Health for Body Mind and Soul

For those looking to boost everyday nutrition, beans may be a great option.

A research study from Costa Rica, and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , examined the benefit of eating beans, and the overall impact beans had in the diet of study participants. The study included 2000 men and women.

The study indicated that participants who substituted one serving of beans for a serving of rice saw a 35% lower reduction in certain symptoms that may lead to diabetes. Additionally, those who ate extra rice also had higher blood pressure, higher fat levels in their blood, and lower levels of good cholesterol.

Researchers attributed this benefit to a variety of factors. Beans are higher in fiber and do not cause a spike in insulin production the way rice and some wheat products do. Rice is easily converted to glucose in the body, and may lead to a diabetic response.
This study has strong implications for the diet of Americans. The American diet is even more heavily based on rice as well as other starches than ever before. In fact, rice consumption per person has doubled from 1980 to 2008.

For anyone who is at a higher risk for diabetes, or who already has the disease, beans are a great substitute for starches. Beans will provide much needed protein, as well as be much less straining on the insulin system.