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Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant domesticated in the ancient Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder. Beans, squash and maize constituted the "Three Sisters" that provided the foundation of Native American agriculture.

Botanically, the common bean is classified as a dicotyledon. Beans are legumes, so acquire their nitrogen through an association with rhizobia, a species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. 18.3 million tonnes of dry common beans and 6.6 million tonnes of green beans were grown worldwide in 2007.^[1]

The other major type of bean is the broad bean (Vicia faba), of which 3.7 million tonnes were grown in 2007. The commercial production of beans is well-distributed worldwide, with countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, South and North America all among the top bean growers. Brazil and India are the largest producers of dry beans while China produces, by far, the largest quantity of green beans, almost as much as the rest of the top ten growers combined.^[1]

Description

Top Ten Dry Bean Producers (million metric ton), 2007
Brazil	3.2
India	3.0
Myanmar	1.7
China	1.2
United States	1.1
Mexico	0.9
Tanzania	0.5
Kenya	0.4
Argentina	0.4
Uganda	0.3
World Total	18.3
Source: FAO, FAOSTAT

Top Ten Green Bean Producers (million metric ton), 2007
China	2.47
Indonesia	0.87
Turkey	0.52
India	0.42
Spain	0.22
Egypt	0.22
Italy	0.19
Morocco	0.18
United States	0.12
Belgium	0.11
World Total	6.61
Source: FAO, FAOSTAT

Blossoms of Common bean

The common bean is a highly variable species with a long history. Bush varieties form erect bushes 20–60 centimeters (7.9–24 in) tall, while pole or running varieties form vines 2–3 meters (6 ft 7 in–9 ft 10 in) long. All varieties bear alternate, green or purple leaves, divided into three oval, smooth-edged leaflets, each 6–15 centimeters (2.4–5.9 in) long and 3–11 centimeters (1.2–4.3 in) wide. The white, pink, or purple flowers are about 1 cm long, and give way to pods 8–20 centimeters (3.1–7.9 in) long, 1–1.5 cm wide, green, yellow, black or purple in color, each containing 4–6 beans. The beans are smooth, plump, kidney-shaped, up to 1.5 cm long, range widely in color, and are often mottled in two or more colors.

Dry beans

"Painted Pony" dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Similar to other beans, the common bean is high in starch, protein and dietary fiber and is an excellent source of iron, potassium, selenium, molybdenum, thiamine, vitamin B6, and folic acid.

Dry beans will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but as time passes, their nutritive value and flavor degrade and cooking times lengthen. Dried beans are almost always cooked by boiling, often after being soaked for several hours. While the soaking is not strictly necessary, it shortens cooking time and results in more evenly textured beans. In addition, discarding one or more batches of soaking water leaches out hard-to-digest complex sugars that can cause flatulence. The several methods include overnight soaking, and the power soak method, which is to boil beans for three minutes, then set them aside for 2–4 hours, then drain and discard the water and proceed with cooking. Common beans take longer to cook than most pulses: cooking times vary from one to four hours, but are substantially reduced with pressure cooking.

In Mexico, Central America and South America, the traditional spice to use with beans is epazote, which is also said to aid digestion. In East Asia, a type of seaweed, kombu, is added to beans as they cook for the same purpose. Salt, sugar, and acidic foods such as tomatoes may harden uncooked beans, resulting in seasoned beans at the expense of slightly longer cooking times.

Dry beans may also be bought cooked and canned as refried beans, or whole with water, salt, and sometimes sugar.

Green beans

The three commonly known types of green beans are: string or runner beans, stringless or French beans (depending on whether the pod has a tough, fibrous "string" running along its length), and snap beans, which may be round or have a thin, flat pod that requires less cooking time. Compared to the dry beans, they provide less starch and protein, and more vitamin A and vitamin C. The green beans are often steamed, boiled, stir-fried, or baked in casseroles.

Shelling beans

Shell, shelled, or shelling beans are beans removed from their pods before being cooked or dried. Common beans can be used as shell beans, but the term also refers to other species of beans whose pods are not typically eaten, such as lima beans, soybeans, peas, and fava beans. Fresh shell beans are nutritionally similar to dry beans, but are prepared more like a vegetable, often being steamed, fried, or made into soups.

