Pinto Beans (Handres)
Cost per kilo 3,66 €

Pinto beans, and other beans such as kidney beans, navy beans and black beans are all well known scientifically as Phaseolus vulgaris. They are all referred to as common beans, probably owing to the fact that they are derived from a common bean ancestor originating in Peru. From there, beans were spread throughout South and Central America by migrating Indian trades. Beans were introduced into Europe in the 15th century by Spanish explorers returning from their voyages to the New World.

 As beans are a very inexpensive form of good protein, they have become popular in many cultures throughout the entire world. Pinto beans are the most highly consumed dried bean in the United States. 

Pinto beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, pinto beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an excellent choise for individuals suffering from diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains, such as brown rice, pinto beans provide virtually fat-free, high quality protein. But this is far from all these beans have to offer, medicinally wise. Pinto beans are also an excellent source of molybdenum, a very good source of folate, protein, vitamin B1, B6 as well as minerals like copper, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, manganese and potasssium. 

Medicinal Applications:

•       Pinto beans are very rich in fiber, as a cup of cooked pinto beans provide over 15 grams of fiber. Soluble fiber form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that combines with bile, which contains cholesterol, and flushes it out of the body. Insoluble fiber helps increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis.

•       Pinto beans contribute to optimal heart health. Their contribution lies not only in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate, magnesium and potassium these beans supply. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke or peripheral vascular disease. The magnesium present in pinto beans also has beneficial cardiovascular effects. Potassium, an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles, including the heart. This mineral, which is also found in pinto beans is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.

•       The dietary fiber found in pinto beans helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, pinto beans can help balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy.

•       Pinto beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral molybenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Sulfites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods and people sensitive to sulfites can experience rapid heartbeat, headache or disorientation. Reaction to sulfites usually translates to insufficient molybdenum stores to detoxify them.

•       In addition to providing slow burning complex carbonhydrates, pinto beans can increase one's energy levels by helping to replenish iron stores. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.

nutrition facts