Beans are seasonal bloomers and are among the most widely consumed foods globally. They are the fruits or seeds of Fabaceae plants, the most prominent family of angiosperms known as legumes (via Britannica).
Beans are one of the least demanding, fastest, and easiest vegetables to grow. In fact, you can cultivate them right at home, as they require minerals like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, and iron, all of which can be found in any garden. A simple search query on YouTube will yield numerous results on how to grow beans in your garden or balcony. Beans need consistent moisture, warm soil, and about six to eight hours of sunlight daily. The growth period varies for each type of bean. Given how easily they can be grown and stored, beans are a common commodity in the market.
For vegetarians, beans can be an excellent substitute for protein obtained from meats (via Healthline). Indeed, beans are popular! But does consuming beans daily lead to potential side effects? Before we delve into this question, let’s explore some benefits of eating beans regularly.
Health benefits of eating beans
Beans are nutritious. According to WebMD, they are rich in fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and folate. Among several types of beans, the most common are red beans, kidney beans, black-eyed beans, soybeans, and navy beans (via US Dry Bean Council).
Consuming beans regularly can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions or heart attacks. According to research published in The FASEB Journal, daily intake of beans reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, potentially mitigating cardiovascular problems.
There are several more health benefits to beans. According to a 2015 study published in Food Research International, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of beans may help combat intestinal cancer. Another 2016 study suggests that daily consumption of Northeast China black beans can decelerate colorectal cancer growth (via BBA Molecular Cell Research). Research also suggests that incorporating navy beans and black beans into your daily diet can improve gut health by enhancing the body’s number of beneficial bacteria (via The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry).
Beans can give you gas
Yes, beans offer numerous benefits, but some are accompanied by unpleasant side effects, which might become more noticeable if you consume beans daily. One such side effect is gas, as we learned from a childhood song that went, “Beans, beans, they’re good for the heart. The more you eat, the more you…” — you get the idea. Indeed, eating beans can leave you feeling gassy, as noted by Healthline. The real reason beans cause gas is that they contain a non-digestible carbohydrate (fiber) called raffinose. Typically, the stomach and small intestine aren’t particularly adept at digesting raffinose. So, while some foods are well-digested by the time they reach the large intestine, beans are not. When beans reach the large intestine, they are fermented by the gut bacteria, as explained by the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
As beans ferment in your microbiome, gas bubbles are produced, leading to feelings of pressure and/or bloating and an urge to pass gas. Fortunately, your body becomes better at handling fiber over time, which means you might avoid the worst of the gassy feelings if you gradually introduce beans into your diet (per Healthline).
Beans can make you gain or lose weight
Eating beans supports cardiovascular health by promoting healthier blood cholesterol levels, as stated by the American Heart Association. Another way beans support cardiovascular health is by aiding efforts to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, according to the Bean Institute. “If you make it a habit to eat beans, you’re more likely to have a lower body weight, slimmer waist, and a lower body mass index (BMI),” according to WebMD. But why is this? While their protein content alone can be a powerful tool in your weight control efforts, beans have the added benefit of fiber (which animal protein does not contain), which can make you feel more satisfied for longer.
That said, as satisfying and filling as beans are, and as nutritious as they may be, they are also densely caloric, as noted by Livestrong. This might be advantageous if you’re trying to gain weight, especially if you incorporate them into your diet alongside other healthy, high-calorie foods.
Some beans can cause allergic reactions
As with many foods, beans can provoke allergic reactions in some people. While you might think you’d know by now if you’re allergic to any particular bean, it’s possible to develop a new allergy to a food you’ve been eating your whole life — at any age, according to OSF HealthCare. Furthermore, whereas children may outgrow their food allergies, adult-onset food allergies are rarely outgrown.
Fortunately, while legumes like beans can cause allergic reactions, bean allergies aren’t common (via Family Allergy Asthma & Sinus Care). The bean most commonly associated with allergic reactions is the soybean (via Food Allergy Research & Education). If you’re allergic to soy, it’s more likely you’re also allergic to peanuts. However, the reverse is not true — most people with peanut allergies aren’t bothered by soy. But if you’re allergic to peanuts, it raises the likelihood of an allergy to lupin beans, another legume (via Food Allergy Research & Education).