A bean flower

Popping beans

The nuña is an Andean subspecies, Phaseolus vulgaris subsp. nunas (formerly Phaseolus vulgaris (Nuñas group)), with round, multicolored seeds that resemble pigeon eggs. When cooked on high heat, the bean explodes, exposing the inner part, in the manner of popcorn and other puffed grains.

Toxicity

The toxic compound phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin, is present in many common bean varieties, but is especially concentrated in red kidney beans. White kidney beans contain about a third as much toxin as the red variety; broad beans (Vicia faba) contain 5 to 10% as much as red kidney beans.^[2]

Phytohaemagglutinin can be deactivated by boiling beans for ten minutes; the ten minutes at boiling point (100 °C (212 °F)) are sufficient to degrade the toxin, but not to cook the beans. For dry beans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recommends an initial soak of at least 5 hours in water, which should then be discarded.^[2]

If the beans are cooked at a temperature below boiling (without a preliminary boil), as in a slow cooker, the toxic effect of haemagglutinin is increased: beans cooked at 80 °C (176 °F) are reported to be up five times as toxic as raw beans.^[2] Outbreaks of poisoning have been associated with cooking kidney beans in slow cookers. ^[2]

The primary symptoms of phytohaemagglutinin poisoning are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Onset is from one to three hours after consumption of improperly prepared beans, and symptoms typically resolve within a few hours.^[2] Consumption of as few as four or five raw, soaked kidney beans can cause symptoms.^[2]

Beans are high in purines, which are metabolized to uric acid. Uric acid is not a toxin as such, but may promote the development or exacerbation of gout. For this reason, persons with gout are often advised to limit their consumption of beans.^[3] Uric acid is an important antioxidant in humans and, according to cohort studies, might be neuroprotective in cases of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease^{[citation needed]}.

Varieties

Diversity in dry common beans

Many well-known bean varieties belong to this species, and none of the lists below are in any way exhaustive. Both bush and running (pole) varieties exist. The colors and shapes of pods and seeds vary tremendously.

Black beans

Black turtle beans

The small, shiny black turtle bean is especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found in Cajun and Creole cuisines of south Louisiana. It is often called simply the black bean (frijol negro, zaragoza, poroto negro, caraota o habichuela negra in Spanish, and feijão preto in Portuguese), although this can cause confusion with other black beans.

The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture, which makes it popular in vegetarian dishes, such as the Mexican-American black bean burrito. It is a very popular bean in various regions of Brazil, and is used in the national dish, feijoada. It is also a main ingredient of Moros y Cristianos in Cuba, is a must-have in the typical gallo pinto of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is a fundamental part of pabellón criollo in Venezuela, and is served in almost all of Latin America, as well as many Hispanic enclaves in the United States. In the Dominican Republic Cuisine, is also used for a variation of the Moros y Cristianos simply called Moro de Habichuelas Negras. The black turtle bean is also popular as a soup ingredient. In Cuba, black bean soup is a traditional dish, usually served with white rice.

It is also common to keep the boiled water of these beans (which acquires a black coloring) and consume it as a soup with other ingredients for seasoning (known as sopa negra, black soup), as a broth (caldo de frijol, bean broth) or to season or color other dishes (aforementioned gallo pinto, for example).

Samples of black turtle beans were reported in 2006 to contain total anthocyanins in their dried seed coats of 0−2.78 mg/g.^[4]

Black turtle bean varieties include:

• Black Magic
• Blackhawk
• Domino
• Nighthawk
• Valentine
• Zorro

Cranberry and borlotti beans

Fresh borlotti beans

Cranberry beans originated in Colombia as the cargamanto.^[5] The bean is a medium-large, tan or hazelnut-colored bean, splashed with red/black to magenta streaks. A new cranberry bean variety, 'Crimson', is light tan and speckled maroon, and is also resistant to viruses and has a high yield.^[6]

Crimson is a new cranberry dry bean.

