Why is it that some people have such a hard time eating beans? Well, to cut to the chase, the gassiness from beans is caused by high amounts of fiber and oligosaccharides (short chains of sugar molecules) which aren't fully digested in the stomach or small intestine, pass to the large intestine, and are then essentially fermented by the bacteria that live in our colon. I know, more information than you really wanted, but it lays the groundwork for where I’m going. btw, this is a healthy process that we are not trying to avoid, I will just point out ways to minimize the undesirable after effects. The way to solve the problem, and be able to include this delicious, nutritious and wholitious source of protein in your diet regularly, is quite simply to start small, reduce the oligosaccharides, and help your body out a little.
Start Small - If you’ve avoided eating beans, let your body get used to it by starting with just 2 - 3 servings per week.
Choose wisely - One way to reduce the oligosaccharides is to choose legumes that have less to begin with. Best choices for less gas are adzuki and mung beans, lentils, and black eyed and split peas. Beans to work up to would be lima, pinto, navy and whole soy beans.
With any dry beans it is recommended that they be soaked. So… Prep 'em - Basic, simple, instructions on effective soaking of dried beans: in a large pot, bring 10 cups water and 1 lb. beans to boiling, boil 2- 3 minutes, turn off, cover, let stand for 1-4 hours or overnight (best option.) Pour off water, rinse well, add clean water and cook.
Add any of the following to the pot to reduce effects further: bay leaves, cumin, kombu (highly recommend this one,) epazote (mexican), papaya-based meat tenderizers.
(Canned beans are a great option, but you will have more control over the process and gassy effects if you cook your own… Oh yah, you can also make them taste much better if you cook them.)
Now, to help your body out, two key points. First, you need to focus on chewing…. Every bite that goes into your mouth should be chewed fully before swallowing. The more you chew, the more the beans will be exposed to the digestive enzymes in your saliva (a good thing by the way.) Try it out, see what happens in your mouth if you slow down, sit down, appreciate your food before you start eating, and chew each bite 20 times. Let me know what you discover.
The second point to help your body out is related to another topic that may be more information than you really want, so I will spare you the details and jump straight to the solution. (Contact me if you want to know more) There are many types of probiotics, but the one to take to reduce the gassy effects of beans is Lacotbacillus casei, or L. casei.
Ready to give it a try?
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