A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. [1] They can be cooked in many different ways, [2] including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes throughout the world.
The word "bean" and its Germanic cognates (e.g. German Bohne ) have existed in common use in West Germanic languages since before the 12th century, [3] referring to broad beans, chickpeas, and other pod-borne seeds. This was long before the New World genus Phaseolus was known in Europe. With the Columbian exchange of domestic plants between Europe and the Americas, use of the word was extended to pod-borne seeds of Phaseolus, such as the common bean and the runner bean, and the related genus Vigna . The term has long been applied generally to many other seeds of similar form, [3] [4] such as Old World soybeans, peas, other vetches, and lupins, and even to those with slighter resemblances, such as coffee beans, vanilla beans, castor beans, and cocoa beans. Thus the term "bean" in general usage can refer to a host of different species. [5]
Seeds called "beans" are often included among the crops called "pulses" (legumes), [3] although the words are not always interchangeable (usage varies by plant variety and by region). Both terms, beans and pulses, are usually reserved for grain crops and thus exclude those legumes that have tiny seeds and are used exclusively for non-grain purposes (forage, hay, and silage), such as clover and alfalfa. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defines "BEANS, DRY" (item code 176) [5] as applicable only to species of Phaseolus. This is one of various examples of how narrower word senses enforced in trade regulations or botany often coexist in natural language with broader senses in culinary use and general use; other common examples are the narrow sense of the word nut and the broader sense of the word nut, and the fact that tomatoes are fruit, botanically speaking, but are often treated as vegetables in culinary and general usage [ broken anchor ]. Relatedly, another detail of usage is that several species of plants that are sometimes called beans, including Vigna angularis (azuki bean), mungo (black gram), radiata (green gram), and aconitifolia (moth bean), were once classified as Phaseolus but later reclassified—but the taxonomic revision does not entirely stop the use of well-established senses in general usage.
Unlike the closely related pea, beans are a summer crop that needs warm temperatures to grow. Legumes are capable of nitrogen fixation and hence need less fertiliser than most plants. Maturity is typically 55–60 days from planting to harvest. [6] As the bean pods mature, they turn yellow and dry up, and the beans inside change from green to their mature colour that they have when fully ripe. Many beans are vines, as such the plants need external support, which may take the form of special "bean cages" or poles. Native Americans customarily grew them along with corn and squash (the so-called Three Sisters), [7] with the tall cornstalks acting as support for the beans.
In more recent times, the so-called "bush bean" has been developed which does not require support and has all its pods develop simultaneously (as opposed to pole beans which develop gradually). [8] This makes the bush bean more practical for commercial production.
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(April 2022) |
Beans were an important source of protein throughout Old and New World history, and still are today.
Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants in history. Broad beans, also called fava beans, are in their wild state the size of a small fingernail, and were first gathered in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills. [9] An early cultivated form were grown in Thailand from the early seventh millennium BCE, predating ceramics. [10] Beans were deposited with the dead in ancient Egypt. Not until the second millennium BCE did cultivated, large-seeded broad beans appear in the Aegean region, Iberia, and transalpine Europe. [11] In the Iliad (8th century BCE), there is a passing mention of beans and chickpeas cast on the threshing floor. [12]
The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas were found in Guitarrero Cave, an archaeological site in Peru, and dated to around the second millennium BCE. [13] Genetic analyses of the common bean Phaseolus show that it originated in Mesoamerica, and subsequently spread southward, along with maize and squash, traditional companion crops. [14]
Most of the kinds of beans commonly eaten today are part of the genus Phaseolus, which originated in the Americas. The first European to encounter them was Christopher Columbus, while exploring what may have been the Bahamas, and saw them growing in fields. Five kinds of Phaseolus beans were domesticated [15] by pre-Columbian peoples: common beans ( P. vulgaris ) grown from Chile to the northern part of what is now the United States; and lima and sieva beans ( P. lunatus ); as well as the less widely distributed teparies ( P. acutifolius ), scarlet runner beans ( P. coccineus ), and polyanthus beans. [16]
One well-documented use of beans by pre-Columbian people as far north as the Atlantic seaboard is the "Three Sisters" method of companion plant cultivation: Many tribes would grow beans together with maize or "corn", and squash. The corn would not be planted in rows as is done by European agriculture, but in a checkerboard/hex fashion across a field, in separate patches of one to six stalks each. Beans would be planted around the base of the developing stalks, and would vine their way up as the stalks grew. All American beans at that time were vine plants; "bush beans" were cultivated more recently. The cornstalks would work as a trellis for the bean plants, and the beans would provide much-needed nitrogen for the corn. Squash would be planted in the spaces between the patches of corn in the field. They would be provided slight shelter from the sun by the corn, would shade the soil and reduce evaporation, and would deter many animals from attacking the corn and beans because their coarse, hairy vines and broad, stiff leaves are difficult or uncomfortable for animals such as deer and raccoons to walk through, crows to land on, and are a deterrent to other animals as well.
