Beans, Lentils, Peas & Soy: Nutrients, What Research Shows & Safety.
Beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas and soy are food first. Explore each one: what is in it (measured by USDA), what research in people has and has not found for health goals, a normal serving, and what to check before you eat it: cooking raw beans safely, digestion and gas, soy and allergy, fava beans and G6PD deficiency.
Search by legume, benefit, body system, goal, symptom or lab test. Each result explains why it matches and how strong the evidence is.
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Lens culinaris
FolateFiberCopperManganeseIron
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (198 g)
Lentils as a food: USDA values for cooked lentils, what trials found on LDL, blood sugar and weight, plus gas, allergy, lectins, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Cicer arietinum
ManganeseFolateCopperFiberProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (164 g)
Chickpeas as a food: USDA values for cooked and canned chickpeas, what trials found on blood sugar and LDL, plus allergy, sodium, gas, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Pisum sativum
FiberCopperManganeseProteinFolate
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (196 g)
Split peas as a food: USDA values for cooked split peas, what trials found on LDL, blood sugar and fullness, plus pea allergy, gas, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Cajanus cajan
CopperFolateFiberManganeseProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (168 g)
Pigeon peas as a food: USDA values for cooked pigeon peas, what little human evidence exists, traditional use versus trials, plus gas, potassium and pregnancy notes.
Vigna unguiculata
FolateCopperFiberManganeseThiamin (B1)
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (171 g)
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas) as a food: USDA values for cooked peas, the few human studies, gas reports versus other beans, plus allergy, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Vicia faba
CopperFolateFiberManganeseProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (170 g)
Fava (broad) beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, favism and G6PD deficiency, what pooled trials found for pulses, levodopa claims checked, and cooking safety.
Lupinus albus, Lupinus angustifolius
ProteinManganeseCopperFolateMagnesium
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (166 g)
Lupini beans (lupins) as a food: USDA nutrient values, lupin allergy and its link to peanut allergy, bitter alkaloids and debittering, and what research shows.
Phaseolus vulgaris
FolateFiberCopperThiamin (B1)Manganese
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (172 g)
Black beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, what pooled trials found on cholesterol, blood sugar and weight, the dark seed-coat pigments, gas, and cooking safety.
Phaseolus vulgaris
FolateCopperFiberManganeseProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (177 g)
Kidney beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, why raw or undercooked red kidney beans can cause poisoning, safe cooking, what pooled trials found on cholesterol, gas.
Phaseolus vulgaris
FolateFiberCopperManganeseProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (171 g)
Pinto beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, a small trial of half a cup a day and LDL cholesterol, pooled trials of pulses, gas in feeding studies, and cooking safety.
Phaseolus vulgaris
FiberFolateCopperManganeseThiamin (B1)
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (182 g)
Navy beans as a food: USDA fiber, folate and protein values, what trials of pulses show for LDL and blood sugar, cooking safety, gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Phaseolus vulgaris
CopperManganeseFiberIronFolate
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (179 g)
White beans (cannellini and great northern) as a food: USDA values, what pulse trials show for LDL and blood sugar, safe cooking, gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Phaseolus lunatus
CopperFiberManganeseFolateProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (188 g)
Lima beans as a food: USDA values, why they must be cooked (lectins and a natural cyanide compound), what pulse trials show, plus gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Vigna radiata
FolateFiberCopperProteinThiamin (B1)
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (202 g)
Mung beans as a food: USDA folate, fiber and protein values, what pulse trials show, why raw sprouts need care, and gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Vigna angularis
CopperFolateFiberManganeseZinc
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (230 g)
Adzuki beans as a food: USDA folate, zinc, fiber and protein values, what pulse trials show, mouse findings on their saponins, and gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Glycine max
CopperProteinManganeseIronRiboflavin (B2)
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked mature soybeans, boiled, without salt (172 g)
What trials and cohort studies found for soy foods and LDL cholesterol, heart disease, menopause symptoms and breast cancer, plus allergy, medicine and thyroid questions.
Glycine max
FolateProteinManganeseThiamin (B1)Vitamin C
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked, shelled green soybeans (180 g)
Edamame (green soybeans) as a food: USDA nutrient values, what trials say about soy protein and cholesterol, soy allergy, thyroid medicine, pregnancy and gas.
