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ARS Home » Midwest Area » East Lansing, Michigan » Sugarbeet and Bean Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333375
Title: Demonstrating a nutritional advantage to the fast cooking dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Author
item WIESINGER, JASON - Michigan State University
item Cichy, Karen
item Glahn, Raymond
item Grusak, Michael
item BRICK, MARK - Colorado State University
item THOMPSON, HENRY - Colorado State University
item Tako, Elad

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2016
Publication Date: 10/18/2016
Citation: Wiesinger, J.A., Cichy, K.A., Glahn, R.P., Grusak, M.A., Brick, M., Thompson, H., Tako, E.N. 2016. Demonstrating a nutritional advantage to the fast cooking dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 64(45):8592-8603.

Interpretive Summary: Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a nutreint rich food but long cooking times limit the consumption of dry beans, especially in regions where wood is a primary fuel for cooking. This study evaluated the nutritive value of 12 dry bean cultivars of the yellow, cranberry, light red kidney, and red mottled market classes. Whinin each class a fast, moderate, and slow cooking cultivar was included. When compared to the slower cooking cultivars within a market class, fast cooking dry beans retained more protein and minerals while maintaining similar carbohydrate and fiber densities when fully cooked. For example, some of the highest protein and mineral retention values were measured in the fast cooking yellow bean - Cebo Cela, which offered 20% more protein, 10% more iron and 10% more zinc with each serving (1/2 cup) when compared with Canario, a yellow bean that takes twice as long to become palatable under the same cooking conditions. These findings suggest that fast cooking bean varieties have improved nutritive value through greater nutrient retention. Iron bioavailability was also higher in faster cooking bean genotypes.

Technical Abstract: Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a nutrient dense food rich in protein and micronutrients. Despite their nutritional benefits, long cooking times limit the consumption of dry beans worldwide, especially in nations where fuelwood for cooking is often expensive or scarce. This study evaluated the nutritive value of a group of Andean fast cooking bean lines from diverse market classes of major bean growing/consuming regions of Africa and the Americas. When compared to their slower cooking counterparts within each market class, fast cooking dry beans retain more protein and minerals while maintaining similar carbohydrate and fiber densities when fully cooked. For example, some of the highest protein and mineral retention values were measured in the fast cooking yellow bean - Cebo Cela, which offered 20% more protein, 10% more iron and 10% more zinc with each serving (1/2 cup) when compared with Canario, a yellow bean that takes twice as long to become palatable under the same cooking conditions. These findings suggest that fast cooking bean varieties have improved nutritive value through greater nutrient retention. A Caco-2 cell culture model also revealed the bioavailability of iron is significantly higher in faster cooking bean genotypes as compared to slower cooking genotypes within the same market class.