Benefits of long beans for body health

Long beans are certainly no longer a vegetable name that sounds foreign to Indonesians. But not much is known about the nutritional value and health benefits of this vegetable that can grow up to 75 centimeters in length. According to the myth that circulates, one of the benefits of long beans can increase breasts, if consumed regularly. Is it true? Read on to know more about the benefits of string beans for your health.

What are the nutritional values ​​contained in long beans?

In a serving of 100 grams of long beans, it contains 47 calories, 4 grams of sodium (0% of the daily recommended value), 8 grams of total carbohydrates (2% of daily value), and 3 grams of protein (5% of the daily recommendation). Fresh string beans are one of the best sources of folate. Per 100 grams of long beans contains 62 mg or 15% of the total daily requirement of folate. Folate, coupled with vitamin B12, is an important component of DNA synthesis and cell division.

In addition, fresh long beans also contain a series of antioxidants that are important for the body, such as vitamin C, riboflavin, and beta-carotene. Long beans contain enough vitamin C to meet 31 percent of your daily needs, which is about 19 milligrams. Vitamin C is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant, and when your intake of vitamin C is met, it helps strengthen the immune system to fight infection and maintain elasticity of blood vessels.

Long beans are also an excellent source of vitamin A. 100 grams of long beans contain 865 IU of vitamin A (16% of the daily requirement), and this amount is more than other legume families such as lima beans and green beans. Vitamin A plays a role in maintaining the strength of the deep skin layer tissue, brightening skin tone, and sharpening the quality of vision at night.

Not only rich in essential nutrients and vitamins, long beans also provide you with adequate amounts of several minerals that are good for the body, such as iron, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Then, what are the benefits of long beans for health?

Long beans are often processed into stir-fry vegetables to soup dishes, such as lodeh and ach, tempeh. The taste is delicious and sweet, it shakes the tongue, but first consider the 8 benefits of long beans that are essential for body health.

1. Relieve menstrual pain

In a clinical trial, reported by Best Health Magazine, women who consumed high doses of manganese from their diet experienced improvements in the frequency and severity of stomach cramps and better mood than the group who ate less manganese.

2. Healthy and bright skin

Studies show that taking high doses of vitamin C reduces the appearance of wrinkles, heals dry skin and redness, and slows down the aging process. This is because vitamin C works to speed up the healing process in the body, which is important not only for the skin but also for the strength of the muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and tendons.

A diet rich in vitamin C also helps prevent skin cancer from developing.

3. Good for heart health

The soluble fiber found in long beans can help reduce the amount of bad LDL cholesterol. Plus, the benefits of long beans are proven to reduce inflammation and blood pressure - which is also good for heart health. One serving of long beans (100 grams) provides up to 12 percent of your daily fiber needs.

4. Prevent cancer

Long beans contain an array of plant-based antioxidants, including flavonoids and riboflavins. A study of human breast and colon cancer (colorectal) cell samples from Deakin University in Australia showed a synergistic effect between the two compounds in reducing the growth of these cancer cells.

In addition, long beans contain high folic acid. Folic acid deficiency has been linked to a reported risk of colon, breast, cervical, lung, and brain cancer. Evidence shows that intake of folate-rich foods can prevent cancer development. Daily intake of 900 mcg of folic acid is reported to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 30 percent.

5. Ward off free radicals

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that prevents free radical damage, pollution, and toxic chemicals. The buildup of free radicals causes a number of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Untreated joint inflammation can lead to complications of gout.

This makes the benefits of long beans also good for lowering the risk of gout. High uric acid in the body forms crystallization in the joints, which generally affects the big toe. People with adequate intake of vitamin C up to 1000-1499 mg reported a 31 percent reduction in uric acid risk.

6. Raising breasts

A study from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Gadjah Mada University reported the benefits of long beans for enlarging breasts. This is thought to be because long beans contain phytoestrogens, natural estrogen compounds found in plants. Other phytoestrogen compounds include flavonoids and isoflavones.

Based on the findings of researchers, the presence of phytoestrogens in long beans can trigger the growth of epithelial cells in the breast when they attach to estrogen receptors, which ultimately triggers the development of breast size. However, the nature of this study is still limited to the test of epithelial cell tissue samples affected by long bean extract in a tightly controlled laboratory.

7. Lowering glucose levels

Another study examining long bean extracts found that this lean, leafy green vegetable contains antihyperglycemic and analgesic properties - reducing pain by lowering the body's sensitivity to stimulants. Oral glucose tolerance test shows the effect of reducing blood glucose levels. However, this research is still limited to lab rat trials, further research is still needed to prove the same benefits of long beans in humans.

8. Prevent baby neural tube defects

Physical birth defects and heart malformations in children are the result of folate deficiency. Adequate intake of folic acid in your diet during fertility and pregnancy can prevent the risk of birth tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly in newborns. Folate is essential for DNA replication and fetal cell growth. Foods rich in folate can reduce the chance of neural tube defects by up to 26 percent.