Beans were cultivated across Chile in Pre-Hispanic times, likely as far south as Chiloé Archipelago. [17]
Dry beans come from both Old World varieties of broad beans (fava beans) and New World varieties (kidney, black, cranberry, pinto, navy/haricot).
Most of the foods we call "beans", "legumes", "lentils" and "pulses" belong to the same family, Fabaceae ("leguminous" plants), but are from different genera and species, native to different homelands and distributed worldwide depending on their adaptability. [18] Many varieties are eaten both fresh (the whole pod, and the immature beans may or may not be inside) or shelled (immature seeds, mature and fresh seeds, or mature and dried seeds). Numerous legumes look similar, and have become naturalized in locations across the world, which often lead to similar names for different species.
| Genus | Species and Common Varieties | Probable Homeland | Distribution, Cultivation and Climate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phaseolus | P. vulgaris : Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Navy Bean (Cannellini, Haricot Beans/French Beans/Pole Beans/Bush Beans), Black Beans, Borlotti Beans P. lunatus : Lima Beans P. coccineus : Runner Beans, Flat Beans P. acutifolius : Tepary Bean | The Americas | Tropical, Subtropical, Warm Temperate | Certain varieties contain high levels of toxic phytohemagglutinin. Requires soaking and then cooking at or above 100C for a minimum of 30 minutes, and ideally much longer. [19] [20] [21] |
| Pisum | P. sativum: Green Peas/Garden Peas, White Peas, Yellow Peas, Field Peas, Snow Peas, Snap Peas | Mediterranean | Subtropical, Temperate, Occasionally Cool Tropical | |
| Vigna | V. radiata : Mung Bean V. mungo : Urad V. unguiculata (Cowpeas) : Yardlong bean, Black-eyed Peas V. aconitifolia : Moth bean V. angularis : Adzuki beans | Mostly South Asia | Equatorial, Pantropical, Warm Subtropical, Hot Temperate | |
| Cajanus | C. cajan : Pigeon Pea | Indian Subcontinent | Pantropical, Equatorial | |
| Lens | L. culinaris (Lentils): Red Lentil, Green Lentil, Puy Lentil | Near East/Levant | Temperate, Subtropical, Cool Tropical | |
| Cicer | C. arietinum : Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) | Turkey/Levant/Near East | Temperate, Subtropical, Cool Tropical | |
| Vicia | V. faba : Fava Beans (Broad Beans) V. ervilia : Bitter vetch V. sativa: Common vetch | Near East | Subtropical, Temperate | Causes Favism in those susceptible. [22] [23] |
| Arachis | A. hypogaea: Peanut (Groundnut) | South America | Warm Subtropical, Cool Tropical | |
| Glycine | G. max : Soybean | East Asia | Hot Temperate, Subtropical, Cool Tropical | |
| Macrotyloma | M. uniflorum : Horsegram | South Asia | Tropical, Subtropical | |
| Mucuna | M. pruriens: Velvet Bean | Tropical Asia and Africa | Tropical, Warm Subtropical | Contains L-DOPA, [24] and smaller amounts of other psychoactive compounds. Can also cause itching and rashes on contact. |
| Lupinus | L. albus : White Lupin L. mutabilis : Tarwi/Andean Lupin | The Mediterranean, Balkans, Levant (albinus), The Andes (mutabilis) | Subtropical, Temperate | Requires prolonged soaking in the correct way to reduce toxic compounds. [25] |
| Ceratonia | C. siliqua : Carob bean | Mediterranean, Middle East | Subtropical, Arid Subtropical, Hot Temperate | |
| Canavalia | C. gladiata: Sword Bean C. ensiformis : Jack Beans | South Asia or Africa (C. gladiata), Brazil and South America (C. Ensiformis) | Tropical | |
| Cyamopsis | C. tetragonoloba : Guar Bean | Africa or South Asia | Tropical, Semi-Arid | Source of Guar gum |
| Lablab | L. purpureus : Hyacinth Bean/Lablab Bean | South Asia, Indian Subcontinent or Africa | Tropical | |
| Psophocarpus | P. tetranoglobulus: Winged Bean | New Guinea | Tropical, Equatorial | |
| Clitoria | C. ternatea : Butterfly Pea | Equatorial and Tropical Asia | Tropical, Subtropical | Flowers used as a natural food colouring |
| Lathyrus | L. sativus : Grass Pea L. tuberosus: Tuberous Pea | Balkans, India or Asia | Subtropical | Can cause Lathyrism if used as staple. [26] [27] |
As of 2023, the Norwegian Svalbard Global Seed Vault holds more than 40,000 accessions of Phaseolus bean species. [28]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 31 kcal (130 kJ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6.97 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sugars | 3.26 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary fiber | 2.7 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.22 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.83 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 90.3 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [29] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [30] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Raw green beans are 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). In a 100 grams (3.5 oz) reference serving, raw green beans supply 31 calories of food energy, and are a moderate source (10-19% of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C (15% DV) and vitamin B6 (11% DV), with no other micronutrients in significant content (table).
