When You Wonder Are Black Beans Good For Weight Loss…
Are black beans good for weight loss? Yes! Black beans are a gut healthy super food high in fiber and antioxidants. They are easy to keep in your cupboard and throw into a variety of dishes including Vegetarian Mexican Pizza with Arugula Lime Salad, Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos, Hummus Taco Bowls, and more.
Our kids will actually open a can of black beans themselves, throw in their favorite seasonings, and microwave for a healthy, filling lunch. I know, it sounds weird, but they LOVE it. Did I mention black beans are baby/toddler approved? Easy to pick up for even the tiniest fingers, they are pretty soft when cooked and a choke-free (don’t let them eat too many at a time!!), healthy meal for your little one. The benefits of black beans include,
Black Bean Health Benefits
Fiber and Antioxidants Combine to Help Prevent Diabetes and Chronic Disease
Black beans are full of fiber and have been found to support blood sugar regulation and decreased risk of chronic disease including heart disease and type II diabetes (Winham et al., 2017). Why? As an excellent source of plant-based fiber, they also are rich in antioxidants which help reduce the bad free radicals floating around your gut (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017).
Antioxidants Reduce Chronic Disease and Some Cancers
The healthy micro superstars in black beans include antioxidants which defend against free radicals that have been found related to chronic diseases and cancer. Black beans include anthocyanins which helps regulate your blood sugar. Furthermore, black beans have flavonoids which have been found preventative against cancer and heart disease (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017).
Looking to Include Black Beans in Your Next Meal?
Black Beans Help Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar
Black beans, have a large proportion of polyphenols which have been found to help regulate blood sugar (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017). More stable blood sugar means less risk for type II diabetes (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017). Similar to the post I wrote on chickpeas, our bodies process black beans more slowly preventing large spikes in blood sugar across the day (Reverri et al., 2015).
Black Beans Can Help Your Body Digest Carbs
Black beans contain the polyphenol antioxidant, anthocyanidin, which has been found to help your body become more sensitive to insulin (Damián-Medina et al, 2020; Reverri et al., 2015). As an added bonus, it may also help your body digest carbs (Reverri et al., 2015). Did that just get your attention? Mine too!
Antioxidants combined with a significant amount of fiber help bring down the glycemic index for meals with black beans (Winham et al., 2017). The fiber in black beans slows the amount of time it takes to get through the intestine which in turn gives more time for sugar absorption and release into your bloodstream (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017).
A Low Glycemic Index Food
Eating low glycemic index foods is important for those at risk for type II diabetes. But how many beans do you need to help reduce the glycemic index? Doctors have found that even 1/2 a cup of black beans can bring down the glycemic index and help control your blood sugar (Winham et al., 2017).
Heart Healthy
Eating plenty of fiber can reduce your cholesterol and promote heart health. Fiber is so important to your diet (Busiewicz, 2020), yet the average American does not eat nearly enough of it.
Doctors have found eating a high amount of fiber significantly reduces the mortality rate for:
- cardiovascular disease by 23%
- cancer by 17%
- digestive diseases by 68%
- infectious disease by 58%
- inflammatory disease by 43%
With plenty of antioxidants and fiber, black beans are a heart healthy choice (Huang & Zhang, 2015).
How much is a high amount of fiber? Even eating 10 grams of total fiber per day can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Huang & Zhang, 2015
Black beans have also been found to lower cholesterol, particularly the bad LDL cholesterol (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017). Lower cholesterol supports your overall heart health.
Relax Yourself and Your Blood Pressure
Between running for exercise and running after kids, my muscles are always tense. I had no idea that black beans could support my muscle flexibility and blood pressure! The fiber and flavonoids in black beans both lower your blood pressure and may relax your muscles (Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017). Doctors conducting a small randomized, clinical trial on healthy adults and found eating 3/4 of a cup of black beans lowered blood pressure significantly as compared to rice and pinto beans (Clark et al., 2021).
The Caveat to Black Beans
While they are full of healthy micro superheroes, black beans do have a few nutrients that may not work for some. Black beans have lectins that can be harder for your gut to digest. Secondarily, they include tannins that can keep your body from absorbing iron. Finally, black beans have phytic acid which can keep your body from absorbing some calcium, iron, and zinc (Carbas et al., 2020; Chávez-Mendoza & Sánchez, 2017). Cooking black beans or fermenting them can decrease the lectins within them while preserving all the gut healthy benefits (Petroski & Minich, 2020).
Black Beans are a Versatile Super Food
Originating from South America, black beans are an easy staple ingredient to keep in your cupboard. You can add them in recipes from chilis, to tacos, to dips. If you’re looking for meals that include black beans, you can search black beans on Kait’s Cupboard. Or, try Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos, Breakfast Tostadas, or Vegetarian Mexican Pizza with Arugula Lime Salad.
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