Beans May Not Be As Flatulent As You Think

Beans have long been known as the musical fruit.

I even remember my mom singing me songs about it throughout my childhood.

But just how much, exactly, do beans contribute to intestinal discomfort?

It’s an important question since flatulence and a stinky rectum are often the biggest perceived drawbacks to eating this wonderful type of legume. Beans are a vegetarians best friend, since they’re an unusually good source of protein, iron and zinc, nutrients often cited as weaknesses in the vegetarian diet.

A new study published in the Nutrition Journal attempted to decipher whether perceptions about the musical fruit are more perception or reality

Three groups of people did a placebo-controlled study that required the groups to regularly eat a half cup of beans and report changes in fart-related activities compared to those that didn’t.

Here are the results: (emphasis added by me)

Less than 50% reported increased flatulence from eating pinto or baked beans during the first week of each trial, but only 19% had a flatulence increase with black-eyed peas. A small percentage (3-11%) reported increased flatulence across the three studies even on control diets without flatulence-producing components.

There were three types of beans consumed in the study, and overall less than 50% of participants reported changes in…..”discomfort” of any sort. For black eyed peas this number was 19%….pretty insignificant.

So, while beans do cause some unwanted side-effects, most people are probably over-estimating the adjustments their colon will have to make by incorporating more beans into their diet.