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Writer's pictureShidonna Raven

Are Black Beans Healthy? Nutrition, Benefits, and More


on March 23, 2022

Medically reviewed

Source: Health Line Photo / Image Source: Unsplash, Tijana Drndarski


Black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are also known as the common bean. They’re among the most frequently consumed dry grain pulses or legumes, alongside chickpeas (1Trusted Source).

Black beans originated in South America and are a staple ingredient in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.

In addition to being nutritional powerhouses, they offer numerous health benefits — including improved blood sugar control and reduced risk of developing certain chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes (1Trusted Source).

This article takes a closer look at black beans, their nutrition, their benefits, and how to prepare them.

Nutrition Black beans are a legume, also known as a pulse — a food group with a unique nutritional profile (2Trusted Source).

One cup (172 grams) of boiled, unsalted black beans contains (3Trusted Source):

  • Calories: 227

  • Protein: 15 grams

  • Fat: 1 gram

  • Carbs: 41 grams

  • Fiber: 15 grams

  • Folate: 64% of the daily value (DV)

  • Copper: 40% of the DV

  • Thiamine: 35% of the DV

  • Manganese: 33% of the DV

  • Magnesium: 29% of the DV

  • Iron: 20% of the DV

  • Phosphorus: 19% of the DV

  • Potassium: 13% of the DV

  • Vitamin B6: 7% of the DV

  • Calcium: 2% of the DV

  • Selenium: 2% of the DV

As you can see, black beans are exceptionally high in fiber and plant-based protein, two nutrients that help lower chronic disease risk and that many Westernized diets lack (1Trusted Source).

Their protein is highly digestible, with a digestibility of 79%. In fact, black beans are considered an ecologically sustainable protein source compared with animal-based sources (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

This nutritious legume provides both soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, and resistant starch, all of which are associated with many of its benefits (4Trusted Source). Black beans also provide calcium, selenium, and numerous B vitamins. However, their overall mineral content can vary greatly depending on the beans’ origin (4Trusted Source).

In addition, despite their high iron content, they contain certain antinutrients, which are compounds that may hinder the mineral’s absorption (4Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Black beans are rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and numerous vitamins and minerals. However, their mineral content may vary, and your body may not absorb their iron well due to the presence of antinutrients. Benefits Black beans have several health benefits to offer, generally linked to their antioxidant and fiber content.

Rich in antioxidants Black beans are rich in antioxidants. These are compounds that can neutralize free radicals to counteract oxidative processes linked to chronic diseases (4Trusted Source).

That’s why black bean antioxidants may help lower the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer (4Trusted Source).

In particular, black beans offer a significant amount of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins (4Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Anthocyanins are linked to potential type 2 diabetes benefits. They’re primarily located in the beans’ seed coat and are responsible for their dark color. They’re also responsible for the color of red and pink bean varieties (4Trusted Source).

Another antioxidant group present in black beans is flavonoids, including catechin, quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol. These have potential cancer-fighting and heart-protective properties (4Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Note that the beans’ antioxidant content may decrease with cooking and storage, with greater losses happening at higher temperatures. So, be sure to store them in a cool pantry (4Trusted Source).

May promote heart health Adding black beans to your diet may help lower blood cholesterol and high blood pressure levels.

For example, saponin compounds in black beans act as antioxidants with cholesterol-lowering capacities. The beans’ fiber may also help reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride levels (4Trusted Source).

In fact, studies show that for every 10 grams of total fiber consumed, the risk of mortality from heart disease may decrease by 27%. Similarly, consuming 5–10 grams of soluble fiber per day may reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 5% (4Trusted Source, 9). Other evidence shows that people who consume beans, including black beans, had an 11% lower risk of heart disease than those who did not consume beans (10Trusted Source).

However, another study found that consuming 1/2 cup (113 grams) of beans daily had no significant effect on cholesterol levels. So, it is possible that heart health benefits may only be seen if you eat more than this serving size of beans daily (10Trusted Source).

Research has also found an inverse correlation between bean fiber intake and blood pressure, specifically that higher fiber intakes result in lower readings (4Trusted Source).

In addition, flavonoids in black beans may help prevent platelet aggregation and encourage muscle relaxation, which further contributes to the blood-pressure-lowering effect (4Trusted Source).

Similarly, another study determined that consuming 3/4 cup (129 grams) of black beans had a vasorelaxant effect, meaning that it helped relax the muscles within blood vessels to lower blood pressure (11Trusted Source).