Borlotti beans, also known as Roman beans or romano beans (not to be confused with Italian flat beans, a green bean also called "romano bean"), are a variety of cranberry bean bred in Italy to have a thicker skin. They are much used in Italian, Portuguese and Greek cuisine.

Pinto beans look the same as cranberry and borlotti beans, but differ in taste.

Flageolet beans

The flageolet bean is often eaten in France. They are small, light green, and kidney shaped. The texture is firm yet creamy if shelled and cooked when fresh but semi-dry. The 'Chevrier' variety has been submitted^[when?] for the French Label Rouge controlled label, similar to Appellation d'origine controllée^{[citation needed]}. Flageolet bean varieties include:

• Chevrier (the original heirloom)
• Elsa
• Flambeau
• Flamingo

Kidney beans

Red kidney beans

The kidney bean, otherwise called the chili bean, with its dark red skin, is named for its visual resemblance in shape and colour to a kidney. Kidney beans are also known as red beans^{[by whom?]}, although this can confuse it with other beans that are red, such as azuki beans. Red kidney beans (rājmā in Hindi and Punjabi) are an integral part of the cuisine in northern region of India. Red kidney beans are used in New Orleans and much of southern Louisiana for the classic Monday Creole dish of red beans and rice. The smaller, darker red beans are also used, particularly in Louisiana families with a recent Caribbean heritage. They are a common ingredient in chili con carne. Small kidney beans used in La Rioja, Spain, are called caparrones.

Kidney beans, and some others, are poisonous if not pre-soaked and subsequently heated to the boiling point for at least 10 minutes. This toxic agent, Phytohaemagglutnin (Kidney Bean Lectin), is found in many beans, but the highest concentration of the lectin is found in kidney beans. Undercooked beans are known to contain five times the toxicity of raw, soaked beans, so boiling for an extended time is required. [2]

Pea beans

The pea bean is a variety of edible climbing bean that has been recorded in Britain since the 16th century.^[7] The seeds are unusual in being strongly bicoloured - red-brown and white. The plants are a typical climbing bean. The beans are either eaten in the pod like French beans or they may be harvested when mature and eaten as other dried beans.^[8]

The taxonomy of the pea bean is uncertain with few reliable sources. Many seed catalogues list it as Phaseolus aegypticus^[9][10] - a name unrecorded in the botanical literature. There have been other assertions that it is a form of lablab but horticultural consensus places it simply as variety of Phaseolus vulgaris,^[11] closely related to French beans and haricot beans. In the USA the name "pea bean" is also used to describe small white common beans.

Pink beans

Pink beans are small, oval-shaped beans, pale pink in color, also known by the Spanish name habichuelas rosadas.^[12] The Santa Maria pinquito (spanglish = pink and small), is commercially grown on the mesas above Santa Maria, California, and is a necessary ingredient in Santa Maria Style BBQ.

Pinto beans

Pinto beans

The pinto bean (Spanish: frijol pinto, literally "speckled bean" and in S. America it is known as the "poroto frutilla", literally "strawberry bean"; Portuguese: feijão carioca, literally "carioca bean") is named for its mottled skin (compare pinto horse), hence it is a type of mottled bean. It is the most common bean in the United States^[13] and northwestern Mexico,^[14] and is most often eaten whole in broth or mashed and refried. Either whole or mashed, it is a common filling for burritos. The young pods may also be harvested and cooked as green pinto beans.

This is the bean most commonly used for refried beans (fresh or canned) and in many dishes. Rice and pinto beans served with cornbread or corn tortillas are often a staple meal where meat is unavailable; the amino acids in this combination make it a complete protein source. This variety is often used in chili con carne, although the kidney bean, black bean, and many others may also be used in other locales (see below).

Pinto beans are commonly eaten beans in Brazilian cuisine (legumes, mainly common bean, are a staple food everywhere in the country, cultivated since 3000BCE, along with starch-rich foods, such as rice, manioc, pasta and other wheat-based products, polenta and other corn-based products, potatoes and yams).

In the southeastern part of the United States, pinto beans were once a staple of the people, especially during the winter months. Some churches in rural areas still sponsor "pinto bean suppers" for social gatherings and fund raisers.

