If you’ve been keeping up with our cutting-edge bean news, you already know that beans are great for the gut, aid in weight loss, boost heart health, and are packed with antioxidants, fiber, and protein. 

Could beans really do even more than that?

Oh heck yes. 

Below, we’ll share 6 additional health benefits that make beans the most underappreciated superfood.

Beans help control diabetes

Beans are a diabetes fighter, they help prevent diabetes and ease symptoms in people with diabetes. 

Beans’ high fiber content can help lower blood glucose and blood pressure and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.  They’re also rich in resistant starch, which can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.

Beans increase your iron intake

They may be humbler than a filet mignon, but beans can hold their own when it comes to iron content. 

Besides transporting oxygen throughout our body, iron plays a critical role in many of our physical processes. It helps produce certain hormones, supports cognitive function, and aids in our immune system. 

Beans are an excellent source of iron. 3 oz. of cooked lima beans, for example, offers 2.2 mg of iron—about as much as prime rib steak! 

Beans have a mega-load of magnesium

We all feel stressed out sometimes. Our bodies can respond to stress by depleting our magnesium levels. That’s why you stress-ate that whole container of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy ice cream. It wasn’t your fault. The chocolate (which has a lot of magnesium) made you do it. 

Magnesium is a mineral that helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function. It aids in the production of protein in the body’s cells. It also supports restful sleep and helps us produce energy when we need it. 

When our bodies run low on magnesium, we can feel burnt out and fatigued. Beans help renew our magnesium resources in a healthy way. One cup of black beans provides nearly half of our daily recommended magnesium allowance (that’s a lot more than chocolate ice cream).

Beans are packed with potassium

Bananas have been stealing the spotlight when it comes to potassium, but it’s time for them to take a backseat. Beans have two times the potassium per cup compared to bananas. 

Your body needs potassium for many of its functions. Your heart, kidneys, muscles, and nerves all depend on potassium to function properly. One cup of lima beans will fill your bod with 1000 mg of this important mineral. 

Beans are full of folate

Folate—one of the B vitamins—plays a critical role in our heart health, immune system, cellular growth, and energy levels. 

Beans are baby-friendly! Folate is commonly recommended to pregnant women and is included in most prenatal supplements. When pregnant women’s folate levels are too low, their babies have a higher risk of developing certain defects. 

Folate is abundant in beans. Just one cup of beans can provide three-quarters of your recommended daily amount of folate. 

Beans are loaded with zinc

Zinc is like our superhero feature. When we’re adequately supplied with zinc, it allows our bodies to fight off germs, make genetic material, and heal wounds. Beans contain substantial amounts of zinc—about a quarter of what you need daily in each cup.

Have Beans Won You Over Yet?

Sure, they may be healthy, but beans can be bland. So, we made some bean-based, finger-licking-good snacks that make eating this simple superfood a lot tastier. 

Our bean puffs come crispy, crunchy, and covered in cheddar or chipotle. Try a free bag of our protein and fiber-packed bean puffs today, and see how easy it is to add beans (and all their nutrients) to your daily diet.