4 surprising side-effects of eating beans

You can’t list three Ghanaian staple foods without mentioning beans.

Obviously it is popular, well consumed and possesses quite a number of advantages. But that’s not all there is to know about it.

Beans can also be disadvantageous in some ways. Here are 4 of its side effects:

This one is pretty obvious and well publicised. Eating beans increases the regularity of your farts. Beans contain sugars and fibre that your body may struggle to digest. When these sugars meet up with the bacteria in your large intestines, gas is produced and that comes out as fart. You may also experience some abdominal discomfort especially when you eat too much. One way to counter this is to drink more water and stay active when you eat beans so that your stomach can quickly process the fiber the meal contains.

Migraine

Some people get intense headaches when they eat beans. Although this allergic reaction is not so common, it is important to stay off the meal if you notice that this happens to you. Also, see a doctor if you insist on having it on your meal plan.

It’s actually an incomplete protein

You probably didn’t know this, as you might have grown up thinking beans was a complete and rich source of protein. Apparently not. Unlike other sources of protein, beans actually lack methionine, an important amino acid which is important for your body. In essence, by eating only beans as a protein source, you will not be getting the adequate amount of protein your body needs. However, eating beans with certain grains like rice wheat and maize rounds everything up nicely for you. This is because these cereal grains are high in methionine yet lack another amino acid found in beans.

Risk of constipation

Beans are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fibers and soluble fibers need liquid to move through your system as it should. So if you do not drink enough water after eating beans, [and regularly too!] it could cause constipation.