Glycine max (curd)
IronCalciumManganeseCopperProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 0.5 cup raw regular tofu set with calcium sulfate (124 g)
Tofu as a food: USDA calcium, protein and iron values, what research says about soy, cholesterol and heart health, plus soy allergy, MAOI and thyroid medicine cautions.
Cicer arietinum (prepared)
ManganeseCopper
Normal serving (USDA): 2 tablespoons commercial hummus (30 g; USDA lists 1 tablespoon = 15 g)
Hummus (chickpeas with tahini) as a food: USDA fat, fiber and sodium values, what research does and does not show, sesame allergy, tahini outbreaks and gas.
Phaseolus vulgaris and others
ManganeseCopperFiberProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 0.5 cup drained, rinsed canned chickpeas (76 g; half of the USDA 1 cup portion of 152 g)
Canned beans (drained, rinsed) as a food: USDA fiber, protein and sodium values, what pulse trials show, why canned kidney beans are safe, BPA in cans and gas.
Cicer arietinum, Lens culinaris, Pisum sativum, Phaseolus vulgaris (flours)
ProteinFiber
Normal serving (USDA): 2 ounces (56 g) dry pasta (illustration only, not an official portion)
Pasta made from chickpea, lentil or bean flour: measured protein and fiber, what blood sugar studies found, gluten cross-contact, legume allergy and gas.
Vigna radiata (sprouted), Lens culinaris (sprouted)
Vitamin KCopperFolateVitamin C
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup (104 g) raw mung bean sprouts
Mung and lentil sprouts as food: USDA nutrient values, what sprouting changes in the lab, the raw-sprout food poisoning warning, pregnancy, vitamin K and warfarin.
Phaseolus vulgaris
FolateFiberCopperProteinThiamin (B1)
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (177 g)
Cranberry (borlotti) beans as a food: USDA values, why raw beans need real cooking, what pooled bean trials found on cholesterol and blood sugar, gas, and allergy.
Phaseolus acutifolius
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA household portion; NHS counts 80 g of beans and pulses as one portion
Tepary beans as a food: composition from peer-reviewed sources (USDA has no item), very high raw lectin activity, why they must be soaked and well cooked, and the limited research.
Vigna mungo
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA household portion; NHS counts 80 g of beans and pulses as one portion
Urad dal (black gram) as a food: composition from peer-reviewed studies since USDA has no item, cooking and fermentation in idli and dosa, raw-bean cautions, and allergy cross-reactivity.
Vigna aconitifolia
FolateMagnesiumManganeseCopperIron
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (177 g)
Moth beans (matki) as a food: USDA values, antinutrients that cooking and sprouting reduce, the food-poisoning risk of raw sprouts, and what research does and does not show.
Macrotyloma uniflorum
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA portion; composition shown per 100 g dry seed
Horse gram (kulthi) as a food: published composition (USDA has none), natural compounds cooking reduces, and why kidney-stone and diabetes claims are unproven.
Vigna subterranea
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA portion; composition shown per 100 g dry seed
Bambara groundnut as a food: published composition (USDA has none), why the hard seeds need long cooking, antinutrients, peanut cross-reaction in lab tests, and limits.
Lablab purpureus
CopperZincIronThiamin (B1)Manganese
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked (194 g)
Hyacinth beans (lablab) as a food: USDA values, why mature seeds must be boiled well (natural cyanide compounds and lectins), what is known, and safety notes.
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
CopperManganeseThiamin (B1)IronProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup cooked seeds (172 g)
Winged beans as a food: USDA values for cooked seeds, why raw seeds hold lectins and enzyme blockers that heat removes, how pods and tubers are eaten, and evidence limits.
Canavalia ensiformis
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA portion and no suggested serving; composition shown per 100 g dry matter
Jack beans (Canavalia ensiformis): why the raw seeds are toxic, what the sources say about canavanine, lectin and detoxification, and why we give no home cooking method.
Ceratonia siliqua
Normal serving (USDA): 1 tablespoon (6 g)
Carob powder as a food: USDA values, why it has no caffeine, small trials on cholesterol and blood sugar, and honest notes on allergy, infant thickener gum and sugar.
