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Bean pods

Garden beans grow in pods or pods on the bean plant. The empty pods that remain after the beans have been removed are used to make an extract that is used as a medicine. Bean pods are used for high cholesterol levels, obesity, urinary tract infections, kidney or bladder stones, diabetes and lung cancer. Bean pods are also used to make an infusion that is used as a diuretic to increase urine production and promote water excretion.

How do bean pods work?

Beanpods are a source of fiber. Fiber can help reduce cholesterol absorption and increase the elimination of dietary fat. Products containing bean pods are often advertised as so-called starch blockers. In advertising, this effect is used to justify the use of these products to promote weight loss. However, scientific research suggests that these products do not appear to reduce the absorption of starch.

How effective are bean pods?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of bean pods in the following applications.

  • High cholesterol: There is evidence that bean pod and carob extract may lower cholesterol levels in overweight people and increase the amount of fat excreted in the stool.
  • Obesity: Several studies have investigated whether bean pods can help reduce body weight, but the results of these studies are not consistent. A review that combined the information from all of these studies concluded that bean pods did not help with weight loss, but did cause a small reduction in body fat.
  • Lung cancer: Some research suggests that men and women who consume higher amounts of phytoestrogens such as isoflavones from beans and soy had a 44 to 72% lower risk of developing lung cancer than those who consumed lower amounts. Men appear to benefit more than women from phytoestrogens.
  • Infections of the urinary tract
  • Kidney stones
  • Diabetes

Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of bean pods in these applications.

Are there any safety concerns?

There is evidence that bean pod extracts may be safe and safe for most adults when used for 2 to 3 months. However, larger quantities or fresh bean pods are unlikely to be safe and harmless. Raw bean pods contain chemicals that can cause stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea. These chemicals are destroyed during cooking.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Not enough is known about the use of bean pods during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid bean pod extracts. Diabetes: Bean pods can lower blood sugar levels. For this reason, diabetics should closely monitor their blood sugar levels while using bean pods. It is possible that the dosage of diabetes medication may need to be adjusted by the attending physician. Operations: Bean pods could lower blood sugar levels and therefore there are concerns that they could interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. For this reason, the use of bean pods should be discontinued two weeks before upcoming operations.

Interactions with medication

Care should be taken when combining bean pods with the following medications:

Diabetes medications

Bean pods could lower blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar levels. The use of bean pods in combination with diabetes medication could result in an excessive drop in blood sugar levels. For this reason, blood glucose levels should be carefully monitored. It is possible that the dosage of diabetes medication may need to be adjusted.

Dosages used

Bean pods are contained in various bladder and urine teas. They are also used to make an infusion, with a daily dose of between 5 and 15 grams.

References

  1. Birketvedt GS, Travis A, Langbakk B, Florholmen JR. Dietary supplementation with bean extract improves lipid profile in overweight and obese subjects. Nutrition 2002;18:729-33.
  2. Bo-Linn GW, Santa Ana CA, Morawski SG, Fordtran JS. Starch blockers--their effect on calorie absorption from a high-starch meal. N Engl J Med 1982;307:1413-6.
  3. Celleno L, Tolaini MV, D'Amore A, et al. A dietary supplement containing standardized Phaseolus vulgaris extract influences body composition of overweight men and women. Int J Med Sci 2007;4:45-52.
  4. FDA Center for Food Safety and Nutrition. What are some of the questionable weight loss products? http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-nut4.html. (Accessed December 20, 2003).
  5. Hollenbeck CB, Coulston AM, Quan R, Becker TR, et al. Effects of a commercial starch blocker preparation on carbohydrate digestion and absorption: in vivo and in vitro studies. Am J Clin Nutr 1983;38:498-503.
  6. Onakpoya I, Aldaas S, Terry R, Ernst E. The efficacy of Phaseolus vulgaris as a weight-loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Br J Nutr 2011;106:196-202.
  7. Schabath MB, Hernandez LM, Wu X, et al. Dietary phytoestrogens and lung cancer risk. JAMA 2005;294:1493-1504.
  8. Udani J, Hardy M, Madsen DC. Blocking carbohydrate absorption and weight loss: A clinical trial using phase 2 brand proprietary fractionated white bean extract. Altern Med Rev 2004;9:63-9.