Some beans may trigger migraine headaches
Back in 1967, a research scientist published a preliminary report on the possible link between migraine headaches and a natural substance known as tyramine. Today, it’s commonly known among scientists in the fields of neurology and nutrition that tyramine can trigger migraine headaches, as reported by Live Science. “Foods that contain tyramine may trigger headaches in migraineurs by facilitating a chain reaction that results in selective cerebral vasoconstriction followed by rebound dilation of the cranial vessels (the most common cause of throbbing headache pain),” according to the National Headache Foundation. They add, “This sequence of events is implicated in [the genesis of] migraine headache.”
Certain types of beans and other legumes are rich in tyramine, according to registered dietitian Kathrynne Holden (via PRD-Medweb). The legumes to watch out for if you’re prone to migraines are fava beans, navy beans, and pinto beans (as well as peanuts, lentils, and peas).
The tyramine in some beans can interact with certain prescription medications and supplements
Some beans, like fava and broad beans, contain high amounts of an amino acid called tyramine that may interact with certain medications (via Livestrong). For people taking those drugs, it may be prudent to avoid eating beans or at least those beans that are richest in this substance.
For example, certain antidepressants known as MAOI inhibitors are known to interact with foods high in tyramine, according to 2005 research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Since this interaction may cause a hypertensive crisis — a spike in blood pressure that can lead to a life-threatening stroke, per Colorado Nutrition Counseling — if you’re taking MAOI inhibitors, we recommend checking with your doctor about whether or not you should be eating beans.
Another medication that may cause a hypertensive crisis when taken with tyramine-rich foods is the antibiotic linezolid (brand name: Zyvox). Although parygline hydrochloride (Eutonyl) is used for treating high blood pressure, it can also cause a hypertensive crisis when taken with tyramine-rich foods. So can procarbazine hydrochloride (Matulane), which is used to treat advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, according to Colorado Nutrition Counseling. Additionally, the body may become overloaded with tyramine if someone who takes tyramine in supplement form (it’s a common ingredient in fat-loss supplements) eats high-tyramine foods as well.
The tyramine levels in some beans can trigger high blood pressure
Generally speaking, consuming beans is recommended by nutrition experts as part of a heart-healthy diet. However, those diagnosed with high or borderline-high blood pressure may wish to approach bean consumption with some level of restraint, according to WebMD.
The connection between beans and elevated blood pressure is tyramine, as tyramine can prompt the release of norepinephrine in the body. Norepinephrine is one of the hormones involved in the fight-or-flight instinct, according to Cleveland Clinic, and it has the effect of increasing blood pressure and speeding up the heart rate. In fact, norepinephrine is sometimes prescribed on an emergency, short-term basis for people whose blood pressure has dropped dangerously low.
Although high blood pressure is known for its relative dearth of associated symptoms, there are some common signs of a sudden increase in blood pressure, according to WebMD. These include “headaches, nausea, sweating, rapid heart rate, chest pain, [and/or] shortness of breath.” If you experience any of these symptoms after eating beans, WebMD advises seeking immediate medical attention.
The purines in beans could trigger gout
It used to be that gout was known as a disease mostly affecting the privileged class, as the chronic inflammatory condition is associated with diets rich in meat and seafood — dishes that were, in the past, more readily available to the privileged class (via The New York Times). Nowadays, it’s well-understood that meats and seafood are associated with gout due to their high levels of purines. Purines are chemical compounds that the human body metabolizes into uric acid (via Arthritis-Health), and uric acid can form painful crystals that lodge near the joints. An excess of uric acid is one of the criteria — and an objective one — for diagnosing gout, per News Medical Life Sciences.
As it turns out, some beans are also high in purines. According to SF Gate, these include black-eyed peas, great northern beans, small white beans, and soybeans. That said, the purine levels in these beans are still less than those in meat and seafood. Further, a 2012 study published in Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases and a 2015 study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology both suggest that the purines in beans have less of an effect on uric acid buildup than those in meat and seafood — making a limited volume of beans a better choice for gout patients than meat and seafood, all other things being equal.
How often should you eat beans, and which kinds are best?
There’s lots of information out there touting the benefits of eating beans, per WebMD. Nevertheless, consuming beans daily could come with some negative health consequences, including possible weight gain, migraine headache, high blood pressure, and interactions with various drugs, along with uncomfortable gassiness. Accordingly, you might want to limit your bean consumption to one to three cups a week, which is actually all that nutrition experts usually recommend, per WebMD. How you distribute them over the days of your week is really up to you.
Some of the healthiest beans you can eat include black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and soybeans, per Medicine Net. Each of these has its own unique nutritional profile, so which beans you choose to include in your daily or weekly diet will depend on your individual needs. If you have any particular questions or concerns about incorporating beans into your diet, consult your healthcare professional.
