Pinto Beans: The Mexican Legumes

Introduction

Pinto beans are a specific type of legume that can be commonly used or added into soups, stews, and rice dishes for which they hold so much popularity. These beans are considered Mexican delicacies as they have various health benefits and are the ideal source of plant protein, fiber, and antioxidants.

What Is the Nutritional Content of Pinto Beans?

The following nutrition information has been enlisted by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for approximately one cup or 3.5274 ounces of pinto beans that are cooked (without any amount of salt or fat added):

• Protein: 0.8359 ounces.

• Phosphorus: 0.01788 ounces.

• Iron: 0.0001 ounces.

• Fat: 0.0437 ounces.

• Fiber: 0.1446 ounces.

• Starch: 1.3580 ounces.

Pinto beans can yield an ideally healthy dose consisting primarily of complex carbohydrates with around 1.358048 ounces of starch present in a single serving of the beans. Carbohydrates are known to be the best form of starch that can provide body energy quickly. Pinto beans are also additionally good dietary fiber sources yielding almost 0.144623 ounces of essential fiber per serving or single cup. Dietary fiber is known to not only stabilize blood sugar levels, but regular consumption of dietary fiber (according to nutrition research) can boost an individual's satiety and aid in healthy digestion by promoting the growth of a gut-friendly microbiome or bacteria. Pinto beans can also provide less quantity of naturally occurring sugars and have a low glycemic index (GI), with a value of 39. This means it can easily be an add-on vegetable like other legume varieties for diabetic or prediabetic diets.

Nutrition experts always advocate the ideal incorporation of low-fat foods for healthy weight loss and management, through the dietary sources of nature rather than by using supplements or processed low-fat food varieties. Legumes like pinto beans fit this ideal description of low-fat dietary foods.

Do Pinto Beans Provide Antinutrients?

It is a common nutritional myth that the consumption of legumes produces anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients are compounds that are known to interfere with vitamin or other nutrient absorption, but in most legumes and especially pinto beans, one can find these compounds in negligible amounts. Hence there is no truth to the effect of antinutrients in legumes like pinto beans. Also when the beans are cooked thoroughly, their antioxidant activity can only be further enhanced or concentrated.

When Are Pinto Beans Not Recommended?

Pinto beans are legume varieties just like other beans, peanuts, and soybeans. These can hence be included in the list of the top allergenic foods that some individuals would be prone to. If anyone has a history or shows signs of legume allergy, then consult a registered professional health-care provider or allergist.

For individuals who are not accustomed to high-fiber diets or who are on low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diets like those with celiac sensitivity disease (a disease in which the immune system has an abnormal reaction towards gluten), or gastrointestinal issues, it is best to avoid consumption of pinto beans.

How Are Pinto Beans Stored?

It is best to avoid the processed or canned forms of these legumes and instead purchase them fresh from the farmer's market, produce sections, or organic stores. Always purchase beans that are fresh, whole, uncracked, and free from dust or moisture conditions. When stored in a cool dry place, legumes can easily last for up to a year. Make sure to decontaminate the beans completely before cooking them by rinsing them or washing them thoroughly under running water.

What Is the Best Way to Use Pinto Beans?

A handful of pinto beans can be added to a soup, stew, or salad recipe. Fresh pinto beans can be purchased either in dried or canned forms. However, if one is choosing the canned version, then always check the product back or nutrition label to see the added sodium content. One can drain the beans before cooking them as well to drain the added sodium.

Pinto beans can be experimented with in versatile ways. One can fry them, saute them, or use them for vegetable side dishes or main courses. They can easily be cooked or fried with spices like cumin or chili spice as per taste and preferences. However, caution is advised for individuals looking forward to weight management or weight loss not to consume pinto beans with added fats. For example, in canned or fried beans, cooking the beans with butter may not really help an individual to consume or avail the nutritional benefits of this legume. Rather one would be consuming some amounts of saturated fat in that manner. Also, it is advised to cook the beans with heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats to get its ideal nutrition benefits. As these beans are not complete protein sources, protein dishes can be included alongside pinto beans like dairy, nuts seeds, or other plant or animal proteins.

What Are the Health Benefits of Pinto Beans?

Health benefits of pinto beans include:

• The antioxidant compounds known as flavonoids found in pinto beans (that are also found in most colorful legumes, fruits, and vegetables) can exert a cardioprotective or heart-healthy effect when individuals regularly consume pinto beans as per major nutrition research.

• According to another major research review that was published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the inclusion of pinto beans in the diet can help possibly lower the bad or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol content in the blood.

• According to a research report published in the obesity review journal, replacing any energy-dense food with healthy veggies or legumes like pinto beans can be useful in the prevention of individual risk of developing obesity and systemic disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and others.

• Additionally, nutrition experts usually recommend that for individuals easily prone to gastric issues, one can try cooking the beans with kelp or seaweed to prevent gastric issues like gas, bloating, or flatulence side effects.

Conclusion

Pinto beans on the whole are healthy leguminous veggies with loads of protein, and essential dietary fiber and exert a cardioprotective and immune boosting effect on the body as per current nutrition evidence. It is unlikely to get any antinutrients from these vegetables and they can be incorporated in versatile ways into a balanced, low-fat, or even high-fiber diet pattern.