String beans: benefits and harms, beneficial properties for the human body

Can we eat right without eating vegetables? No - it is impossible to imagine a healthy diet without plant foods. A wide variety of vegetables rich in fiber, nutrients, vitamins and minerals are available to modern man. And legumes occupy a worthy place in the diet line. It is about them, and specifically - on the string beans that will be discussed in this article. So, what are the beneficial properties of green beans?

String Beans: Benefits for the Human Body

The value of this representative of legumes is due to the composition of the vegetable crop, which includes:

• • B vitamins - improve the condition of the nervous system, skin, hair;
  • normalize the emotional state;
  • resist the development of vascular and heart diseases;
  • contribute to the normal regulation of hormones;

• play an important role in the prevention of complications in diabetics and the treatment of arthritis;
• iron - affects the composition of the blood, maintaining a normal level of hemoglobin;
• copper - plays an important role in the formation of the musculoskeletal system;
• prevents degenerative processes in bone and cartilage;
• magnesium - resists the development of chronic fatigue syndrome;
• has a calming effect on the central nervous system;
• normalizes the work of the heart;
• Molybdenum - useful for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the respiratory system; reduces cravings for nicotine;
• potassium - necessary for the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels, it is extremely important in the treatment of heart rhythm disturbances;
• zinc - helps in the treatment of skin diseases, diseases of the male reproductive system;
• fiber - contributes to the normal absorption of food, prevents fermentation in the intestines, and fights with excessive gas formation.

Other valuable components are present in the composition of green beans, the use of which provides a complete diet for adults and children.

Useful properties during pregnancy and for children of the first years of life

Pregnancy is a special period in a woman’s life. The health of the unborn child largely depends on the nutrition of the future mother. The more nutrients on the menu of a pregnant woman, the more likely it is to give birth to a strong baby. Legumes are an indispensable tool in maintaining the health of mother and baby. The useful properties of green beans solve a lot of problems that arise during the bearing of a child, such as:

• Anemia.
• Emotional instability.
• Excessive skin pigmentation.
• Swelling.
• Constipation

Eating legumes contributes to the normal development of the children's nervous system, the proper formation of bones and joints, and stimulates mental and physical development. Therefore, the vegetable is so useful for the body of the future baby and children of the first years of life.

Harm and contraindications to the use of green beans

When should you not use green beans? Can a vegetable crop harm human health? There are diseases and conditions of the body in which the use of legumes, including green beans, is not recommended:

• inflammatory diseases of the stomach against the background of increased acidity of the digestive juice;
• ulcerative and erosive lesions of the intestinal mucosa and stomach;
• tendency to increased gas formation;
• diseases of the gallbladder and its ducts;
• inflammatory processes in the tissues of the pancreas.

In these cases, the ratio of the benefits and harms of green beans does not speak in favor of the vegetable. These contraindications are a serious reason for the complete exclusion of legumes from the diet. Otherwise, the use of green beans will exacerbate diseases and worsen the general condition of the body.

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Harvesting green beans for the winter

Healthy nutrition should be available not only in the summer-autumn period, when most vegetables and fruits ripen, but in the winter cold months. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the preparation of plant foods for the winter in advance. Below are several ways to prepare green beans, preserving its useful properties:

• Quick freeze. The method is quite simple and convenient. To prepare the vegetable by freezing the pods, it is necessary to rinse and cut into small cubes. Then pack in small bags and place in a quick freeze chamber.
• Canning. This method is relevant in the absence of free space in the freezer. Preservation of vegetables involves the use of salt and vinegar. A prerequisite is the sterilization of cans for harvesting. Canned beans can be stored at room temperature for no more than a year.
• Pickling. The method is similar to conservation, but still has some differences in cooking technology. When pickling, more spices and additional ingredients are used.

In addition, green beans are present in many recipes for the preparation of vegetable caviar, lecho, salads and sauces with a long shelf life.

Recipes for boiled green beans

Canned and pickled green beans can be eaten as an independent dish, as well as used in the preparation of salads, stews, sautés and other dishes. It is better to eat fresh or frozen beans in boiled form or to prepare tasty and healthy food, adding other vegetables, mushrooms, meat and other products. Here are a couple of simple recipes:

Beans with Braised Vegetables

For cooking, in addition to beans, you will need - carrots, onions, bell peppers, tomato paste, black pepper, bay leaf, salt, vegetable oil.

All vegetables must be cut: beans - in small cubes, onions - in half rings, carrots and pepper - in medium sized cubes. Then the beans and bell pepper are fried for 5 minutes in vegetable oil, after - carrots, onions, tomato paste, pepper and salt are added to them. The mixture is simmered for another 5-7 minutes. The final step is to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Bay leaf should be added at the end of cooking for 2-3 minutes. The dish is served hot as a side dish.

Bean stew with mushrooms

To prepare the stew you will need: green beans, mushrooms, potatoes, tomato paste, carrots, onions, vegetable oil, sour cream, sugar and salt.

Lightly boiled champignons must be cut into medium-sized cubes, add finely chopped onions, grated carrots and green beans. Fry the mixture over low heat for 5-6 minutes, add the potato wedges, tomato paste, sugar and salt. Fry for another 2-3 minutes, add sour cream and simmer until the potatoes are ready. The dish can be decorated with fresh herbs.
Beans can also be used to make soups, vegetable patties and casseroles. Boiled or stewed beans are more useful and less harmful for people with gastrointestinal diseases than canned ones, because they do not contain vinegar, spices or other ingredients that irritate the gastric mucosa.

Nutritional value and calorie content of green beans

String beans are rightly classified as dietetic foods due in large part to its low calorie content and high nutritional value. 100 grams of fresh vegetable includes no more than 23-25 ​​kilocalories. As a result of heat treatment, the calorie content of the product increases to 35-40 calories, which also does not make it less dietary. Moreover, the protein content in 100 grams of bean pods varies from 1.8 to 2.6 g, carbohydrates - from 2.5 to 7.7 g. The fat content of the product is extremely low, and, as a rule, does not reach 1 g per 100 grams beans. The exception is dishes prepared by frying.

In conclusion, I want to note that a balanced diet should not consist solely of plant foods. For the normal functioning of the body, sources of animal proteins and fats are also necessary, such as meat, fish, dairy products. A vegetable diet is ideal only for short-term use - fasting, fasting days, detoxification courses.