humanity is facing a multitude of
existential threats from climate change
to malnutrition to the rising cost of
living it feels like we need a hero but
not all heroes wear capes sometimes they
can be found in the unlikeliest of
places like on your toast in the morning
could the answer to the world's problems
be the humble Bean
beans are a dietary staple of nearly
every culture across the globe and for
good reason
not to toot their own horn but boasting
around 40 000 different varieties beans
are highly versatile nutritious cheap
and great for the environment part of
the legume family botanically beans are
a vegetable and come in many different
shapes and sizes from fresh beans and
peas to dried seeds like lentils and
chickpeas
if you're confused whether you should
treat them as a veg or a protein on your
plate the answer is they can be either
or both for example fresh peas and green
beans are considered starchy vegetables
while the high protein content of kidney
beans black beans and chickpeas means
they tick the boxes of both food groups
in a world where two and a half billion
people are either overweight obese or
malnourished beans are a nutritional
all-rounder not only are they an
inexpensive substitute for animal
products but they're both low-fat and
nutrient Rich high in protein iron zinc
and fiber they contain indigestible
carbohydrates that feed the bacteria in
the large bowel making them great for
our guts
while all beans contain a mix of
essential amino acids soybeans have the
best ratios for our health other beans
don't have that balance but around the
world people have traditionally paired
them with foods that make the meal
nutritionally complete think beans on
toast bean burritos rice and peas Dal
and chapatis everything is better with
beans
while beans are well known for their
roll-in to put it delicately releasing
gases they can also do the opposite
beans play a unique and important role
in crucial ecosystems like forests
grasslands and wetlands the bacteria in
their Roots take in nitrogen from the
atmosphere and store it in the soil
this process known as nitrogen fixing
not only provides nutrients for trees
and other plants but acts as a natural
fertilizer in agriculture greatly
reducing the need for synthetic ones and
lowering chemical pollution
in a world of ever increasing
temperatures beans are survivors able to
grow in a wide range of climates from
the broad beans of the UK to the azuki
of the Himalayas they're Hardy on
average requiring less water in their
production than rice wheat or animal
products and given that Global Water
demand is likely to increase by more
than 40 percent by 2030. this is quite a
superpower
sometimes been misunderstood
researchers once worried that the
isoflavins found in soy could cause
health issues by mimicking the hormone
estrogen but thankfully more recent
Studies have found no evidence of this
in fact modern research suggests that
soy could even lower cancer risk and
help maintain healthy hearts another
concern is that growing soya beans leads
to deforestation in places like the
Amazon
but in fact nearly 80 percent of soy
produced in the region is used to feed
the animals that feed us if we ate Less
meat and more soy we would need to use a
lot less land which would mean less
pressure to convert forests and natural
habitats for growing food
like everything in life beans aren't
perfect
for those who haven't had beans
consistently in their diet they may need
to introduce them slowly to get used to
their bulk and high fiber content some
people find that conditions like
irritable bowel syndrome can be
exacerbated by some beans though soaking
and cooking the beans thoroughly may
help kidney and cannellini beans contain
high levels of lectin a protein that
makes them toxic so they definitely need
to be cooked properly to avoid food
poisoning if bought dried or Raw
on balance though whilst beans can't be
expected to fix all the ills of the
world given their incredible abundance
nutritional value environmental benefits
and the Myriad delicious ways they can
be eaten the future looks decidedly
beanie
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