National Bean Day

Green, red, kidney, lima, or soy are just a few of the different kinds of beans recognized on National Bean Day on January 6th. This day celebrates the bean in all sizes, shapes, and colors. We’ve been cultivating beans (legumes) since the early seventh millennium BC. People in every part of the world eat beans. Whether it be 3 bean chili in the US, to hummus in the Middle East, black beans and rice in Latin America, Lentils in India, or tofu (soy beans) in Asia, beans are truly a global food. This is for good reason, because beans are not only very good for you, but they are accessible and easy to digest.

And today, just as throughout the Old and New World history, beans provide a significant source of protein. Beans are seeds from the Fabaceae family, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family. They are an affordable source of protein, fiber, iron, and vitamins that offer many health benefits.

Health benefits of beans:

Beans are a great source of plant based protein. Protein is a vital nutrient that plays a key role in maintaining and repairing the body. Beans are high in amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Beans make an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.

They are also lower in calories and saturated fat than some other protein sources, such as meat and full fat or low fat dairy products.

Folate:

Beans contain several vital nutrients, including folate. Folate is essential for overall health, to make healthy red blood cells, and help prevent neural tube defects in a fetus during pregnancy.

Fiber:

Beans are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber is needed to help digest food and keep the digestive tract in top shape. It is essential for gut health, which supports all other health functions.

National Bean Day was originally supposed to celebrate Gregor Mendel, the famous geneticist, passed away on January 6th in 1884 and he used to use pea and bean plants to figure out theories about plant genetics. So it is really more about genetics than eating beans, but don’t let that stop you. Beans played an instrumental role in discovering genetics (if two long beans are bred then their offspring will also be long, etc). However, National Bean Day can celebrate both genetics and beans!

Genetics play a huge role in health, such as fighting disease. For instance, you can have tests done for certain genes, such as a gene that may make you more prone to heart disease or breast cancer. If you know that you are genetically predisposed to those conditions, you can take precautionary and proactive steps to lessen the chances of developing those diseases. For instance, if you know that heart disease runs in your family, then you may want to stay away from foods with high amounts of saturated fat or salt.