Phaseolus vulgaris, kidney bean, green bean or common bean, is an annual, climbing or sub-erect herbaceous bush in the Fabaceae (legume or bean family) in the genus Phaseolus L, that originated in Central and South America and is currently grown in many parts of the world for its beans, that can be harvested and consumed immature, still in the edible pod, or when mature, shelled, and dried. Kashmiri kidney beans, Red kidney beans and Chitra kidney beans are some popular varieties of Kidney beans. It is often considered the ‘meat of the poor’ and forms the main protein source for individuals in many countries even though it is also common with wealthier consumers. Apart from its mild flavor it is loaded with important essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

Plant

A kidney bean is an annual, climbing or sub-erect herbaceous bush growing 3 meters long. It is found growing in tropical and temperate zones. It prefers medium-textured, well drained, organic rich soils over 0.5 m deep. It cannot tolerate high soil acidity and the related aluminum and manganese toxicities. It has well-developed taproot along with many lateral roots. It has 2–3 m long pubescent stem, turns glabrescent when old. Leaf is trifoliolate, alternate on 4–9 cm long petiole. Leaflets are 4–16 cm long, 2.5–11 cm broadly ovate to ovate-rhombic, acuminate, and apex, rounded to broadly cuneate base. Flower is papilionaceous, bisexual. Corolla is white, purple, yellow or pale pink, standard 9–12 mm long and glabrous. It is found blooming during July to September.

Fruit

Kidney beans are 8–20 cm long by 1–2.5 cm wide, linear-oblong legume, black, green, purple, yellow, pink, white-pink spotted in color, slightly curved to broadly undulating, turgid, glabrous, and beaked. One Kidney bean consists of 4–10 rounded kidney-shaped, ellipsoid or oblong and 2 cm long seeds which are pink, black, white, brown, red, spotted or variegated in 2 colors. A seed normally have dark red skin and has cream-colored flesh. It has mild flavor which is mostly suitable for soups, vegetables and many more. Beans are used for burns, dysentery, acne, bladder, diabetes, cardiac, carminative, dropsy, depurative, diuretic, diarrhea and many other problems.

History

Kidney bean is usually supposed to have originated in the Americas, with two centers of domestication. The small seed varieties were proposed to have domesticated from small-seeded wild type in Central America and the large-seeded varieties from large-seeded type in the Andean region of South America. Spaniards and Portuguese have taken to Europe, later they also took them to Africa and other parts of the Old World. Currently they are broadly grown in the tropics, subtropics and temperate regions. They are less identified in India, where other pulses are favored.

Nutritional Value

Apart from their mild taste Kidney bean is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Consuming 100 gram of kidney bean offers 35.6 mg of Vitamin C, 0.362 mg of Vitamin B1, 0.273 mg of Vitamin B2 0.174 mg of Copper, 3.024 mg of Vitamin B3, 47 µg of Vitamin B9, 0.89 mg of Iron and 4.83 g of Protein. Moreover many Amino acids like 0.214 g of Isoleucine, 0.248 g of Valine, 0.203 g of Threonine, 0.05 g of Tryptophan and 0.135 g of Histidine are also found in 100 gram of the fruit.

Health benefits of Kidney beans

Kidney beans are loaded with important nutrients, vitamins and minerals which are essential to live a healthy and prosperous life. Including kidney beans on a regular diet helps us to fight with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Relieves Fatigue, good for digestive health, cures acne and many other disease.

1. Beneficial for digestive health

Kidney beans are a good source of dietary fiber. Fiber is normally of two types insoluble and soluble, kidney beans include both. Soluble fiber is helpful in reducing the amount of cholesterol you absorb from food and insoluble fiber provides required bulk for good digestive health as well as bowel movements. Research recommends consuming more fluids as soon as you consume kidney beans or any other legumes to assists digestive system properly uses additional fiber.

2. Cardiovascular Benefits

Kidney beans include higher fiber content which is essential to reduces cholesterol level. Foliate content in kidney beans also helps to lower homocysteine which further decreases the chance of heart attacks, vascular disease and many other heart related diseases. Apart from that magnesium contained in kidney beans helps to maintain healthy functioning of the cardiovascular system.

3. Cures Acne

Kidney beans consists of moderate quantity of Zinc that plays an important role in maintain healthy skin. Zinc helps proper functioning of sebaceous glands that helps to produce perspiration. Apart from that folic acids presents in kidney beans helps in forming new skin cells. Regular production of new cells can be beneficial to clear pores as well as decrease acne breakouts. Therefore kidney beans consumption is beneficial for better skin health.

4. Relieves Fatigue

Fatigue, also mentioned as lethargy, tiredness, listlessness and exhaustion describes a physical and mental state of being tired and weak. Magnesium content of Kidney beans can significantly provide relief from fatigue. It also relaxes nerves, blood vessels and muscles. Regular kidney beans consumption also helps to reduce muscle soreness, headache, migraine and different effects of Asthma.

5. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a serious long-lasting progressive illness resulting in inflammation of joints and leads to throbbing deformity as well as immovability, particularly in the ankles, feet, fingers and wrists. Frequent Kidney beans intake is best options for decreasing such inflammatory conditions since kidney beans contain reasonable quantity of Copper content. Copper is essential to encourage certain enzymatic activity as well as sustain elastic properties of joints, blood vessels and ligaments.

6. Treatment of the Common Cold

Common cold, simply known as cold, is a viral infectious illness of the upper respiratory tract that mainly affects the nose. Kidney beans intake improves the immune system of our body, which safeguards from colds and coughs. It enables the absorption of iron and hence strengthens the body’s resistance to infection. It also fights against viruses.

7. Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is actually a progressive mental weakening which takes place in middle or old age, because of general deterioration of the brain. It is the main reason of premature senility. Vitamin B is essential nutrients for proper brain function which is found in significant amounts in Kidney beans. It nourishes your brain nerves and cells which can avoid age linked disease such as Alzheimer’s.

8. Bone Strength

Calcium and manganese present in Kidney beans are essential nutrients for maintain strong bones and other trace minerals helps to prevents osteoporosis (condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile due to loss of tissue). Different research have proven that low quantities of folic acid in the diet result in  growth of homocysteine levels and considerably increases risk of osteoporosis-related bone fractures, mainly  hip fracture in women and in men. Vitamin K content is also an acute nutrient for bone health. Vitamin K deficient people are at high risk of suffering from bone fractures problems. Vitamin K has shown to stop fractures in women who have passed through menopause and have previously started to experience bone loss.

9. Antioxidants & Anti-aging Properties

Kidney Beans are loaded with antioxidants that are considered to have strong anti-aging properties and to encourage longevity by limiting the damage caused by free radicals. It will help protect the skin and the rest of the body from long-term problems caused by environmental factors as well as unhealthy foods.

10. Curing Cataracts (Eye Disorder)

Cataract is most common conditions of visual problems. Kidney beans consist of considerable amount of vitamin C. An Insufficient quantity vitamin C within lens of the human eye has been discovered mostly when cataracts are present. An increase of vitamin C intake increases the blood supply to the ocular areas of the body.

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How to Eat

• In Latin America and parts of tropical Africa, they are grown mainly for the dried pulse in Latin America and parts of tropical Africa.
• They are grown for the green immature pods and are consumed as a vegetable and are also canned and frozen in Europe, the United States and other temperate countries.
• In Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea, leaves are also used as vegetables.
• Immature pods are frequently boiled, steamed, stir-fried, or baked in casseroles.
• Pods are consumed mixed with other vegetables like peas, carrots, corn or in stir fries with several types of meat.
• Pods are battered and fried and green beans are used in tempura in Japan.
• Green bean casserole including green beans, French fried onion and cream of mushroom soup is usually eaten particularly at Thanksgiving in USA.
• Kidney beans are used in chili con carne.
• Kidney bean is an essential part of the Punjabi cuisine in Punjab.
• Small kidney beans used in stews in La Rioja, Spain, are called Caparrones.
• Leaf is also rarely used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder.
• Seeds are typically boiled with seasoning and oil in tropical Africa.
• Beans can also be eaten mashed or made into soup.
• Young leaves of the plant are eaten as a salad in Java.
• Powdered seed makes a protein-enriching additive to flour; it can also be used in soups.
• Seed can also be sprouted and used in salads or cooked.
• Roasted seeds are used as a coffee substitute.
• Young leaves – raw or cooked as a potherb.
• Young leaves are eaten as a salad, the older leaves are cooked.

Other Traditional uses and benefits of Kidney beans

• Bean pods are most widely used traditional remedies for diabetes mellitus.
• It relieves a variety of ailments from acne, eczema, diarrhea and hiccups.
• Green pods are slightly diuretic and contain a substance that decreases the blood sugar level.
• Flour is used outwardly in the treatment of ulcers.
• Seed is also used in the treatment of cancer of the blood.
• When bruised and boiled with garlic they cured stubborn coughs.
• Homeopathic remedy is made from the entire fresh herb.
• It is used in the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis, plus disorders of the urinary tract.

Other Facts

• Bean leaves are used to trap bedbugs in houses.
• Microscopic hairs (trichomes) on the bean leave capture the insects.
• Beans were used as device in numerous methods of prediction. A fortune-telling using bean is called favomancy.
• Crop is used as fodder to feed animals.
• Brown dye is obtained from red kidney beans.
• Water from the cooked beans is very effective in reviving woolen fabrics.
• Plant residue remaining after harvesting the dried beans is a source of biomass.

Precautions

• Roots are reported to cause dizziness in human beings and animals.
• Huge quantities of the raw mature seed are poisonous.
• Kids eating few seeds have revealed mild forms of poisoning with nausea and diarrhoea, however complete recovery took place in 12 – 24 hours.
• Gout and kidney stones patients should avoid extra consumption of kidney beans.
• High amount of red kidney beans can disturb cellular metabolism.

Kidney Bean Facts

Kidney bean is an 8–20 cm long by 1–2.5 cm wide, linear-oblong legume which is green, yellow, black, purple, pink, white-pink mottled color. It can be found growing in organic rich, well-drained soils. It is a nutrients dense vegetable which is mainly used for vegetable.

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