May help manage blood sugar levels Antioxidants and fiber in black beans may support blood sugar control. Firstly, their anthocyanidin content has been shown to boost insulin sensitivity, meaning that they improve how your cells respond to the hormone insulin. This can lead to lower blood sugar levels after a meal (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

In addition, anthocyanidins may inhibit alpha-amylase, maltase, and sucrase activity — three enzymes that support carb digestion — which further promotes lower blood sugar levels after eating (7Trusted Source).

Secondly, the fiber in black beans may improve the glycemic index (GI) of a meal (1Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

The GI measures how a food increases your blood sugar levels. Black beans have a GI within the 29–38 range, so they are considered a low GI food. This means that they cause a small and steady rise in your blood sugar (4Trusted Source).

Studies show that consuming meals containing as little as 1/2 cup (86 grams) of black beans may reduce the GI of the meal, helping control blood sugar levels up to 120 minutes after eating (1Trusted Source).

This happens because the beans’ fiber increases stool volume and transit time along the intestine, allowing for slow glucose absorption. In addition, the fiber slows down the digestion rate, further slowing down the release of glucose into the bloodstream (4Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Black beans’ fiber and antioxidants help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.

Downsides Like most legumes, black beans contain compounds known as antinutrients. They’re named this because they impair digestion and the absorption of certain minerals in the body (4Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

Antinutrients found in black beans include (4Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source):

  • Lectins: resist digestion and may alter gut function

  • Protease inhibitors: interfere with legume digestion

  • Tannins: inhibit iron absorption and negatively impact iron stores

  • Phytic acid: inhibits the absorption of calcium, iron, and zinc and decreases protein bioavailability

Conveniently, cooking reduces the beans’ antinutrient content. For example, soaking and boiling beans effectively reduces their antinutrient content. Germination and fermentation also help significantly (4Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

It’s worth considering that although black beans are a rich source of plant-based protein, they’re not a complete protein source. That means they don’t contain all nine essential amino acids that your body needs from food (14Trusted Source).

For this reason, it is important to eat a balanced diet with a variety of plant-based foods that will provide all of the essential amino acids — as opposed to eating black beans only. SUMMARYBlack beans contain antinutrients that impair digestion and inhibit mineral absorption, but cooking methods can improve this. Since black beans are not a complete protein source, aim to eat a variety of plant-based foods to get all essential amino acids.

Black beans vs. pinto beans Pinto beans are another bean variety commonly consumed in Mexico. They share many similarities with black beans.

In terms of nutritional content, boiled pinto beans provide virtually the same amount of protein, carbs, fiber, and fat as black beans. They also offer a similar mineral content, with slightly higher amounts of folate, calcium, and copper (3Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

Pinto beans have a high antioxidant content as well. So, they share many of black beans’ health benefits, including their cholesterol- and blood-sugar-lowering properties (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

Because they are another type of bean, pinto beans also possess the same antinutrients as black beans (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

This means you should feel free to choose pinto beans over black beans if you like them better — you’ll still enjoy the same health benefits.

SUMMARY

Pinto and black beans have similar nutritional profiles and provide the same health benefits.

How to prepare black beans It’s best to soak dry black beans before cooking them to reduce their antinutrient content. This means that preparing black beans may be a bit time-consuming.

While covering the beans with water and letting them soak overnight is one approach, you can also do a quicker soak.

Here are the directions on how to quick-soak and cook dry black beans:

  1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for about 2 minutes. Then, remove the pot from the heat and let the beans sit in there for a couple of hours.

  2. Drain the beans and place them in a pot with fresh water. Once more, bring the water to a boil. Then, lower the heat and cover.

  3. Simmer the beans for 2 hours, adding more boiling water if needed. Stir the beans from time to time to prevent them from sticking together or to the pot.

  4. Once tender, drain the beans. Season with salt or seasoning of choice and enjoy.

Alternatively, canned black beans are an easier, more convenient, and more accessible alternative to cooking dry black beans from scratch. This is because canned beans are precooked.

However, while they’re also highly nutritious, they tend to be high in sodium. Eating too much sodium may contribute to high blood pressure in some people. Be sure to drain and rinse the beans before eating them to reduce their salt content (19).

Black beans make a great addition to salads, curries, and quesadillas. You can also serve them on corn tortillas, mixed with rice, or in chilies or stews.

SUMMARY

Cooking black beans is easy but time-consuming. Remember to soak them beforehand to remove some of their antinutrients.


How can you introduce Black Beans into your diet? How can it positively impact your diet? Why?



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