BEAN

Description

It is an annual herbaceous plant, erect in bushes up to 40 cm high, or climbing up to 3 m, spirally entangled in some kind of support. Of uncertain origin, it is cultivated in most of the world except in the coldest areas. It has trifoliate leaves with acute leaflets. Papilonaceous, white, yellow or lilac flowers gathered in clusters. The fruit is a thick, elongated legume ending in a sharp beak, with several seeds inside.

Part used

The pods are used (the fruit without the seeds).

Main constituents.

*Pods:

• Abundant fiber: cellulose (20%) and pectin (5%).
• Amino acids: arginine, leucine, lysine, tyrosine, tryptophan.
• Vitamin C.
• Mineral salts: chromium (almost 1ppm), silicon.
• Others: flavones, lectins, guanidinaminovaleric acid, choline, inositol, traces of cyanogenetic heterosides.

*Seed:

• Phaseolamine (protein), polyphenolic compounds.

Pharmacological activity

*Sheaths:

• Hypoglycemic.
• Hypocholesterolemic.
• Mild diuretic.

*Seed:

It is an important source of polyphenolic compounds, with potential beneficial effects on health due to its antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiobesity, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity.

Indications

*Sheaths:

• Adjuvant in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
• Prevention of urinary lithiasis, edemas, urinary infections.

*Seeds:

• Adjuvant in the treatment of overweight and type 2 diabetes.
• A dry (aqueous) seed extract has shown an α-amylase inhibitory effect with the ability to reduce the postprandial peak in blood glucose levels and carbohydrate absorption, in addition to a satiating effect, so it is used as an adjuvant in the treatment of diabetes and overweight.

Contraindications

• Allergy to the plant.
• Pregnancy and lactation.

Precautions

Diabetics.

Drug interactions

They have not been described.

Side effects

Sheath. Although not frequent, flatulence, sensation of fullness and abdominal distension may occur.

Bibliography

Monografía de la SEFIT (Sociedad Española de Fitoterapia).

Manual de Fitoterapia. Encarna Castillo García e Isabel Martínez Solís. 2ª edición Elsevier.

Celleno L, Tolaini MV, D'Amore A, Perricone NV, Preuss HG. A Dietary supplement containing standardized Phaseolus vulgaris extract influences body composition of overweight men and women. Int J Med Sci 2007; 4 (1): 45-52. 

Ganesan K, Xu B. Polyphenol-rich dry common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and their health benefits. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(11).

Barrett ML, Udani JK. A proprietary alpha-amylase inhibitor from white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): A review of clinical studies on weight loss and glycemic control. Nutr J 2011; 17: 10-24.

Thompson HJ, McGinley JN, Neil ES, Brick MA. Beneficial Effects of Common Bean on Adiposity and Lipid Metabolism.Nutrients. 2017;9(9). 2008; 100: 1-12.

Wu X, Xu X, Shen J, Perricone NV, Preuss, HG. Enhanced weight loss from a dietary supplement containing standardized Phaseolus vulgaris extract in overweight men and women. The Journal of Applied Research 2010; 10 (2): 73-79.