BEANS: Anyone Else Include Legumes/lentils In Their Diet Regularly?

[lvysaur]

I eat sprouted black beans pretty regularly, feels very good.

 

[energyandstruct]

Mung beans and lentils have very little PUFA, some magnesium, larger amounts of manganese and almost the RDA for folate in one serving (1 cup).

Lentils have better nutritional value.

“Two features of mitochondrial damage in severe stress (regardless of whether endotoxin is involved) are a depletion of the antioxidant reserves, and loss of the ability to convert cholesterol into the protective steroid hormones. Mitochondrial damage is more likely in hypothyroidism, as I have discussed previously; thyroxin inhibits lipid peroxidation, end it tends to be inversely related to adrenalin, preventing or minimizing “catecholamine toxicity,” for example. Beans and lentils happen to be powerful anti-thyroid agents, so it isn’t surprising to see indications of decreased aerobic capacity, resulting from decreased peak oxygen consumption in association with the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), if that syndrome is caused by chronic exposure to dietary legumes.”

Reference: Ray Peat, PhD on Endotoxin – Functional Performance Systems (FPS)​

I still find ray's claim that beans could cause CFS somewhat suspect. I think most cases the inital stress that causes it is viral or some kind of infectious agent. but I still think it's good to avoid beans while already this sick. Just had some for the first time in awhile, merely out of politeness, and i'm floored, digestion worse, just feel way more tired

 

[tara]

I used to eat them regularly, now seldom. Various kinds, often lentils or chickpeas/garbanzos, but limas and others too.
Always soaked before boiling.
My digestion seems a lot happier without them.
But they had advantages. They were amongst the best food for giving me sustained energy without frequent feeding.
Might consider eating them a little more often, for variety and the range of nutrients.

 

[RobertJM]

Beans and the majority of starchs give me headache, gas, bad digestion, bad humor, ability to solve problems reduced and abdominal pain.

What is your diet, if you don’t mind a brother asking? I’m on the same page. Beans, for me, are the top ‘no’ food. I use my experience each time I have them to remind myself further as to why I should never eat them. It’s a violation to my wellbeing & soul. As well as my poor gut, that has to deal with the insult that will go through my system during that 24 hour period. A truly horrible food.

 

[General Orange]

Limit the bad effects on the gut and system with low anti-nutrient, low lectins green beans (haricot vert) and split peas (green/yellow).

 

[Blossom]

Anyone else do fine with legumes?

Yes, surprisingly well.

 

[GutFeeling]

What is your diet, if you don’t mind a brother asking? I’m on the same page. Beans, for me, are the top ‘no’ food. I use my experience each time I have them to remind myself further as to why I should never eat them. It’s a violation to my wellbeing & soul. As well as my poor gut, that has to deal with the insult that will go through my system during that 24 hour period. A truly horrible food.

Milk, sugar (sometimes 100grams sometimes 300) cocoa , coconut water , sometimes starch/eggs, meat, coffee and fruit. I eat about 200g of liver peer week, and cow feet for collagen and fish to nutrients (prevent sugar side effects).
Mebendazole and amoxicilin just make my gut and mind very very happy but several people get terrible symptoms with antibiotics.

 

[Ella]

I avoided beans for over 10 years due to anti-nutrient phobia and their high levels of phytoestrogens. Since losing a ton of body fat, I have included them back into my diet and as long as my liver is able to efficiently get rid of estrogen, they will remain in my diet. Hope I have not thrown caution to the wind. I add them to my gelatin broth to make lovely warming soups for cold days. I have red lentils in my breakfast porridge which helps to sustain my sugar levels. I have baked beans for my 4 pm snack on toasted sourdough. Their high iron and phosphate levels do concern me. I try to increase calcium by adding sour cream to soups, milk, cheese etc. I usually make batches of delicious baked beans with pork which always includes fruit like pineapple (extra sugar) in jars for the cold months and as soon as I make a batch they're gone. Too easy to open a jar for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. Kids always drop by and raid the larder when they are strapped for cash.

