Beans, beans are good for the heart...

[kelownagirl]

Can I post this anonymously?

I am trying to eat more vegetarian meals which of course includes beans. I love them and want to eat more. Of course, I do not like the gassy results and I've tried Beano to no avail. They suggest 2-3 tabs with your first bite. 3 is not working for me. Has anyone found success? Tried more than 3 tabs?

I've read that you can reduce the effects by presoaking dried beans and then draining them. I prefer canned beans and I like to use the liquid from the can. Would I be better off draining and rinsing them?

Will my body eventually get used to eating more beans? When?

[KnottedYet]

Your body will eventually get used to eating beans.

Throwing some garlic into the mix supposedly helps reduce the gas. Can't say I've really noticed a difference, but it might be worth trying.

I eat a LOT of beans. They don't bother me nearly as much now as they once did.

[latelatebloomer]

hi, K-girl - We eat a lot of beans in my house, often for breakfast, as soups and chilis are some of my favorite winter breakfasts - we haven't had Beano in the house for years. I use canned beans (Goya, from a "beany" culture is our pick for both price and quality) quite a lot, and I do rinse them. I don't think there's anything special in that canned juice. Black-eyed peas are supposed to be one of the easiest varieties to digest, and I think the little white beans are easier, too, so you might want to rely on those a little more while your system acclimates. Macrobiotic friends used to say a little piece of kombu (a kind of seaweed, you can get it in healthfood stores) made beans more digestable, too.

One of the reasons I like plenty of beans in my diet is the beneficial effects they reportedly have on blood sugar. Before my weight loss and cycling habit, I was insulin-resistant and well on my way to diabetes. In fact, there is an idea out there that people of native heritage pretty much NEED beans in their diet for their bodies to work right, that it's practically a symbiotic relationship.

I eat meat now, but when I was veggie, I made a black-eyed pea & red pepper chili sauté that was sooo good.... I think I'll make some now!

[Thorn]

Second the vote for adaptation. I eat a lot of beans. Those don't tend to be the problem--cabbage, not *that* is a problem.

If you're cooking a mexican/southwestern flavor, consider adding epazote. There is a claim that it reduces the gas.

[Zen]

Throwing some garlic into the mix supposedly helps reduce the gas.

oh boy.
bad breath and flatulence

I'm with the rest, your body will adjust. Just be careful doing those sit-ups at the gym.

[OakLeaf]

Eden brand canned beans include kombu seaweed, which is supposed to promote digestibility. Eden also does not use BPA in their can liners.

I hardly ever use canned beans, though. They're so easy and quick to cook in the pressure cooker. Get one of Lorna Sass's cookbooks. Soaking overnight or even longer definitely makes them easier to digest. If I soak them more than 12 hours I usually change the water. (Discard all the soaking water, or use it on your garden or houseplants, don't use it for cooking.) So it takes that little bit of planning, but that's not much.

You can make a big batch of unseasoned beans and freeze them in convenient portion sizes. Then they're almost as convenient as canned, way cheaper, you can have any variety of heirloom beans, and they're in your own reusable containers.

[limewave]

I haven't read everyone's responses . . . but yes, rinse the beans thoroughly! It will definitely help with the gas. I had the same problem until I started rinsing them. So much better!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Drain and rinse off your canned beans. When using dried beans, change the soaking water at least once, and then also drain and rinse before cooking.

[shootingstar]

I have heard drinking abit hot water with lemon juice is supposed to help.

But hey, I only have bean dishes several times a year. It does gas me up.

Really at this time, I have no desire to conquer bean gas to get onto bean track: You see, yesterday I had too much gas and stomach cramps while sitting on bus for over 5 hrs...after I drank 2 milk-based lattes in 1 day.
Talk about being scared of a washroom accident..

Never knew my body was this lactose intolerant. It's ok,....don't tell me...I have been eating tofu for most of my life.....since babyhood.

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, keep that lactose away from me! Worse than beans, I tell ya!

[kelownagirl]

OK, so just to clarify.

I am soaking the beans overnight tonight.

Tomorrow, I discard the water and then cook them in fresh water for X number of hours, until cooked.

Then I discard that water and use as I would canned beans, perhaps adding some of the various herbs etc suggested?

Thank you!

[Veronica]

I do a lot of bean soups, using dried beans - red beans and rice with sausage, a black bean soup... Something about the soup seems to lessen the problem.

V.

[OakLeaf]

OK, so just to clarify.

I am soaking the beans overnight tonight.

Tomorrow, I discard the water and then cook them in fresh water for X number of hours, until cooked.

Then I discard that water and use as I would canned beans, perhaps adding some of the various herbs etc suggested?

Thank you!

No, you don't need to discard the cooking water. The indigestible sugars went out with the soaking water. If you're freezing them, they should be covered with the cooking liquid to prevent freezer burn.

[Andrea]

Can I post this anonymously?

I am trying to eat more vegetarian meals which of course includes beans. I love them and want to eat more. Of course, I do not like the gassy results and I've tried Beano to no avail. They suggest 2-3 tabs with your first bite. 3 is not working for me. Has anyone found success? Tried more than 3 tabs?

I've read that you can reduce the effects by presoaking dried beans and then draining them. I prefer canned beans and I like to use the liquid from the can. Would I be better off draining and rinsing them?

Will my body eventually get used to eating more beans? When?

It's possible that the Beano may be causing your issues. It contains mannitol, a sugar alcohol. Most people have no issues with sugar alcohols- others include sucralose (Splenda), glycerol, xylitol, malitol, sorbitol, and just about anything else you see that ends in -itol. However, a few of us (myself included), get gassy from them in small quantities, and, if you happen to eat a lot of it, can get GI upset for days while it clears from the body. So, you may want to read labels of everything you eat and drink and eliminate sugar alcohols for a week or two and see if it doesn't get rid of some gas.

Also, rinsing your canned beans will help, as will chewing thoroughly when you eat them.

[withm]

I learned this method from Dr. Mirkin
http://www.drmirkin.com/

put 1 pound of dried beans in a big pot, bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons baking soda. Make sure you do this OFF HEAT - it will fizz and bubble, so do it slowly and carefully, 1 T at time if you don't want to make a mess.

Cover the pot, and let the beans soak 6-8 hours or overnight.

DRAIN and rinse the beans (and wash the pot). DO NOT save the soaking water - it will give you serious gas! Return the beans to the newly washed pot, add water to cover by ~ 1" and cook the beans as usual.

Note, they they don't take nearly so long to cook now, so check them after 15-20 minutes - depending on what kind of beans you are cooking, they are done in 20-30 minutes. Drain and proceed with your recipe.

Dr. Mirkin is a noted physician, and real-down-to-earth cyling MD and his wife is a nutritionist/registered dietitian. They espouse a diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains, and perhaps a small amount of fish, and have a lot of recipes on their website.