Prosopis spp., Neltuma spp.
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA household portion; 30 g is a stated weight for comparison only
Mesquite pod flour as a food: no USDA entry, so composition from published studies, what is known and unknown about blood sugar, raw-pod antinutrients, and allergy.
Cicer arietinum
FolateCopperManganeseProteinThiamin (B1)
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup (92 g)
Chickpea flour (besan) as a food: USDA values, trials on blood sugar and fullness, why raw flour must be cooked, chickpea allergy, gluten-free labels and grass pea mix-ups.
Lens culinaris (flour), Pisum sativum (flour), Vicia faba (flour)
FolateProteinFiberIron
Normal serving (USDA): 30 g (stated weight; USDA lists no flour portion; values are from dry whole lentils)
Lentil, pea and fava flours as food: values from the dry seeds (no USDA flour entry), a small blood sugar study, fava and G6PD deficiency, allergy and raw-flour safety.
Glycine max
CopperManganeseProteinFolateMagnesium
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup defatted soy flour (105 g)
Soy flour and textured soy protein as food: USDA values for three soy ingredients, what soy protein trials found on LDL cholesterol, soy allergy, thyroid medicine, pregnancy.
Pisum sativum
Normal serving (USDA): No USDA household portion; use the serving size on the product label
Pea protein as a food ingredient: composition ranges, trials on muscle gain and digestibility, pea and peanut allergy, labels, and how it differs from whole peas.
Phaseolus vulgaris
CopperIronFiberManganeseProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup canned baked beans with pork and tomato sauce (246 g)
Baked beans as a food: USDA values for home-prepared and canned, sodium and sugar in the sauce, what pooled bean trials found on LDL cholesterol, gas, and allergy.
Phaseolus vulgaris
CopperFiberManganeseSeleniumProtein
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup canned traditional-style refried beans (238 g)
Refried beans as a food: USDA values for traditional and fat-free canned, sodium, fiber and fat, leftover safety for homemade, what pooled bean trials found on LDL cholesterol.
Cicer arietinum
Normal serving (USDA): 1 patty, about 2-1/4 inch diameter (17 g)
Falafel as a food: USDA values for home-prepared fried patties, fat and calories, acrylamide and frying, who must check for fava beans (G6PD deficiency), allergy and sauces.
Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense
Normal serving (USDA): 1 cup alfalfa sprouts (33 g)
Alfalfa and clover sprouts as food: the outbreak history and who should avoid them raw, USDA values, lupus and canavanine cautions, warfarin, and what the lab shows.
Trigonella foenum-graecum
SeedLeaf
BitterEarthySweetWarm / woody
Aroma: Warm and sweet like maple syrup or caramel, with a curry-like note when strong.
In the kitchen: curries, pickling, vegetables, soups and stews, rice and grains
Fenugreek seed tastes bitter, earthy and a little like maple syrup and is used in curries, pickles and spice blends; it is not safe in pregnancy above food amounts, and blood sugar research is limited.
Tamarindus indica
Fruit pulp
Sour / tangySweet
Aroma: Fruity and tangy, like sour dried fruit.
In the kitchen: curries, soups and stews, tea and drinks, pickling, rice and grains
Tamarind is sweet and sour and is used in curries, chutneys, soups and drinks; the one trial we read found no effect on weight or blood sugar, and one small study found it raised aspirin absorption.
Pisum sativum
What green peas (Pisum sativum) contain, what research says about fiber, heart health and digestion, and facts on vitamin K, FODMAPs, pea allergy and frozen peas.
Arachis hypogaea
Peanuts as a food: a legume eaten like a nut, peanut vs tree nut allergy, early introduction for babies, aflatoxin, boiled peanuts, heart evidence and calories.
Fermented soybean paste, Aspergillus oryzae koji, Glycine max
Miso is a salty fermented soybean paste. What reviews and cohort studies found, why sodium and soy allergy matter, and why miso is not automatically a probiotic food.
Fermented soybeans (Bacillus subtilis), Glycine max
Natto is a Japanese fermented soybean food rich in vitamin K2. Read the warfarin caution first, then what studies found on bone markers and mortality, and the soy allergy point.