Many types of bean like kidney bean contain significant amounts of antinutrients that inhibit some enzyme processes in the body. Phytic acid and phytates, present in grains, nuts, seeds and beans, interfere with bone growth and interrupt vitamin D metabolism. Pioneering work on the effect of phytic acid was done by Edward Mellanby from 1939. [31] [32]
Some kinds of raw beans contain a harmful, tasteless toxin: the lectin phytohaemagglutinin, which must be removed by cooking. Red kidney beans are particularly toxic, but other types also pose risks of food poisoning. Even small quantities (4 or 5 raw beans) may cause severe stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhea. This risk does not apply to canned beans because they have already been cooked. [33] A recommended method is to boil the beans for at least ten minutes; under-cooked beans may be more toxic than raw beans. [34]
Cooking beans, without bringing them to a boil, in a slow cooker at a temperature well below boiling may not destroy toxins. [34] A case of poisoning by butter beans used to make falafel was reported; the beans were used instead of traditional broad beans or chickpeas, soaked and ground without boiling, made into patties, and shallow fried. [35]
Bean poisoning is not well known in the medical community, and many cases may be misdiagnosed or never reported; figures appear not to be available. In the case of the UK National Poisons Information Service, available only to health professionals, the dangers of beans other than red beans were not flagged as of 2008 [update] . [35]
Fermentation is used in some parts of Africa to improve the nutritional value of beans by removing toxins. Inexpensive fermentation improves the nutritional impact of flour from dry beans and improves digestibility, according to research co-authored by Emire Shimelis, from the Food Engineering Program at Addis Ababa University. [36] Beans are a major source of dietary protein in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. [37]
It is common to make beansprouts by letting some types of bean, often mung beans, germinate in moist and warm conditions; beansprouts may be used as ingredients in cooked dishes, or eaten raw or lightly cooked. There have been many outbreaks of disease from bacterial contamination, often by salmonella , listeria , and Escherichia coli , of beansprouts not thoroughly cooked, [38] some causing significant mortality. [39]
Many edible beans, including broad beans, navy beans, kidney beans and soybeans, contain oligosaccharides (particularly raffinose and stachyose), a type of sugar molecule also found in cabbage. An anti-oligosaccharide enzyme is necessary to properly digest these sugar molecules. As a normal human digestive tract does not contain any anti-oligosaccharide enzymes, consumed oligosaccharides are typically digested by bacteria in the large intestine. This digestion process produces gases, such as methane as a byproduct, which are then released as flatulence. [40] [41] [42] [43]
The production data for legumes are published by FAO in three categories:
The following is a summary of FAO data. [44]
| Crops [FAO code] [45] | 1961 | 1981 | 2001 | 2015 | 2016 | Ratio 2016 /1961 | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total pulses (dry) [1726] | 40.78 | 41.63 | 56.23 | 77.57 | 81.80 | 2.01 | Per capita production had decreased. (Population increase was 2.4×) |
| Oil crops (dry) | |||||||
| Soybeans [236] | 26.88 | 88.53 | 177.02 | 323.20 | 334.89 | 12.46 | Drastic increase driven by the demand for animal feeds and oil. |
| Groundnuts, with shell [242] | 14.13 | 20.58 | 35.82 | 45.08 | 43.98 | 3.11 | |
| Fresh vegetables (80–90% water) | |||||||
| Beans, green [414] | 2.63 | 4.09 | 10.92 | 23.12 | 23.60 | 8.96 | |
| Peas, green [417] | 3.79 | 5.66 | 12.41 | 19.44 | 19.88 | 5.25 | |
Main crops of "Pulses, Total (dry)" are "Beans, dry [176]" 26.83 million tons, "Peas, dry [187]" 14.36 million tons, "Chick peas [191]" 12.09 million tons, "Cow peas [195]" 6.99 million tons, "Lentils [201]" 6.32 million tons, "Pigeon peas [197]" 4.49 million tons, "Broad beans, horse beans [181]" 4.46 million tons. In general, the consumption of pulses per capita has been decreasing since 1961. Exceptions are lentils and cowpeas.
