The Benefits of Beans: A Complete Guide to Vitamins and Minerals for a Healthy Diet

2024-03-23 01:57:24
Beans are a food rich in vitamins and minerals that bring multiple health benefits Credit: X/@maggieunz

Beans are undoubtedly an important ingredient in Mexican cuisine, which millions of people include in their daily diet.

In addition to having a great flavor, they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Among its components are protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B2 and niacin.

The Mexican Diabetes Federation advises consuming 1 to 2 servings of legumes daily, a group to which beans belong, so eating them frequently is important to lead a healthy life.

It is recommended to eat 1 cup of legumes a day, which is equivalent to 200 grams. But, what are the nutrients obtained by eating this portion of beans?

The beans contain protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B2 and niacin (Photo: Gettyimages)

According to the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, every 100 grams of cooked beans provide the following nutrients:

– Crude protein: 5.9 grams (g)

– Raw fibre: 1.20 g

– Fibra D.T.: 5.49 g

– Calcium: 46.6 milligrams (mg)

– Phosphorus: 27 mg

– Hierro: 1.85 mg

It is advisable to eat one to two servings of legumes a day (Illustrative Image Infobae)

– Potassium: 272 mg

– Magnesio: 25 mg

– Zinc: 0.70 mg

– Vitamin B1: 0.07 mg

-Vitamin B2: 0.04

– Niacin: 0.36 mg

These figures correspond to the protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals contained in half a cup. If you consume one cup, as experts recommend, you get double the amount.

The elements contained in beans have important functions to maintain organs, bones, cells and tissues in good condition. According to information collected from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these are some:

– Proteins: the main structural components of cells and tissues. They are essential for the growth, development and maintenance of the body.

They have other functions such as repairing damaged tissues, as well as producing metabolic and digestive enzymes.

– Fiber: promotes intestinal health, helps control cholesterol and blood sugar levels, generates a feeling of satiety, and reduces inflammation.

– Calcium: it is known to be necessary to keep bones strong. But it is not the only important function it performs, it is also essential for muscles to move, for nerves to transmit messages from the brain, for blood to circulate and for the release of hormones necessary for various functions.

– Phosphorus: it has a prominent role in energy production and in a large number of important chemical processes.

– Iron: it is necessary to make hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body, to produce myoglobin that supplies oxygen to the muscles, and for the production of hormones.

Beans have important functions to maintain organs, bones, cells and tissue in good condition (Illustrative Image Infobae)

– Potassium: it is essential for the proper functioning of muscles, nerves and organs such as the heart and kidney.

– Magnesium: is responsible for regulating muscle and nervous system function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure. It is also involved in the production of protein, bone mass and DNA.

– Zinc: it is an ally of the immune system, it helps produce DNA and proteins.

– Vitamin B1: helps keep the heart and nerves healthy, the proper functioning of some enzymes and the breakdown of sugar in food.

– Vitamin B2: it is important in cell growth, development and function.

– Niaciana: also known as vitamin B3, it serves to convert food into energy.

To take better advantage of the nutrients in beans, the FAO recommends eating them in combination with products rich in vitamin C and cereals, because ascorbic acid improves the absorption of iron while foods such as rice or corn result in a high protein. biological value.

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