the principles of healthy eating and the inclusion in the diet of a large number of beans. With sufficient physical activity, weight reduction will occur smoothly, and the achieved result will be maintained for a long time.
• The second technique involves dieting. That is, the basis of the diet will be beans, which will complement other low-calorie vegetables and greens. Such diets are usually called "express" and suggest a short duration of compliance. For 3, 7, 10 days of such nutrition it is possible to achieve impressive results - it goes from 3-5 to 10-12 kg. However, it should be remembered that such nutrition schemes are always stressful for the body and should be resorted to only in emergency cases (for example, you should lose weight quickly to a specific event) and no more than 1-2 times in 4-6 months.

In dietary nutrition, young shoots are most appropriate to use, they taste more pleasant, are easier to digest and contain more healing elements. The preferred method of cooking - boiling in water, steaming, much less - stewing. If you want to achieve significant results, it is better to cook without salt or with a minimum amount. Sodium retains fluid in the tissues, which disrupts their activity, slows down their metabolism and becomes the cause of the body swallowing.

Greens, garlic, sauces will help to avoid boil or steamed beans. The latter should be based on soybean, cold-pressed vegetable oils.

Wishing to lose those extra pounds, it is recommended to combine beans with fats of vegetable origin - olive, sunflower, linseed oil, lean beef, chicken, turkey, as well as greens, pepper, tomatoes and cucumbers, cottage cheese, eggs. But from the combination of fatty meat, cereal and potatoes with green beans should be abandoned, because they will be excessively heavy and high in calories.

Diversify the diet menu will allow the use of different varieties of beansAfter all, besides traditional green pods, there are also yellow, purple. For example, many yellow bean varieties (primarily the “Oil King”) have a pleasant buttery aftertaste. They are good in boiled and baked form. The purple pods of the Blau Hilde variety are pleasing with a creamy flavor.

In its raw form, you can eat Panther beans, which have tender yellow-colored pods - they will decorate any vegetable salad and significantly increase its usefulness. And the view “Hell Rem” will fill any dish with mushroom flavor, it’s good to cook soups. The Akito variety is also characterized by a slightly less strong mushroom odor. A pronounced antibacterial effect has a “Fana” bean.

Regardless of the chosen bean diet, you should adhere to the following principles of nutrition:

• refuse fatty, salty, sweet, flour;
• observe drinking regime - for every kilogram of body weight you need to drink 30 ml of water (this is the daily dosage of water, this norm does not include drinks, soups);
• not to eat beans 4-5 hours before bedtime, the last meal should occur no later than 3 hours before bedtime;
• half a cup of kefir half an hour before bedtime will help to start the metabolic processes and quench the feeling of hunger.

An exemplary menu of a three-day express diet on beans may have the following options.

Breakfast:

• omelette on 1 egg and two egg whites with 200 g of beans;
• salad of beans, greens, cucumbers and bell pepper, seasoned with lemon juice;
• freshly blended cocktail of beans, greens, asparagus with the addition of oatmeal or flaxseed (sesame) seeds.

Dinners:

• steamed fish with stewed beans;
• stew of beans, zucchini and tomatoes with lean beef;
• boiled chicken breast with steamed beans and a sauce of tomatoes and peppers with greens.

Dinners:

• vegetable casserole (beans, zucchini, pepper) with the addition of eggs and cottage cheese;
• bean soup in vegetable broth;
• bean salad.

The unloading day for beans implies a complete rejection of other products besides it. Beans need to eat boiled in the amount of 1.5 kg. Cook without salt, allowed to sprinkle the pods with olive oil and lemon juice.

As drinks take clean water. With a strong attack of hunger, it is allowed to drink 2 cups of kefir or eat the protein of one egg. Duration of the diet - 1 day.

All monodiets can be used only in the absence of contraindications, it is impossible to resort to them for serious problems with digestion and other chronic diseases, during pregnancy and lactation. During the passage of such diets can not be actively involved in sports. It is necessary to refuse swimming, cardio and gym classes, it is permissible to practice yoga, stretching.

Another useful recipe is in the next video.