MATC Matters

The government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least three cups of legumes a week.

What’s so special about beans? If nothing else, they’re inexpensive, fiber‑packed sources of potassium, folate, iron and protein. And some studies suggest that beans lower the risk of adenomas, the kind of polyps that can turn into colon cancers.

When researchers tracked more than 34,000 women for 18 years, those who ate at least four servings of beans a week had a 33 percent lower risk of colon adenomas than those who ate beans no more than once a week.

And in a study of people who had already had a polyp removed, those who followed advice to boost their beans the most had a 65 percent lower chance of being diagnosed with a new advanced adenoma than those who bumped up their beans the least.

“In Western countries, about half of the people have adenomas by age 60,” explains investigator Elaine Lanza of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. “But not all adenomas turn into colon cancer.”

Only the large or somewhat abnormal “advanced” adenomas-which are likely to become cancer-were lower in bean eaters. Those people “ncreased legumes more than we expected,” notes Lanza. “They ate about 1 ½ cups of beans a day.”

It’s not clear how beans might protect the colon. One possibility: “We know that fermentable fiber in beans increases the level of short‑chain fatty acids like butyrate in the colon,” says Lanza. “And butyrate is anti‑inflammatory.” (Inflammation may make the colon more vulnerable to cancer.)

And beans may have other benefits. “In another study, when we asked men to eat 1 ½ cups of beans a day, they lost 10 pounds in the first month,â€? she notes. “So beans may also affect satiety.”

Remember: Serve beans instead of side dishes like rice, pasta, or potatoes (recipe below). Or mix beans into your rice or pasta. Or replace the croutons in your salad with beans. It takes about 90 seconds to open a can of beans and rinse them (to wash off some of the salt). Talk about convenient.

Recipe: Combine 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans (try black) with the juice of 1 lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, some chopped parsley and (if you like) cilantro, a little freshly ground black pepper, and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat before serving. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Please consult your physician with any concerns you might have regarding this information.

Sources: The Center for Science in the Public Interest, Volume 34, Number 1, Jan/Feb 2007. Cancer Research. 2006; 66:3942. Journal of Nutrition. 2006; 136:1896.

If you have questions, contact Cindi Rutten, Employee Health & Wellness Coordinator at 243‑4133.