How Beans Can Help Fight Diabetes

The study, publisehd in a leading journal, took 2 groups of diabetic patients, all on medicine for diabetes, and encourage one group to consume more whole wheat fiber and the other group to consume at least 1 cup of beans a day. Both groups did well and lowered their average blood sugar. The bean group did especially well. The results were significant and add to the evidence that beans are not only good for preventing diabetes but also for treating diabetes.

The side effects were all good. The group that ate the beans actually lowered their cholesterol, lowered their blood pressure, had a reduction in waist circumference and lost about 5 pounds over 3 months. Of the people instructed to eat the beans, over 90% completed the 3 month study, so it appear actually to be a very easy intervention.

As an aside, the common perception is that beans might cause gassiness and bloating, but in this study, the bean group had no more complaints about this than the whole grain group.

Dr. Campbell recommends people try to incorporate all types of beans into their diet. There are so many varieties of beans. Get one of the canned varieties, rinse the salt off, and you can sneak beans into just about everything: soups, pastas, salads. You can even make bean dips and hummus. One of my favorites is a 100% whole grain pasta with tomato sauce with some white beans, such as great northern or canellini beans, mixed into the sauce. You know, beans were once a well known staple food in traditional cultures throughout the Americas and this study shows, along with other research, that eating just one cup of beans a day can be powerful medicine.