Alubia pinta alavesa

The alubia pinta alavesa, or the "Alavese pinto bean", a red variety of the pinto bean, originated in Añana,^[15] a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country of northern Spain. In October, the Feria de la alubia pinta alavesa (Alavese pinto bean fair) is celebrated in Pobes.^[16]

Pinto bean varieties include:

• Burke
• Othello
• Maverick
• Sierra

Studies have indicated pinto beans can help reduce cholesterol levels.^[17][18]

Shell beans

Many beans are eaten without their pods.

White beans

Cannellini beans

The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is particularly popular in the United Kingdom and the US, featured in such dishes as baked beans and even pies, as well as in various soups such as Senate bean soup.^[19] Consumption of baked beans has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.^[20][21] This might be at least partly explained by high saponin content of navy bean. Saponins also exhibit antibacterial and anti-fungal activity, and have been found to inhibit cancer cell growth.^[22] Furthermore, navy bean is the richest source of ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid among the common bean varieties.^[23]

In Costa Rican cuisine, white beans are exclusively used in dishes containing pork meat.

Navy bean varieties include:

• Great Northern
• Rainy River
• Robust
• Michelite
• Sanilac

Other white beans include cannellini, a popular variety in central and southern Italy, which is related to the kidney bean, and like the kidney bean, it has higher levels of the toxin lectin (phytohaemagglutinin). Two notable Greek types of giant white beans exist, the gígantes (Greek: γίγαντες, giants) and the eléfantes (ελέφαντες, elephants), which are more than twice as big as regular beans, taste slightly sweeter, and are favored for baking. These beans are white types of the Phaseolus coccineus runner bean. They are produced in a specific part of northern Greece (protected label), but can be found throughout the country. This kind of bean is considered as one of the main dishes that is used in Iraqi cuisine.

White beans are the most abundant plant-based source of Phosphatidylserine (PS) yet known.^[24]

Yellow beans

Sinaloa Azufrado, Sulphur, Mayocoba, and Peruano (also called canary) are types of yellow beans.

Peruano beans (also called canary or mayacoba beans) are small, oval, yellow-colored beans about 1/2 inch (1 cm) long with a thin skin. Peruano beans have a creamy texture when cooked, and are one of the top-selling beans in Mexico City since 2005 (being native to Mexico, despite the name). However, yellow beans are uncommon in the United States due to a controversial patent issued in 1999 to John Proctor, who selected and named a strain of yellow bean from seeds he brought back from Mexico. U.S. Patent No. 5,894,079 (the Enola or yellow bean patent) granted POD-NERS, LLC., exclusive right to import and sell yellow beans in the United States from 1999 through 2008, when the patent was rejected after reexamination.^[25][26]

See also

	Food portal
	Agriculture and Agronomy portal

• Azuki bean
• Bean — for other genera and species of beans
• Green bean
• Chickpea
• Dal
• Lentil
• List of common bean diseases
• Mung bean
• Pulse (legume)
• Broad bean
• Organic beans

References

Moche ceramic vessel with lima beans. Larco Museum Collection. Lima-Peru

Phaseolus lunatus is a legume. It is grown for its seed, which is eaten as a vegetable. It is commonly known as the lima bean or butter bean.

Origin and uses

Phaseolus lunatus is of Andean and Mesoamerican origin. Two separate domestication events are believed to have occurred. The first, taking place in the Andes around 2000 BC^{[citation needed]}, produced a large-seeded variety (Lima type), while the second, taking place in Mesoamerica around AD 800, produced a small-seeded variety (Sieva type).^{[citation needed]} By around 1300, cultivation had spread north of the Rio Grande, and in the 1500s, the plant began to be cultivated in the Old World.^{[citation needed]}

The small-seeded wild form (Sieva type) is found distributed from Mexico to Argentina, generally below 1600 meters above sea level, while the large-seeded wild form (Lima type) is found distributed in the north of Peru, between 320 and 2030 meters above sea level.^{[citation needed]}

The Moche Culture (1-800 AD) cultivated all of the lima beans and often depicted them in their art.^[1] During the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, lima beans were exported to the rest of the Americas and Europe, and since the boxes of such goods had their place of origin labeled "Lima - Peru", the beans got named as such.