Fermented soybean cake (Rhizopus), Glycine max
Tempeh is a firm fermented soybean cake from Indonesia. What reviews say, why human evidence is limited, and the allergy and fermentation-safety points to know.
No legume matches all of these filters. Try removing one. Some topics (for example most herbs) are not legumes and live elsewhere on the site.
A link between a legume and a topic means the body needs the legume for that job, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate. See each page’s evidence label.
Lentils, chickpeas, split peas, pigeon peas, black-eyed peas, fava and lupini beans: dried seeds of the legume family, rich in fiber and protein.
Black, kidney, pinto, navy, white, lima, mung and adzuki beans. Raw kidney beans are toxic, so how you cook them matters.
Soybeans, edamame and tofu: soy has its own allergy and isoflavone questions.
Hummus, canned and baked beans, falafel, bean pasta, legume flours, soy and pea protein, and sprouts: legumes in ready-to-eat forms. Raw sprouts carry a food-poisoning risk.
Moth beans, horse gram, urad dal, hyacinth and winged beans, bambara groundnut and jack beans: staple foods in parts of Asia and Africa. Some must be cooked carefully to be safe.
Carob and mesquite are legume-family trees whose pods are eaten. Tamarind is listed from Spices. They are not beans, and each has its own uses and cautions.
Legumes work alongside other nutrients. Here is what our sources link to them.
Vitamin A: The body can convert beta-carotene to vitamin A.
Vitamin A: Vitamin E and beta-carotene were tested together in the Finnish smoker trial.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D increases calcium absorption; both matter for bones, and treatment of rickets and osteomalacia includes both.
Vitamin D: NHS says vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate.
Vitamin E: MedlinePlus says vitamin E helps the body use vitamin K; both affect blood clotting, which matters for people on blood thinners.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E and selenium were tested together and apart in the SELECT prostate cancer trial.
Vitamin E: Vitamin C and vitamin E were pooled with other antioxidants in the Cochrane mortality review.
Vitamin K: Vitamin D with K2 products exist; the site page does not claim an added benefit.
Vitamin B1 (thiamin): The NHS page covers B vitamins together; MedlinePlus says doctors may recommend other vitamins alongside thiamin for beriberi.
Vitamin B2: MedlinePlus says riboflavin works with the other B vitamins.
Vitamin B3 (niacin): Pellagra comes from too little niacin or tryptophan in the diet, so both matter for avoiding deficiency.
Vitamin B5: MedlinePlus covers pantothenic acid and biotin together; both are needed for growth and metabolism and for making fatty acids.
Whole GrainsOmega fatty acidsAntioxidantsSupplement formulasCompare supplementsNatural Remedy Safety
Lentils as a food: USDA values for cooked lentils, what trials found on LDL, blood sugar and weight, plus gas, allergy, lectins, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Chickpeas as a food: USDA values for cooked and canned chickpeas, what trials found on blood sugar and LDL, plus allergy, sodium, gas, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Split peas as a food: USDA values for cooked split peas, what trials found on LDL, blood sugar and fullness, plus pea allergy, gas, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Pigeon peas as a food: USDA values for cooked pigeon peas, what little human evidence exists, traditional use versus trials, plus gas, potassium and pregnancy notes.
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas) as a food: USDA values for cooked peas, the few human studies, gas reports versus other beans, plus allergy, kidney and pregnancy notes.
Fava (broad) beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, favism and G6PD deficiency, what pooled trials found for pulses, levodopa claims checked, and cooking safety.
Lupini beans (lupins) as a food: USDA nutrient values, lupin allergy and its link to peanut allergy, bitter alkaloids and debittering, and what research shows.
Black beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, what pooled trials found on cholesterol, blood sugar and weight, the dark seed-coat pigments, gas, and cooking safety.
Kidney beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, why raw or undercooked red kidney beans can cause poisoning, safe cooking, what pooled trials found on cholesterol, gas.
Pinto beans as a food: USDA nutrient values, a small trial of half a cup a day and LDL cholesterol, pooled trials of pulses, gas in feeding studies, and cooking safety.
