Eat Me: Six incredible benefits of green beans

Green beans are a delicious vegetable with a crunchy texture often served as a side to the main dish.

Raw green beans, also called string beans, are low in calories and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals.

They can be steamed, boiled, or fried but cooking removes some of their nutrients, so eating them raw is more beneficial.

Here are six of their incredible health benefits.

Eyecare

Certain specific carotenoids that are found in green beans can prevent macular degeneration, which is a decrease in vision and eye function.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are focused at the macula on the eye, and play a key role in preventing any stress to the inner workings of the eye.

Bone health

Calcium, found in green beans, is integral in preventing bone deterioration and osteoporosis.

The beans also contain vitamin K, A, and silicon. Deficiencies in many of these compounds have been connected to increased bone loss, strength, and durability.

Heart diseases

Green beans can help reduce the risk of heart diseases due to their high levels of flavonoids.

Flavonoids are polyphenolic antioxidants that are commonly found in fruits and vegetables.

Cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and strokes are commonly caused by thrombotic activity, which means that a healthy volume of green beans and flavonoids in a diet can help prevent some of these conditions.

Colon cancer

Studies have shown green bean consumption to be beneficial for preventing pre-cancerous polyps that commonly lead to colon cancer.

Pre-natal care

Green beans are a great source of folic acid, which plays a key role in a number of internal processes like protecting infants in the womb.

Folic acid levels in a woman’s body are vital to the normal and healthy development of the fetus in utero, especially in preventing neural tube defects.

Gastrointestinal issues

Green beans are packed with fibre, which is a highly beneficial compound in our bodies.

By keeping enough fibre in our diets, we are able to ease certain digestive issues like constipation, hemorrhoids, ulcers, and acid reflux disease.