When I was looking for a quick and easy recipe for my daily office lunch, I came across a dish. zoe An app with beans and artichokes tossed in a delicious lemon sauce. The app, which is full of recipes designed to promote gut health, says that not only does it take just 10 minutes to make (and is on sale), but I can make it for a thriving microbiome. It’s also one of the best meals I’ve had. And a lot of that came from beans.
Beans, heart-healthy beans, the more you eat them, the better your gut bacteria will be balanced, which will improve your heart health and overall health.Beans (butter, kidney, soy, cannellini, etc.), which are part of the legume family (which also includes peas and lentils), are some of the healthiest and most affordable foods available to us, but Co-Founder According to Professor Tim Spector of Zoe and its author food for lifethey are “undervalued.”
“They are relatively affordable, widely available, and last a long time when purchased canned or dried,” he says. “Some people may frown upon the idea of canned beans, but there’s nothing wrong with the beans themselves. They’re typically harvested, dried, and canned at the source, which retains most of the nutrients. It’s a delicious addition to meals.”
How can we find out?
Why are beans so good for us?
“Beans have a great nutritional profile,” says the nutritionist and naturopathic doctor. Alta. “They are an excellent source of plant-based protein, containing 12 to 16 grams of protein per cup, as well as vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, various B vitamins, zinc, manganese, selenium, and potassium. If that’s not enough, phytonutrients (such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins) have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, and cardioprotective properties. It is also rich in a type of polyphenol. It’s an antioxidant that feeds the gut bacteria,” says Professor Spector.
Also rich in dietary fiber
It is also rich in dietary fiber, with each cup containing about 15 grams of dietary fiber. And fiber is “the main fuel for the gut microbiome, supporting a thriving and diverse bacterial population,” Professor Spector says. When our bacteria are fed fiber, they metabolize it and produce beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids that boast many beneficial properties. “They have anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-carcinogenic, neuroprotective properties and are also involved in our immune response,” Stevenson explains. “When there is a lack of fiber in the diet, the microorganisms are essentially starved and turn to the intestinal lining for fuel.”