| Country | 2016 | Share | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 81.80 | 100% | ||
| 1 | India | 17.56 | 21.47% | |
| 2 | Canada | 8.20 | 10.03% | |
| 3 | Myanmar | 6.57 | 8.03% | |
| 4 | China | 4.23 | 5.17% | |
| 5 | Nigeria | 3.09 | 3.78% | |
| 6 | Russia | 2.94 | 3.60% | |
| 7 | Ethiopia | 2.73 | 3.34% | |
| 8 | Brazil | 2.62 | 3.21% | |
| 9 | Australia | 2.52 | 3.09% | |
| 10 | USA | 2.44 | 2.98% | |
| 11 | Niger | 2.06 | 2.51% | |
| 12 | Tanzania | 2.00 | 2.45% | |
| Others | 24.82 | 30.34% |
The world leader in production of dry beans ( Phaseolus spp), [47] is India, followed by Myanmar (Burma) and Brazil. In Africa, the most important producer is Tanzania. [48]
| Country | Production (tonnes) | Footnote |
|---|---|---|
 India | 5,460,000 | F |
 Myanmar | 3,053,012 | |
 Brazil | 3,035,290 | A |
 United States | 1,495,180 | * |
 China | 1,281,586 | |
 Tanzania | 1,267,648 | F |
 Mexico | 1,056,071 | |
 Kenya | 774,366 | F |
 Argentina | 633,823 | * |
 Uganda | 603,980 | |
| World | 27,545,942 | A |
No symbol = official figure, P = official figure, F = FAO estimate, * = unofficial/semi-official/mirror data, C = calculated figure A = aggregate (may include official, semi-official or estimates)
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [49]
The chickpea or chick pea is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram or Bengal gram, chhola, chhana, chana, or channa, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes, the oldest archaeological evidence of which was found in Syria.
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
The kidney bean is a variety of the common bean named for its resemblance to a human kidney.
The pinto bean is a variety of common bean. In Spanish they are called frijoles pintos. It is the most popular bean by crop production in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, and is most often eaten whole, or mashed and then refried. Prepared either way, it is a common filling for burritos, tostadas, or tacos in Mexican cuisine, also as a side or as part of an entrée served with a side tortilla or sopaipilla in New Mexican cuisine.
Vicia faba, commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Varieties with smaller, harder seeds that are fed to horses or other animals are called field bean, tic bean or tick bean. Horse bean, Vicia faba var. equinaPers., is a variety recognized as an accepted name. This legume is very common in Southern European, Northern European, East Asian, Latin American and North African cuisines.
Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth.
Legumes are plants in the family Fabaceae, or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, but also as livestock forage and silage, and as soil-enhancing green manure. Well-known legumes include beans, chickpeas, peanuts, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, tamarind, alfalfa, and clover. Legumes produce a botanically unique type of fruit – a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces on two sides.
The cowpea is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus Vigna. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inputs, as the plant's root nodules are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen, making it a valuable crop for resource-poor farmers and well-suited to intercropping with other crops. The whole plant is used as forage for animals, with its use as cattle feed likely responsible for its name.
Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its botanical classification, along with other Phaseolus species, is as a member of the legume family, Fabaceae. Like most members of this family, common beans acquire the nitrogen they require through an association with rhizobia, which are nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Vigna subterranea is a member of the family Fabaceae. Its name is derived from the Bambara ethnic group. The plant originated in West Africa. As a food and source of income, the Bambara groundnut is considered to be the third most important leguminous crop in those African countries where it is grown, after peanut and cowpea. The crop is mainly cultivated, sold and processed by women, and is, thus, particularly valuable for female subsistence farmers.
