A bean for your thoughts

Before I begin this post, I want to first disclose that a lot of what I will be focusing on is the body and its functions and with the body comes things that people may become uncomfortable, squeamish, or feel is inappropriate. My goal is to present these concepts medically, objectively, and tactfully. I do not want to make anyone uncomfortable or offend anyone with the use of this language.

What's the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of legumes? Some may say backyard BBQs, the Bush's baked beans commercials, or a summertime memory. But I think I can safely say that the main thing that comes to mind is what comes from consuming legumes-bloat and gas. Why does this occur? How can it be prevented? First we must understand the job of the bean and its composition. Beans are a vegetable that are classified as soluble as well as insoluble fiber. What is soluble fiber? Soluble fiber is the fiber acts as a sponge and is absorbed whereas insoluble fiber acts as a broom and sweeps things through the intestines and out of the body. Besides being a major source of soluble and insoluble fiber, beans share a special relationship with bile.

What is bile? Bile is produced by the liver and acts as a cleaning agent for the liver. Because the liver is what filters the blood, all the junk that you have consumed is cleaned out here and the bile picks it all up. So what happens to the bile when it's picked up all that it can? It has to go somewhere, right? It's supposed to. Remember what a main characteristic is of beans? Insoluble fiber. Why is this so important? Because insoluble fiber can't cross the intestinal barrier. So, with this mind, the insoluble fiber of the beans grabs onto bile and becomes inseparable. Once that bond is made, the insoluble fiber is able to travel out with the bile and excreted through fecal matter.

So recap really quickly! Eat beans because it is a HUGE source of insoluble and soluble fiber so it can bind to bile that is the clean-up man for the liver. Bile and beans are bonded together which allows trash and excess waste (aided by fiber) to glide on out of the body! Pretty cool!

So you might be asking what if I don't eat beans, what happens then? Well, the bile never gets excreted from the body, and the body just keeps recycling it. Let's visualize it this way. Every kitchen has its messes and every mess requires a dishrag and cleaning agent of some sorts. It's like cleaning your dirty dishes over and over with the same rag and dishwater that never gets itself cleaned. What a mess! How clean are your dishes really going to get? Exactly. They aren't. Neither is your body getting cleaned if your cleaning agent can't get itself clean!

You may still be wondering why eating beans causes bloating and gas. Bloating and gas are responses to all that junk getting cleaned out from your system. Before that bile wasn't getting out, it was just being recycled but when the bile and bean become bonded it causes fermentation because that bile is filled with toxins. And that is was causes the bloating and gas. The key to getting rid of the bloating and gas is to increase your bean intake. The cleaner your bile, the less fermentation, and fewer occurrences of bloating and gas. I speak from experience, and trust me, it works. Beans also aid in many more bodily functions, but we will save that for another post. My main focus here is to present the characteristics and functions of the bean and how important it is for a healthy body.

If you would like to gain more information regarding beans and their beneficial characteristics, please visit KarenHurd.com. Click "Health Topics". Select "Specific Health Concerns". Click "Why Beans Don't Cause Gas."