Broad beans, as they are called in the Americas, or broad beans, as they are more commonly called in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, have been a part of the diet in the eastern Mediterranean since around 6,000 BC.
They grow in wide, leathery pods, like much larger pea pods. Each pod contains three to eight oval beans.
The term broad bean refers to the larger-seeded cultivars grown for human food, while bean refers to the smaller, harder-seeded cultivars used primarily (but not exclusively) for animal feed. .
The fava bean is a hardy plant. It can withstand harsh and cold climates.
preparing broad beans
Preparing fresh broad beans can be a bit of a hassle.
When buying beans, choose green pods that are firm and don’t bulge. The bulging pods can be old and often have a bitter taste.
To remove the beans from the pods, simply run your thumbnail along the seam of the pod to pry it open. Scoop out the beans. They are wrapped in thick white skin that needs to be removed.
You can get rid of the skin by using a sharp knife to make a small indentation along the edge of the bean. This will allow the raw bean to pop. But this is a lot of hard work… bean for bean!
You can avoid this by putting the beans in boiling salted water and parboiling them for about a minute and a half. After that, put the beans in ice water to stop them from cooking. Now you can squeeze the beans without skin, but still…preparing beans is hard work. About 3 pounds or 1.5 kg of fava pods are needed to get a full cup of beans.
culinary uses
Broad beans are usually eaten when they are young and tender. If planted in early winter, they can be harvested in mid-spring. If they are sown in early spring they will be ready in mid-summer.
Horse beans, on the other hand, are left to fully ripen. They are harvested in late fall and can be eaten by humans as legumes, although they are more commonly used as animal fodder.
Broad beans were an important food in ancient Mediterranean civilizations. They were especially popular with the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Over time they spread along the Nile Valley to Ethiopia, northern India, and China.
Broad beans can be eaten in various ways. For example, you can steam them until tender and then toss them in fresh lemon juice. They are delicious in a mixed green salad. The broad bean puree can be used as a spread on bread or crackers. They are at their best as medammes, which is very popular as a breakfast dish in Arabia. Makes a great lunch.
Making full medammes is very easy. Fry the finely chopped garlic and onion in a pan with an extremely small amount of virgin olive oil. Once the garlic has softened, add the beans and a little water. Bring to a boil and mash the beans with a wooden spatula. Once the goo is very hot, pour it into a bowl and serve with oat cakes (thin, sugar-free cookies made from oats).
In parts of Latin America, fava bean puree is used as a filling in corn-based snacks. They are also used whole in vegetable soups.
The beans can also be dry fried, causing them to split open. You can then season them to produce a tasty and crunchy snack that is popular in northern Iran, Malaysia, Thailand, China and Latin America.
The unripe pods can also be cooked and eaten. Also, the young leaves of the plant can be eaten, either raw or cooked in the same way as spinach.
How nutritious are broad beans or fava beans?
The simple answer is… very nutritious.
This is what you get in 100 grams of mature raw seeds:
macronutrients
Energy… 1,425 kJ (341 kcal)
Carbs…58.29g
Dietary Fiber… 25g
Fat…1.53g
Protein…26.12g
vitamins
Thiamin (B1)…0.555mg…48%
Riboflavin (B2)…0.333mg…28%
Niacin (B3)…2,832mg…19%
Vitamin B6…0 366mg…28%
Folate (B9)…423 μg…106%
Vitamin C…1.4mg…2%
Vitamin K…9mcg…9%
minerals
Calcium…103mg…10%
Iron…6.7mg…52%
Magnesium…192mg…54%
Manganese…1.626mg…77%
Phosphorus…421mg…60%
Potassium…1,062mg…23%
Sodium…13mg…1%
Zinc…3.14mg…33%
μg = micrograms… mg = milligrams… IU = International Units
The percentages refer to the recommended daily amounts for an adult.
As you can see from the above, dietary fiber makes up 25% of fava beans. Another 26% consists of protein.
In addition, broad beans are especially rich in micronutrients such as B vitamins, in particular folate and thiamin. Fava beans are also full of phosphorous, manganese, magnesium and iron.