Macrotyloma uniflorum is a legume native to tropical southern Asia, known for its distinct taste and texture, widely used legume in many cuisines. It is also known for human consumption for its rich nutrients and reputed medicinal properties. It is commonly grown for horse feed, hence the name “horse gram”. Horse gram grown in parts of India, as well as Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and is introduced to the West Indies. It is consumed whole, sprouted, or ground. It is consumed in many parts of India and is also known as a superfood. Horse gram is also allowed to be eaten on some Hindu fasting days. Medical uses of these legumes have been discussed and is described in the Ayurveda.
Lablab purpureus is a species of bean in the family Fabaceae. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa and India and it is cultivated throughout the tropics for food. English language common names include hyacinth bean, lablab-beanbonavist bean/pea, dolichos bean, seim or sem bean, lablab bean, Egyptian kidney bean, Indian bean, bataw and Australian pea. Lablab is a monotypic genus.
Vigna umbellata, previously Phaseolus calcaratus, is a warm-season annual vine legume with yellow flowers and small edible beans. It is commonly called ricebean or rice bean. To date, it is little known, little researched and little exploited. It is regarded as a minor food and fodder crop and is often grown as intercrop or mixed crop with maize, sorghum or cowpea, as well as a sole crop in the uplands, on a very limited area. Like the other Asiatic Vigna species, ricebean is a fairly short-lived warm-season annual. Grown mainly as a dried pulse, it is also important as a fodder, a green manure and a vegetable. Ricebean is most widely grown as an intercrop, particularly of maize, throughout Indo-China and extending into southern China, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. In the past it was widely grown as lowland crop on residual soil water after the harvest of long-season rice, but it has been displaced to a great extent where shorter duration rice varieties are grown. Ricebean grows well on a range of soils. It establishes rapidly and has the potential to produce large amounts of nutritious animal fodder and high quality grain.
Phytic acid is a six-fold dihydrogenphosphate ester of inositol, also called inositol hexaphosphate, inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) or inositol polyphosphate. At physiological pH, the phosphates are partially ionized, resulting in the phytate anion.
The black turtle bean is a small, shiny variety of the common bean especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found in the Cajun and Creole cuisines of south Louisiana. Like all varieties of the common bean, it is native to the Americas, but has been introduced around the world. It is also used in Indian cuisine, Tamil cuisine, where it is known as karuppu kaaramani and in Maharashtrian cuisine, where it is known as Kala Ghevada. It is widely used in Uttrakhand India also known as "Bhatt". It is a rich source of iron and protein. The black turtle bean is often simply called the black bean, although this terminology can cause confusion with at least three other types of black beans.
The navy bean, haricot bean, pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pea bean, or pea bean is a variety of the common bean native to the Americas, where it was first domesticated. It is a dry white bean that is smaller than many other types of white beans, and has an oval, slightly flattened shape. It features in such dishes as baked beans, various soups such as Senate bean soup, and bean pies.
Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many calories, and both foods are widely available. The beans are usually seasoned, while the rice may be plain or seasoned. The two components may be mixed together, separated on the plate, or served separately.
Antinutrients are natural or synthetic compounds that interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Nutrition studies focus on antinutrients commonly found in food sources and beverages. Antinutrients may take the form of drugs, chemicals that naturally occur in food sources, proteins, or overconsumption of nutrients themselves. Antinutrients may act by binding to vitamins and minerals, preventing their uptake, or inhibiting enzymes.
A staple food, food staple, or simply staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for an individual or a population group, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and generally forming a significant proportion of the intake of other nutrients as well. For humans, a staple food of a specific society may be eaten as often as every day or every meal, and most people live on a diet based on just a small variety of food staples. Specific staples vary from place to place, but typically are inexpensive or readily available foods that supply one or more of the macronutrients and micronutrients needed for survival and health: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Typical examples include grains, seeds, nuts and root vegetables. Among them, cereals, legumes and tubers account for about 90% of the world's food calorie intake.
The pigeon pea or toor dal is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae native to the Eastern Hemisphere. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being commonly consumed in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)Many legumes, especially soy, navy and lima beans, cause a sudden increase in bacterial activity and gas production a few hours after they're consumed. This is because they contain large amounts of carbohydrates that human digestive enzymes can't convert into absorbable sugars. These carbohydrates therefore leave the upper intestine unchanged and enter the lower reaches, where our resident bacterial population does the job we are unable to do.
we do not possess any enzymes that are capable of breaking down larger sugars, such as raffinose etc. These 3, 4 and 5 ring sugars are made by plants especially as part of the energy storage system in seeds and beans. If these sugars are ingested, they can't be broken down in the intestines; rather, they travel into the colon, where various bacteria digest them – and in the process produce copious amounts of carbon dioxide gas
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