The term "butter bean" is widely utilized for a large, flat and yellow/white variety of lima bean (P. lunatus var. macrocarpus, or P. limensis^[2]).

In the Southern United States the Sieva type are traditionally called butter beans, also otherwise known as the Dixie or Henderson type. In that area, lima beans and butter beans are seen as two distinct types of beans.

In the United Kingdom, "butter beans" refer to either dried beans which can be purchased to re-hydrate, or the canned variety which are ready to use. In culinary use, lima beans and butter beans are distinctly different, the former being small and green, the latter large and yellow. In areas where both are considered to be lima beans, the green variety may be labeled as "baby" (and less commonly "junior") limas.

Varieties

Both bush and pole (vine) varieties exist, the latter ranges from one to four meters in height. The bush varieties mature earlier than the pole varieties. The pods are up to 15 cm long. The mature seeds are 1 to 3 cm long and oval to kidney shaped. In most varieties the seeds are quite flat, but in the "potato" varieties the shape approaches spherical. White seeds are common, but black, red, orange and variously mottled seeds are also known. The immature seeds are uniformly green. Lima beans typically yield 2900 to 5000 kilograms of seed and 3000 to 8000 kilograms of biomass per hectare.

The seeds of the varieties listed below are white unless otherwise noted.

Bush types

• Henderson/Thorogreen, 65 days (heirloom)
• Eastland, 68 days
• Jackson Wonder, 68 days (heirloom, seeds brown mottled with purple)
• Baby Fordhook, 70 days
• Fordhook 242, 75 days, 1945 AAS winner

Pole types

• Giant Speckled/Christmas/Speckled Calico, 78 days (heirloom, seeds white mottled with red)
• Big 6/Big Mama, 80 days^[3]
• King of the Garden, 85 days (heirloom)

Nutritional value

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Lima beans, like many other legumes, are a good source of dietary fiber, and a virtually fat-free source of high quality protein.

Lima beans contain both soluble fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which prevents constipation, digestive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis.^{[citation needed]}

Blood sugar

The high fiber content in Lima beans prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after eating them.

This is due to the presence of large amounts of absorption-slowing compounds in the beans, and their high soluble fiber content. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the stomach forming a gel that slows down the metabolism of the bean's carbohydrates.

They can therefore help balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy, which makes them a good choice for people with diabetes suffering with insulin resistance.

Heart

Soluble fiber binds with the bile acids that form cholesterol and, because it is not absorbed by the intestines, it exits the body taking the bile acids with it. As a result, the cholesterol level is lowered.

They may therefore help to prevent heart disease, and may reduce the medical dosage required to combat cholesterol in the form of natural food.

Lima beans also provide folate and magnesium. Folate lowers levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

The magnesium content of lima beans is a calcium channel blocker. When enough magnesium is present veins and arteries relax, which reduces resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Other minerals

Apart from providing slow-burning complex carbohydrates, lima beans can increase energy levels by helping to restore more iron^{[citation needed]}. For menstruating women, who are more at risk of iron deficiency, lima beans can provide iron, an integral component of hemoglobin—hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.

Lima beans are a very good source of the trace mineral manganese, and help enzymes important for energy production and antioxidant defense^{[citation needed]}. Lima beans also contain the trace mineral molybdenum, an integral component of the valuable enzyme sulfite oxidase^{[citation needed]}; sulfite oxidase detoxifies sulfites found as food preservatives^{[citation needed]}.

Raw lima beans and butter beans contain toxic linamarin, a cyanogenic glucoside—one handful of raw beans can make a person violently ill^{[citation needed]}. The beans are rendered safe when cooked. Low-linamarin varieties are typically used for culinary purposes.

Nutrition facts

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Lima beans, cooked 1.00 cup 188.00 grams 216.20 calories

References

Phaseolus rosei is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. It is found only in Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

References

• Neill, D. & Pitman, N. 2004. Phaseolus rosei. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 July 2007.

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