I think if the rest of the diet has plenty of good quality protein like shellfish, lamb, milk etc., quick bowel transit and no gut issues, combined with proper preparation (soaking, sprouting) then I don't see any real justification to completely avoid them. I love gelatin broth with lamb and borlotti beans. It seems dates are higher in phytoestrogens than white beans and who would have guessed, green beans higher than white beans.

Estrogen Foods List: 50 High Natural Phytoestrogen Sources

I would stick to organic or biodynamic as beans and lentils tested high in glyphosate. This is the reason I am now growing them due to organic ones testing higher in glyphosate than conventionally grown

Never, thought I'd see the day where I would be growing beans :)

 

[Collden]

Been eating canned beans regularly again for the past 3 weeks, usually about one can a day, sometimes more. Its been up and down with gut symptoms, had some bad brain fog and anxiety in the beginning but its getting better, feel less congested and inflamed somehow, bloating is going down even though appetite is up. The taste of beans really makes a perfect complement to fatty/savory dishes.

Stuart in this thread (Why Is There So Much Soluble Fibre In Human Breast Milk?) argued that inability to tolerate soluble fiber is an indication of gut dysbiosis, and that this dysbiosis can only be truly resolved by eating soluble fiber. It jives with the observations that gut issues related to consuming legumes tend to diminish the longer you consume them regularly, and that epidemiologically legume consumption is protective against gut problems, especially various cancers of the gut.

There are many parallels between legumes and caffeine really
- Consumption is invariably associated with better health in epidemiological studies
- Initially consumption can cause discomfort as it unmasks health issues (poor gut health vs poor liver health)
- Discomfort diminishes over time as consumption helps to resolve the very health issues that caused symptoms initially
- May temporarily kick your **** if you're not used to it and ramp up consumption too quickly

Legumes have been dietary staples of every major human culture for many thousands of years, it suggests we are really well-adapted to consume them and that they play an integral role in maintaining our health, science certainly supports that notion. All the anti-legume proponents seems to rely on indirect arguments about phytates and lectins that ignore the fact that _cooked_ beans have never been shown to adversely affect health.

I'd wager that most people who suffered poor health while eating a lot of beans were on unbalanced vegan diets and the poor health was not due to the inclusion of beans but rather the exclusion of other food groups.

 

[Runenight201]

Just started eating beans and my bowel movements became much more regular and firmer.

My hair has also stopped shedding and feels very smooth and not overly oily. I think this is due to increased protein through beans and meat and I stopped consuming dairy. I have determined that milk is not good for me after an independent experiment where I drank a glass of 1% milk and promptly felt drugged. I am slightly concerned about calcium but for the meantime I will ride it out.

I think eating as many beans as your appetite dictates within an otherwise complete diet is healthy. I usually don’t eat more than a couple tablespoons with each dish, but it’s enough to make a difference.

Will continue for the near future.

 

[Braveheart]

Glyphosate in our Food II: Highest Levels in Legumes & Cereals because of Farming “Dry-Down”

Just Google lentils Glyphosate or legumes etc.

 

[Mufasa]

Lentils feel good to me. The rest that I tried all led to gas.

 

[General Orange]

Glyphosate in our Food II: Highest Levels in Legumes & Cereals because of Farming “Dry-Down”

Just Google lentils Glyphosate or legumes etc.

no. let's NOT just google things.
LETS look at it Collectively through PEAT eyes and gather info and consolidate..

 

[General Orange]

no. let's NOT just google things.
LETS look at it Collectively through PEAT eyes and gather info and consolidate..

+1 LOL

 

[Peater]

Interested in others thoughts about kidney beans in my chilli recipe...hated them when I was a kid but like the taste now. We're talking maybe 10 - 15 per serving.

 

[Cirion]

My hair has also stopped shedding and feels very smooth and not overly oily. I think this is due to increased protein through beans and meat and I stopped consuming dairy. I have determined that milk is not good for me after an independent experiment where I drank a glass of 1% milk and promptly felt drugged. I am slightly concerned about calcium but for the meantime I will ride it out.

