10 Health Benefits of Pinto Beans
Legumes are an important source of nutritional elements, notably plant-based protein. However, besides being rich in protein, legumes such as beans have high fiber content and other phytochemical substances as well as elements that are very vital in maintaining a healthy body.
Among the many types of edible beans, pinto beans are a special variety loaded with numerous nutritional properties that make them a great addition to a healthy diet. But besides their impressive nutritional profile, pinto beans have direct positive effects on human health.
In this article, we will look at the top 10 health benefits of pinto beans.
Pinto Beans Benefit #1: Healthy Heart
Your heart’s health is tied to the kind of foods that you normally eat. In a study that followed several thousand people in the US, Europe, and Japan, startling differences regarding the risk of developing heart disease were discovered.
Notably, among the Japanese, whose meals were generally composed of fish, soy beans, and other legumes, there was a resounding 82% reduction in the chances of suffering from heart disease.
Pinto beans contain, as mentioned earlier, a high fiber content that reduces cholesterol. Note that a high cholesterol level increases the risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends taking legumes such as pinto beans for a healthy heart.
Pinto Beans Benefit #2: Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Pinto beans have the benefits of assisting with regulating your blood sugar levels, keeping them consistent without much variation. You may wonder about the significance of this, but if you are diabetic, or you know a friend or family member who is, you will appreciate this benefit more.
The high fiber content of pinto beans helps your body to obtain energy in a slower, but steady manner. This is especially important for people who suffer from diabetes, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and insulin resistance. Studies have shown that people on a high fiber diet have reduced levels of cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar. Overall, this promotes good health.
Pinto Beans Benefit #3: Helps with Memory
Yes, imagine that regular consumption of pinto beans can improve your memory and brain functions. Pinto beans are a rich source of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, which is an important co-factor in several enzyme-mediated processes. Some of these processes include the formation of a key chemical messenger in the body known as acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine is involved in memory and cognitive functions of the brain. As such, deficiency of acetylcholine is implicated in age-related decrease in brain function and Alzheimer’s disease. Besides, thiamine plays important roles in energy production processes. You would, therefore, be doing yourself a favor to have pinto beans as part of your regular diet.
Pinto Beans Benefit #4: Rich in Fiber
Legumes, among them pinto beans and other beans, are a very rich source of dietary fiber. Fiber can either be soluble or insoluble. Insoluble fiber is known for its ability to absorb water when in the gut, swelling up and increasing the bulk of the intestinal content. Moreover, soluble fiber combines with bile, which is rich in cholesterol. This way, fiber helps to reduce the levels of cholesterol in the body and, by extension, reduces the risk associated with high blood cholesterol.
The insoluble fiber also helps with improving bowel movements, which promotes passing of stools. Thus, high fiber meals, such as those including pinto beans, can help prevent constipation and other diseases of the bowel like irritable bowel syndrome.
Pinto Beans Benefit #5: Rich in Folate
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is important for several body processes including the production of red blood cells. Additionally, folate is crucial in the repair of DNA and RNA, biological molecules found within body cells that are responsible for instructing and directing cellular processes, including making of the various proteins that perform diverse functions throughout the body.
The demand for folate is especially increased among expectant women as it is required for the proper development of the fetus, particularly the formation of the neural tube that houses the central nervous system. For a rich supply of this important vitamin, consider including pinto beans in your regular diet.
Pinto Beans Benefit #6: Rich in Magnesium
Regular consumption of pinto beans can provide a natural means of controlling your blood pressure. Pinto beans are rich in elements like magnesium, which helps to naturally regulate blood pressure. Magnesium, by acting on blood vessels, reduces the blood vessel-constricting effects of calcium. By doing so, magnesium helps prevent severe constriction and accompanying increase in pressure.
Similarly, the vasodilation helps maintain the flow of blood and supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues. It has been shown that deficiencies in magnesium are associated with increased chances of a heart attack. Additionally, and consequent to a heart attack, a deficiency in magnesium encourages free radical formation and injury to the heart.
Pinto Beans Benefit #7: Rich in Potassium
Potassium provides one type of ion in the body that plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular functions. For example, potassium is central to the process of nervous system communication that facilitates various body functions. Besides, potassium ions are involved in proper muscle function, including heart function. Potassium is also vital in the control of blood pressure.
Thus, ensuring that your body receives adequate amounts of potassium is essential for health. What is reassuring is that you don’t have to struggle to figure out how to ensure that you get enough potassium into your body. Pinto beans are a rich source of potassium with one cup serving of the beans providing more than 750 mg of the mineral.
Pinto Beans Benefit #8: Rich in Molybdenum
The element molybdenum, although not known by many, is important for the optimum functioning of some essential enzymes in the body, especially involving sulphites. Have you heard of a friend or colleague reacting to sulphites? The cause may be related to insufficient amounts of molybdenum in the body. This element is an integral part of the enzyme sulphite oxidase, which helps to detoxify sulphites in the body.
It happens that pinto beans are a rich source of this element. Sulphites are usually used as preservatives in foods and when taken unawares by those who may be allergic to sulphites, they can cause unpleasant reactions including headaches, rapid heartbeat, and disorientation. The answer to reacting to sulphites might just be some regular intake of pinto beans to keep your molybdenum stores replenished.
Pinto Beans Benefit #9: Rich in Iron
We all appreciate the role of iron in our bodies. First, iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. Thus, a lack of iron will compromise oxygen delivery within the body and, therefore, affect the ability to perform ordinarily simple tasks. Besides, iron is a key component of enzymes that are involved in metabolism.
The demand for iron is increased among women who are menstruating, lactating, or breastfeeding. Similarly, adolescents undergoing rapid growth and development have higher iron needs. Pinto beans can supply the iron that your body requires to remain active, strong, and healthy.
Pinto Beans Benefit #10: Source of Manganese and Copper
Pinto beans are a rich source of trace elements including manganese and copper, without which some cellular functions would be adversely affected. For example, manganese is required in the functioning of the enzyme superoxide dismutase that destroys free radicals produced during the process of metabolism. The free radicals, when not promptly removed or destroyed, can precipitate the harmful inflammation, which can lead to cancers and other diseases.
Copper, on the other hand, is involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin; the oxygen-carrying protein in blood. Thus, insufficient amount of copper in the body leads to problems with oxygen transportation and, consequently, energy generation issues. By incorporating pinto beans in your diet, you can ensure that your body is getting significant amounts of these important trace elements.