Navy beans as a food: USDA fiber, folate and protein values, what trials of pulses show for LDL and blood sugar, cooking safety, gas, kidney and allergy notes.
White beans (cannellini and great northern) as a food: USDA values, what pulse trials show for LDL and blood sugar, safe cooking, gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Lima beans as a food: USDA values, why they must be cooked (lectins and a natural cyanide compound), what pulse trials show, plus gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Mung beans as a food: USDA folate, fiber and protein values, what pulse trials show, why raw sprouts need care, and gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Adzuki beans as a food: USDA folate, zinc, fiber and protein values, what pulse trials show, mouse findings on their saponins, and gas, kidney and allergy notes.
Cranberry (borlotti) beans as a food: USDA values, why raw beans need real cooking, what pooled bean trials found on cholesterol and blood sugar, gas, and allergy.
Tepary beans as a food: composition from peer-reviewed sources (USDA has no item), very high raw lectin activity, why they must be soaked and well cooked, and the limite…
Edamame (green soybeans) as a food: USDA nutrient values, what trials say about soy protein and cholesterol, soy allergy, thyroid medicine, pregnancy and gas.
Tofu as a food: USDA calcium, protein and iron values, what research says about soy, cholesterol and heart health, plus soy allergy, MAOI and thyroid medicine cautions.
Urad dal (black gram) as a food: composition from peer-reviewed studies since USDA has no item, cooking and fermentation in idli and dosa, raw-bean cautions, and allergy…
Moth beans (matki) as a food: USDA values, antinutrients that cooking and sprouting reduce, the food-poisoning risk of raw sprouts, and what research does and does not s…
Horse gram (kulthi) as a food: published composition (USDA has none), natural compounds cooking reduces, and why kidney-stone and diabetes claims are unproven.
Bambara groundnut as a food: published composition (USDA has none), why the hard seeds need long cooking, antinutrients, peanut cross-reaction in lab tests, and limits.
Hyacinth beans (lablab) as a food: USDA values, why mature seeds must be boiled well (natural cyanide compounds and lectins), what is known, and safety notes.
Winged beans as a food: USDA values for cooked seeds, why raw seeds hold lectins and enzyme blockers that heat removes, how pods and tubers are eaten, and evidence limit…
Jack beans (Canavalia ensiformis): why the raw seeds are toxic, what the sources say about canavanine, lectin and detoxification, and why we give no home cooking method.
Carob powder as a food: USDA values, why it has no caffeine, small trials on cholesterol and blood sugar, and honest notes on allergy, infant thickener gum and sugar.
Mesquite pod flour as a food: no USDA entry, so composition from published studies, what is known and unknown about blood sugar, raw-pod antinutrients, and allergy.
Hummus (chickpeas with tahini) as a food: USDA fat, fiber and sodium values, what research does and does not show, sesame allergy, tahini outbreaks and gas.
Canned beans (drained, rinsed) as a food: USDA fiber, protein and sodium values, what pulse trials show, why canned kidney beans are safe, BPA in cans and gas.
Pasta made from chickpea, lentil or bean flour: measured protein and fiber, what blood sugar studies found, gluten cross-contact, legume allergy and gas.
Mung and lentil sprouts as food: USDA nutrient values, what sprouting changes in the lab, the raw-sprout food poisoning warning, pregnancy, vitamin K and warfarin.
Chickpea flour (besan) as a food: USDA values, trials on blood sugar and fullness, why raw flour must be cooked, chickpea allergy, gluten-free labels and grass pea mix-u…
Lentil, pea and fava flours as food: values from the dry seeds (no USDA flour entry), a small blood sugar study, fava and G6PD deficiency, allergy and raw-flour safety.
Soy flour and textured soy protein as food: USDA values for three soy ingredients, what soy protein trials found on LDL cholesterol, soy allergy, thyroid medicine, pregn…
Pea protein as a food ingredient: composition ranges, trials on muscle gain and digestibility, pea and peanut allergy, labels, and how it differs from whole peas.
Baked beans as a food: USDA values for home-prepared and canned, sodium and sugar in the sauce, what pooled bean trials found on LDL cholesterol, gas, and allergy.