Somewhat off the subject but I'm willing to bet your issue with milk and why most people have issue with milk is that because consuming garbage commercial brands that in particular are homogenized. I'm about to try raw milk this week or next straight from the cow (grass-fed, too) and I'm willing to bet my reaction to it will be completely different than from commercial milk.

It's all about quality of the food. I'm learning this more and more. Not all milk is made equal, not all OJ is made equal, etc... (another reason why people probably don't react well to lots of OJ, bad brand...) anyway, I digress... when you look at foods in the lens of quality, you start to understand how people eat "peat-y foods" and yet crash and burn. Milk is the perfect food just about... if it's consumed as nature intended.

In fact, 95% of food in general is "garbage". I realize this more and more. It makes me rather angry at the food industry. Hopefully we can start a mass "food rebellion" and force industry to change their ways. Doesn't help we have garbage institutions like the FDA that makes it very difficult to get healthy foods like raw milk.

Also with cheese, I only eat A2 safe cheeses (like from france, goat cheese in particular I eat a lot of)... and even with safer milk, you do need to balance the tryptophan with lots of sugar.

 

[Peater]

Well said. We have to make the best of a bad situation. I will say that I am surprised that Ray thinks UHT skimmed milk is OK, but will continue to drink unhomogenised full-fat Jersey milk. Purely for the fact that apart from pasteurisation it is as unmolested as milk gets.

 

[tara]

Somewhat off the subject but I'm willing to bet your issue with milk and why most people have issue with milk is that because consuming garbage commercial brands that in particular are homogenized.

Wouldn't surprise me if this is an issue for some people.

Not all milk is made equal, not all OJ is made equal, etc..

I agree. I grew up drinking lots of relatively fresh unhomogenised milk, which was the standard available to all at that time. The standard homogenised milk now commonly available is not the same at all. (Don't know if the change in quality contributed to my difficulties with dairy, but I can't handle better quality dairy well now either.)

when you look at foods in the lens of quality, you start to understand how people eat "peat-y foods" and yet crash and burn.

Could be for some. I notice I react better to eating ripe oranges than I do to drinking any of the many brands of OJ I've bought.

Milk is the perfect food just about... if it's consumed as nature intended.

I doubt tehre is anything that is the perfect food for everybody in all states. Once people have become out of balance or damaged, or perhaps sometimes have variant phenotypes, we may have different needs.

Hopefully we can start a mass "food rebellion" and force industry to change their ways.

I think it may take more than just rebellion - it may require organising the system to produce better food. Which I think is a great idea, and quite a task, requiring the cooperation of very many people.

Doesn't help we have garbage institutions like the FDA that makes it very difficult to get healthy foods like raw milk.

I understand that there are some nasty regulations that get in the way of people pursuing good healthful goals. But remember the history of regulation before being to quick to throw it all out.
I'm not in the US, so the FDA is not my institution. There are restrictions where I am that I am not happy with too. But I am pleased that as a society we do have some regulations on food sales, and no longer rely entirely on 'caveat emptor' to protect us from the worst of lead poisoning, campylobacter, etc, and that there are some rules requiring disclosure of ingredients.

 

[Runenight201]

Yea food regulation can be a bit of a bear but so is food poisoning. It’s a necessary evil in a mass-market industrial society. If we were somehow able to return to smaller market economies than perhaps caveat emptor could reign.

And Im not sure but I think my problem with milk may be the fat content. I have always noticed improved nail strength from drinking milk, so something in it is good for me, but that experience I had was so awful, it literally felt like I was drugged to sleep mid-day.

However just tonight I drank skim milk with my tea and I felt absolutely incredible from it. I also can eat Hagen daz ice cream with no problems. So essentially I have absolutely no idea, but I think I will stick to skim milk strictly with my coffee and tea, as perhaps the caffeine content negates all the opiate effects that may be responsible for drugging me =P

 

[lvysaur]

I've been eating more and more beans lately. Sprouted beans in general cause no issue for me.

Unsprouted beans can be okay, but only small ones like mung and lentils. I think I remember something in Ayurveda saying that smaller lentils are more easily digested, it seems to hold true.

Mung beans in particular seem to digest amazingly. Red lentils taste really good too, and digest well.