What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Beans Daily ... or Every Other Day (2024)

Health Benefits of Beans

You May Maintain a Healthy Weight

Beans' magical duo of protein and fiber has multiple benefits, including weight control. "Getting more of these nutrients in your diet promotes satiety and helps keep you fuller for longer periods," says Yanni Papanikolaou, M.P.H., a nutrition researcher and president of Nutritional Strategies, Inc. "Accumulating evidence suggests that people who eat higher amounts of protein and fiber also have healthier BMIs," he says. Most recently, a 2023 Nutrients study of 15,185 people found that, over the course of a decade, bean eaters gained less weight—and belly fat—compared to people who didn't eat beans.

You May Improve Your Gut Health

Your gut is teeming with bacteria that help protect against chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, notes the earlier Nutrients study. But to thrive—and outnumber disease-causing bad gut bacteria—these good bugs need fiber for fuel. "The breakdown of fiber by good bacteria produces short-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to help boost immunity and reduce inflammation. Ultimately, this means the fiber in beans can help prevent the onset of disease," says Papanikolaou. "In contrast, bad bacteria prefer to feast on sugar as an energy source, and the more sugar they get, the more they flourish and overtake the good bacteria," he adds.

You May Reduce Your Heart Disease Risk

Beans are serious multitaskers when it comes to heart disease prevention. For example, beans are one of the best sources of soluble fiber, which naturally lowers cholesterol, says the National Lipid Association. These little dynamos are also chock-full of blood-pressure-regulating potassium, a mineral that few of us consume enough of, according to the National Institutes of Health.

You'll Consume More Nutrients

Potassium isn't the only nutrient we could use more of. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most people also fall short on folate, calcium, magnesium, fiber and vitamins A, C, D and E (plus iron if you're a female of reproductive age). Beans are a great way to fill the void, says Papanikolaou. Currently, he's working on research that shows Americans who eat beans as part of their typical diets rack up more fiber, potassium, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium and vitamin E than non-bean eaters.

Potential Downsides

They Might Make You Gassy

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you ... (You know the saying.) "In addition to fiber, beans contain oligosaccharides, a naturally occurring type of sugar that we can't digest fully," says Sharon Palmer, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in plant-based nutrition and co-founder of Food Planet. So, yes, they can cause gas if your digestive system isn't used to them. The remedy, says Palmer, is gradually adding small servings to your diet to give your gut time to adjust.

They Take a Long Time to Cook

With cooking times ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours, per the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, beans aren't exactly fast food. A pressure cooker can cut that time down considerably. For the utmost convenience and fast service, canned beans or frozen edamame are a quick, convenient way to get your fix, and they are just as nutritious as dried versions.

They Contain Controversial Lectins

If you're avoiding beans because of their lectins, you can relax. "Lectins are compounds found in many plant foods, in particular beans, that can interfere with the bioavailability of nutrients in foods," says Palmer. "They are largely inactivated when beans are soaked and cooked, so they aren't an issue," she says. As long as you're eating your beans cooked (and who isn't?), you'll be fine.

How to Eat More Beans in Your Diet

One of the biggest barriers to bean consumption is most people have no clue what to do with them. If that sounds familiar, these tasty recipes can get you started:

• Frontload by starting your day with Anti-Inflammatory Beans on Toast or a bowl of Sweet Potato Corn and Black Bean Hash.
• For lunch, toss chickpeas into a Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Wrap or a .
• Roast a can of chickpeas for a crunchy snack. Or fold them into a creamy Avocado Hummus.
• Whip up an for a light dinner.
• Swap in beans for meat and chicken. Think Chickpea "Chicken" Salad, , Black Bean Fajita Skillet or Red Bean Lasagna.
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with this Dark Chocolate Hummus.
  

The Bottom Line

Beans are great for your health, providing protein and fiber that can aid in weight maintenance and improve gut health. Plus, bean eaters tend to have healthier diets. If you'd like to eat more beans but don't have time to cook them or need help figuring out where to start, pop open a can of beans or zap some edamame in the microwave to toss into salad, soup, rice or pasta. You'll get all the benefits of beans with zero effort.