Fart-Free Beans
Do you eat beans? Not many people do. They are a good vegetarian protein source, and loaded with fiber and many other nutrients - but what about the flatulence factor? The new "Prim Bean" grown in the UK promises less gas - apparently due to less tannins in the seed coat.
Phaseolus' Sandra Hopper told NutraIngredients.com that she believes Prim Beans will have a good use in foods aimed at people who are more susceptible to digestive problems, in particular children and elderly people.
Dr. Colin Leakey (that's honestly his name) began looking for the beans "when he was working in Uganda. He noticed that mothers were reluctant to feed their children beans because they would develop colic." He found the beans in Chile, and they have since been bred to grow in the UK.
"I call the beans 'social beans' and am confident that they are relatively wind-free," he said.
Written By J. Foster
I am sitting at my desk with tears in my eyes from laughing at that poor guys name!
ReplyWhile this news is a month or 2 old, I did wonder whether it was a spoof/hoax. Dr Leakey is apparently renowned for making a "fartometer" for measuring gas output (yes the mind boggles). However is new bean did appear on BBC news late last year - thus lending substantial cred to his "Prim bean"...
Replyinstead of tampering with nature,why don´t we just learn to live with it??
Replyi lost 20 pounds in 10 months with a diet rich in fibers- and yes, that includes lots of beans. i am so much happier now :D
This is pretty funny, but I guess will be a relief to some people too!
I have had quite a few people get in touch who have problem with sprouts (sprouted beans, seeds and grains etc) - so I wonder how these beans will sprout! Will the flatulence-free properties work for the sprouted version...?
ReplyHow interesting...fart free beans that have been 'bred' (another nice word for gen manipulated?) for the UK...hehheh...what is next for the UK, odourless garlic? Had to grin a little over that...why not 'bred' for the colder climates? Ummm...gee and if the French want them too, will they have to be 'bred' for the French, then the German climates? LOL
But on a serious note (snigger) if really serious flatulance is a problem for some then this IS an indicator of one (or more) of several things:
1. digestive problems
2. digestive/metabolic problems (your particular body just doesn't WANT a particular food
4. wrong combination at the same meal (for some people this is a relevant issue)
5. dried legumes are not all created equal...experiment with various types. Chickpeas for example seem not to effect 'some' people as red beans do (those have a harder skin and chickpeas are often prepared for various dishes without their skins - an easy technique after they have been soaked.)
I tend to agree with Isabel...the benefits for me outweigh the occasional farting bouts (LOL). But if I had serious problems (colic, gastic pain, putred smelling farts) then I would listen to my body. Its telling me it doesn't want them and can't deal with them.
Often times it is the amount too...a few tablespoons added with something often doesn't effect some people as much as larger amounts.
One of my subscribers passed on the tip to me that adding a good sized piece of celery (at least hand length) to the beans is a trick that for her - produced fart free beans.
ReplyAnother source of foul wind is bad protein sources. Those people who are on high protein diets (such as bodybuilders) tend to use powders such as whey. Poor quality protein, or too much of it can cause some truly evil explosions of gas...
Patricia: Some great info there.
ReplyOne thing that I would like to point out about the whole bean thing is what we do with our chilli recipe. apparently the amino acid profile of beans is a bit unbalanced so we add corn to our chilli. I am not sure if this is urban folklore but still I believe it so corn goes in the chilli
No comments necessary on the way corn comes out :) The fart story is enough.
ReplyI couldn't resist the title "Far-free Beans"! years ago someone told me to put one tablespoon of baking soda in the water with the beans while you soak them for two hours, BUT remember to drain off the water with the baking soda in it and then add fresh water to the beans before you cook them. The baking soda absorbs whatever causes you to have gas after eating beans, which has been pointed out are good for you. Twice I forgot to drain off the soda and water after soaking and add new water. My husband said, "if you keep forgetting to drain off the soaking water with the soda in it before you cook the beans and add fresh water you are going to blow up the trailer!!" It really worked on me and I had to laugh as I kept running to the bathroom after stinking up the trailer. Pinto beans seem to be the worse; a favorite in the South. Happy Eating! Also if there is too much salt in your beans, soup, etc. cut a potato into four pieces or quarters and put in whatever for five minutes and then remove the potato it will absorb the extra salt. I'd like to try some of those "fart-free" beans!!
ReplyI think it is all in how you cook the beans.
I soak the beans in the morning a day before cooking them. The water will be all bubbly by the end of the day, so I discard that water and soak again. Overnight it will form bubbles again, and I discard the second water. Then I cook them the next day in new water and they don't make people fart. If you ingest them cooked in the first water, you'll be eating all that gas.
Replyare red kidney beans fattening. since they have so much fiber in them does that make them a good thing for a diet???
Replyi know the red kidney beans tear me up somethin fierce. i made chili from canned dark red kidney beans 3 days ago, and they are still tearing me up. i havent gotten a good night sleep in 3 days because I am up farting all night.
ReplyMy gratitude to Janis Wiles for her husband's regarding explosions and baking soda in bean preparation. I added 1/2 cup to cooked beans and I guess they will have to go in the trash. That would be much better that blowing things up.
ReplyMy husband cooks dinner in our house. Anyhow, when he said something about degassing the beans, I had to check out the internet. Well, he just puts a teaspoon of baking soda in the beans after they have cooked. I don't know where he found this information, but I wonder if he is mistaken on when to use the baking soda. The beans taste fine though.
My father has a colostomy bag, so he has a hard time with beans (mainly just an huge embarrasement factor), even degassed ones. So, I wonder if the gen. mod. ones would work for him.
Do the ones that Dr. Leakey has discovered/created have as much fiber as regular beans? Anyone know?
With the way the economy is going today, my husband (a huge conspiracy theorist/doomsday person) has started storing beans and rice. Maybe the next time we have beans, I'll try the soak w/baking soda method instead of him degassing them afterwards.
ReplyCook your beans to a hard boil for 10 min breaks down more complex sugars to simpler sugars makes for easy digestion and less gas. Eat yogurt keep healthy bacteria in colon, take one odorless tab garlic gel cap when you eat beans it will regulates colon bacteria provides major gas relief and odor suppression.
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