Refried beans as a food: USDA values for traditional and fat-free canned, sodium, fiber and fat, leftover safety for homemade, what pooled bean trials found on LDL chole…
Falafel as a food: USDA values for home-prepared fried patties, fat and calories, acrylamide and frying, who must check for fava beans (G6PD deficiency), allergy and sau…
Alfalfa and clover sprouts as food: the outbreak history and who should avoid them raw, USDA values, lupus and canavanine cautions, warfarin, and what the lab shows.
What lectins in beans are, why raw or undercooked red kidney beans can cause poisoning, what agencies and studies say about soaking and boiling, and why canned beans are…
Why beans cause gas, what feeding studies found about adapting over weeks, what FODMAPs are, the low-FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome, and sourced ways to ease d…
Dried and canned beans compared with USDA values for sodium, fiber and folate, what draining and rinsing do, what soaking changes, canned-bean safety and the BPA questio…
How to soak and cook dried beans and lentils: soak methods, stovetop and pressure times from university guides, the kidney bean slow-cooker warning, and salt and acid.
Favism and G6PD deficiency: fava beans are the known food trigger. What sources say about other legumes, warning signs, who is at risk, medicines and emergency care.
Must beans and rice be eaten together? What dietitian bodies, reviews and a 2026 meal-level study say about complete proteins, amino acids, DIAAS and plant protein.
Allergy to peanut, soy, lupin, chickpea, lentil and pea explained: how often legumes cross-react, what studies and allergy bodies say, labeling rules, and emergency sign…
Beans, lentils and chickpeas as foods: what trials and cohort studies found for LDL cholesterol, heart disease and blood sugar, plus the kidney bean cooking warning.
Legumes at a GlanceSafety points for raw kidney beans and raw sprouts as agencies state them, plus what reviews found about soaking, sprouting and fermenting beans and grains.
Sprouting, Soaking and Fermenting Grains and LegumesWhy raw sprouts, raw (unpasteurized) milk, untreated juice and undercooked eggs carry higher risk for pregnancy, young children, older adults and weakened immunity.
Raw Sprouts, Raw Milk and Undercooked Foods: RisksWhat reviews of trials found for low glycemic eating, beans, nuts, resistant starch, vinegar and cinnamon on blood sugar, and why diabetes medicines call for care with diet changes.
Foods for Blood Sugar ControlGrains and legumes together make a complete-protein pattern.
Whole GrainsPeanuts are legumes; their full guide is in Nuts & Seeds.
Nuts & SeedsTempeh, natto and miso are fermented soy foods.
Fermented FoodsThey can. Harvard says gut bacteria ferment the resistant starches and sugars in legumes, which makes gas and can cause bloating and cramping in some people, and that soaking dried beans for at least three hours and cooking them may help. [1] See the gas, FODMAP and digestion guide.
We did not find a source that compares them nutrient by nutrient, so we do not claim they are equal. What the FDA does say is practical: canned beans can carry a lot of sodium, so choose low-sodium or no-salt-added cans and rinse canned beans before eating to remove some sodium. [4] See dried versus canned beans.
Harvard's Nutrition Source concludes that soy foods can safely be eaten several times a week, and says claims that soy causes breast cancer or thyroid problems have not been substantiated, while noting the effect on thyroid function needs more study. [6] NCCIH says soy is not safe for everyone: some people are allergic, and soy foods high in tyramine, such as tofu and soy sauce, can interact dangerously with MAOI antidepressants. [5] Isolated isoflavone supplements are a different product from tofu or edamame. [5][6]
Yes. EFSA says undercooked beans containing the lectin phytohemagglutinin are a health concern for all age groups, causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. [3] Its advice is to soak beans for 6 to 12 hours, discard the water, and boil for at least 30 minutes at 100 C, and it says steaming, microwaving and roasting are less effective. [3] EFSA does not name slow cookers in the page we read. Properly prepared pulses carry no lectin-related risk. [3] See the cooking dried beans safely guide.
The FDA lists peanuts and soybeans among the nine major food allergens, along with milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat and sesame. [7] Peanuts are legumes, so see peanuts. Trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat after eating is an emergency: call 911 or your local emergency number. [7]
Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.
