Are Beans Bad for You? Health, Longevity, & Inflammation Effects of Legumes (+ Lectins & Phytates)

I go over studies on how adding beans to your diet affects your health (cholesterol, diabetes markers, heart disease risk), inflammation, oxidative stress, lifespan, and all-cause mortality. I also cover studies on whether you should be concerned about lectins and phytates in beans. Press "show more" to see the study link(s)!

[misskitty]

For the last 3 weeks, I have been eating only real food. Lots of greens, no processed food, no sugar, and about .5-1 cup at least 5 days a week of beans. My cholesterol went down 40 points. Along with reductions in triglycerides and LDL. So I agree….eat beans!

[ACL]

I was always taught to soak beans and change the water a couple times before cooking. Some people say it's not necessary, but I think there's something to it other than just making the beans cook faster. I like to look at traditional/historical ways to prepare foods because there's probably alot of wisdom there.

[MT-cytm]

Finally somebody standing up for beans, my favorite food group.

[chriswills]

In the Blue Zones...the number one predictor of a long life is bean consumption.

[boringlyfactual]

First time viewer. Very well done. As a career R&D chemist, it is refreshing to hear more about the data and nothing about claims that the generators fail to substantiate. You asked the rhetorical question “Why do so many make negative claims about <<enter topic of choice>>?” We know the answer. Unsubstantiated claims are a cottage industry. Books, “classes”, lectures, conferences, alternative lifestyle choices, etc. Truly an indictment of our education system. Keep up the great work.

[LovingIdaho]

I know a 90 plus year old that eats beans twice a week most her life . She is healthy and going strong .

[littlechestnutorchard]

I am a Mediterranean person and I eat black eyed beans, chickpeas, garbonzo beans nearly everyday, it is very convenient food . Just boil couple of portion in advance and when you need it add some chopped onions, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, cilantro or any other greens and good aioli ve oil, apple cider vinegar salt and vinegar . Very heath and tasty .

[nycbearff]

Many years ago, I started cooking at home more. I tried beans because they're easy and cheap, and discovered that I liked them. So, I started eating less pasta and such, and more beans, because they were tasty and more satisfying. I soak dry beans overnight, then cook a big pot of them that will last for several days. I'm hypoglycemic - and noticed that on days when I was eating beans instead of bread or pasta, my blood sugar was much steadier. A few months after I started eating beans regularly, at my annual medical checkup, I was surprised to find that my blood pressure was down, my cholesterol was much better, and in general I was a bit healthier. So - for me, beans are both tasty and healthy, and it makes sense that some people have been eating them daily for thousands of years. And no, I don't fart more when I'm eating beans, my intestinal system handles them just fine.

[Orecatmeatprocessors]

Well I like that! As an old guy 84 I'm going to eat beans A couple times a day! Maybe I can live another 10 years. Now if I could just remember How to get home and where I left my wife would be helpful, especially, to the cops that keep dragging her home!

[flixkat]

Throughout my life I've met some people in different countries who were regular beans eaters. They were all thin and healthy.

[matthewgraham]

Dr. Miche, it's wonderful getting advice based on science and not based on what the latest body builder thinks. thank you for this.

[bintune]

Yesterday, I watched a video with a famous (I will not mention his name) doctor that talked about the reasons not to eat beans, lentils, and some nuts due to the lectins. I just purchased some beans and lentils earlier that day prior to watching that video and I became worried. I am so happy to come across your video, I do not have any side-effects from eating beans and lentils. I am a vegan and eating beans and lentils helps with my protein consumption. Thank you so much.

[icecreamladydriver]

People around the world have lived on beans and lentils for thousands of years. I love beans and I can them so I think I am doing just fine. This video confirms what I already was feeling pretty good about.Thanks for the video and taking away what little concern I had about it.

[surfdog]

I love most kinds of beans, inluding hummus. Pre-soaked and cooked with onion and garlic with homade tortillas on the side is not only healthy, but a gormet delight.

[j.lahtinen]

This is really good news, as I quite like beans and other legumes, and eat them often. And about flatulence, that was a problem only for a while after I switched from a meat-heavy diet to an almost completely vegetarian diet some years ago. Suddenly feeding gut microbes that are specialized on meat a diet of almost exclusively plant based food, that's a dramatic shift - it takes a while for your gut microbiota to change, and during that change, you can expect some excess gas.

[agriffin]

The blue zones (places on earth where people live on average late 90s to 100 years old) did not get the memo about beans and lentils (because they contain lectins) being bad. They serve beans practically as a stable to their diet! ❤

[Guishan_Lingyou]

Beans are amazing! Super cheap, super healthy, less bad for the environment than other protein sources, and to me delicious and satisfying.

[AzerPaul]

I am very pleased to see such a succinct and clear analysis of this issue. Thank you, Miche, and please keep up the good work.

[bobbysingh]

Ever since childhood I love red beans and rice. I also like garbanzo beans, the black garbanzo beans, the point is I love beans. Now I can feel comfortable eating them.

[ACL]

How about that Dr. G saying rice is bad. Billions of people eat rice 3x a day, and they seem just fine...
Even white rice. I would be curious about white vs brown rice.
I heard that people started to refine rice in order to prevent rancidity, and so they could store a good harvest for a longer time.
That eating white rice is better than eating rancid brown rice.
What do you think?