Fava beans are one of the main foods rich in folate (vitamin B9) that exist. Folate helps metabolize your energy, supports your nervous system, and keeps your red blood cells healthy. It is also a must for pregnant women.
Benefits of eating broad beans or broad beans
Fava beans do not directly help diabetics control their blood glucose. But they do help prevent or delay the development of certain adverse medical conditions, many of which arise from diabetes, such as:
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hypertension
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risk of heart disease and stroke
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weak immune system
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reduced energy
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development of osteoporosis
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poor motor function
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risk of birth defects
Hypertension… 85% of diabetics suffer from high blood pressure. Studies show that magnesium can lower blood pressure. Fava beans are loaded with magnesium.
According to a meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials covering 545 participants in total, magnesium supplementation taken for up to 26 weeks resulted in a small reduction in diastolic blood pressure. But another study showed that better results are achieved when magnesium supplements are combined with magnesium-rich vegetables and fruits.
Heart disease and stroke…hypertension and diabetes increase the risk of heart disease and stroke at least three times compared to the risk among the general population. Therefore, improvements in your blood pressure will reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
weak immune system… is another consequence of diabetes. Healthy white blood cells are necessary to maintain a strong immune system because without them, your body is highly susceptible to disease and infection. White blood cells destroy disease-causing pathogens and help eliminate free radicals found in your body.
Copper helps maintain healthy blood cells, and lima beans contain significant amounts of copper, which helps support your immune system.
reduced energy…many diabetics experience a feeling of sluggishness. This ongoing tiredness may be due to a lack of iron, which is required to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to cells throughout the body. Fava beans contain significant amounts of iron and their consumption can help restore your spirits.
development of osteoporosis… can be prevented to some extent with manganese. Manganese helps increase bone mass and helps reduce calcium deficiency. Broad beans contain significant amounts of manganese. The US National Library of Medicine suggests that consuming forms of manganese along with calcium, zinc, and copper may help reduce spinal bone loss in older women.
Risk of birth defects… can be reduced with folate (vitamin B9). Fava beans contain very significant amounts of folate which, in addition to being excellent for providing energy, has long been associated with helping to reduce birth defects.
A meta-analysis of research on folic acid supplementation, published in scientific reports by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health in 2015, found a positive association between folate supplementation and a decreased risk of congenital heart defects.
Birth defects often occur during the first few weeks of pregnancy at a time when many women may not know they are pregnant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Public Health Service recommend that all women between the ages of 15 and 45 (the childbearing age) consume 0.4 mg (400 μg) of folic acid every day. days to help reduce the risk of birth defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly.
poor motor function… due to Parkinson’s disease can be relieved by eating fava beans regularly, according to some studies. Research published in the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research examined the effects of eating fresh fava beans with their outer shells, fava beans dissolved in alcohol and water, and dried sprouted fava beans.
The researchers found that the increased levels of the amino acids L-dopa and C-dopa in the bloodstream of fava beans led to a significant improvement in motor performance in Parkinson’s patients, without side effects.
Side Effects of Eating Broad Beans or Broad Beans
Broad beans are not the tastiest food on the planet. But spice them up a bit and they are a joy to eat. Most people tolerate them very well.
Some people are allergic to beans. However, cooking beans thoroughly can help reduce the risk of an allergic reaction.
Fava bean consumption can be very harmful if you have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. G6PDD is an inborn problem with your metabolism that predisposes you to a breakdown of your red blood cells. It’s very weird.
This collapse can be caused by a variety of infections, medications, stress, and some foods such as fava beans. Therefore, if you have G6PDD, you should avoid eating fava beans.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a class of drugs that have a long history of use in the treatment of depression. These medications interact unfavorably with other medications and certain foods, so if you are using these medications, you should avoid eating fava beans.
Food to go
Despite all of this, it’s a good idea to add fava beans to your diet unless you have a medical condition that may be negatively affected by fava beans or are taking medications that may cause an adverse reaction to fava beans.
But if you can manage them without any health problems, you should take advantage of their potential to reduce your diabetic’s risk of heart disease and stroke, to boost their energy levels and immune system, to help their motor function, etc., by we consume broad beans on a regular basis.
I enjoy a plate of broad beans mixed with garlic and onion for lunch at least once a week in the form of ful medammes.