This showed up on my breast cancer list. I would like to get your views on it, and also Loren Cordain's. Is there still someone on PALEOFOOD who can forward to Dr. Cordain?
Thanks,
Kath
BEANS AGAINST CANCER?
"...and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink." -Daniel 1.12
... beans received a major boost last month from the Bean Research Unit of the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The US Midwest produces much of the world's bean supply, so it is perhaps understandable
that these Michigan scientists are unabashedly partisan toward beans. However, the facts speak for themselves: the common dry bean turns out to be an outstanding source of antioxidants.
When these USDA scientists analyzed the colored seed coats of twelve different types of beans they found that these legumes contained many of the same antioxidants (such as anthocyanins) that are also found in pricier berries and fruits, and also in wine. "Although these polyphenols [i.e., antioxidants] can cause problems in digestibility," they admitted, "they may be important dietary supplement s with beneficial health effects."
Most of the antioxidant benefit of fruits and vegetables comes from the component that gives them their color. Just as with the beta-carotene that makes the carrot orange and the lycopene that turns the tomato and the watermelon their gorgeous shades of red, so it is with beans: the darker the hue, the more abundant the supply of valuable micronutrients. According to another recent study, the amount of antioxidants varies greatly in kidney beans, but in general the greatest amount is found in red and black varieties (Choung 2003). In shopping, therefore, shun the pale cannellini and Great Northern and go for the more colorful varieties.
Taking the Pulse of the Pulses
At various times, scientists have tried to agree upon the ideal anti-cancer diet. These consensus statements
by large groups of experts have generally spoken in positive tones about peas, beans and lent ils (the group
collectively known as pulses or legumes) and cowpeas (a related category that includes black-eyed peas). For example, the World Cancer Relief Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) committee
included general recommendations concerning legume consumption. The opinion of the committee was that, in order to minimize the risk of developing cancer, 45-60 percent of dietary calories should come from starchy or protein-rich foods of plant origin. Pulses are included in this category. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended a daily consumption of 30 grams (about an ounce) of pulses, including nuts and seeds, to reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.
A breakthrough in nutritional thinking came three years ago when scientists showed that people who ate legumes four times per week had a 22 percent lower risk of heart disease compared with peop le who consumed legumes less than once per week (Bazzano 2001). This finally gave empirical justification to the childhood jingle that beans are "good for the heart." And although beans are high in carbohydrates they have a low-glycemic index (i.e., they are slowly digested), and therefore "provide a sustained source of energy that curbs caloric intake and helps to maintain weight" (Smith 2003). Because of this beans can help people with diabetes to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Research over the past twenty years has in general supported the health-promoting properties of beans. One older survey found that people who ate lots of beans enjoyed a measure of protection against breast, prostate and colon cancer (Correa 1981). Another study found an inverse trend between legume consumption and the incidence of prostate cancer (Kolonel 2000). Two experimental studies showed that feeding rodents navy,
black and pinto beans inhibited the incidence of colon cancer by 52 to 57 percent (Hangen 2002 and Hughes
1997).
However, in most Western countries, beans get little respect and therefore little research interest. In cancer circles, it's genes, not beans, that attract the big bucks. Questions on surveys about food consumption typically lump together all pulses, a category that generally includes nuts, seeds, lentils, peas, soy beans as well as all types of dry beans. There has been a tendency to look on beans as a source of cheap calories, but nothing more.
Beaneaters
Culturally, one cannot think of beans without thinking of Boston. At one time the local baseball team was even
called the "Beaneaters." Boston has since become a home of haute cuisine, but here in rural New England we still adhere to the old ways. The Bean Supper is a prominent feature of the social calendar, whether at the local clapboard church, Town Hous e or Odd Fellows' Hall. But, as a general rule, bean consumption declines as one's socioeconomic standing improves. (The exceptions being the health-food conscious and the Tex-Mex crazed.) Consumption in Western countries tends to be quite low - a few pounds per head per year.
This cultural aversion to beans may backfire. A glance at cancer mortality rates around the world raises a
provocative question: Can beans actually protect against some major forms of cancer? As a general observation, countries with low rates of colon, rectal, breast and prostate cancer are those in which beans form a prominent staple of the diet, while countries with relatively high rates of these same diseases tend to be those in which bean consumption is markedly lower. Some of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world are in Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia, countries not famous for their bean consumption. In Poland, for instance, annual per capita bean consumption is just over one kilogram (2.2 pounds). What is more, "basically Poland is a white bean market" according to industry sources (Northarvest 2003). White beans have the least amounts of antioxidants.
The Czech Republic has the dubious distinction of having the highest male colorectal cancer death rate in
the world (34.2 per 100,000). Among women it ranks third. It is therefore interesting to read that "domestic production of dry beans for human consumption is practically non-existent in the Czech Republic and consumption is low," estimated at only approximately 11 to 14 ounces per person per year. As in Poland, "production...is centered on white beans only, of the navy bean type" (Northarvest 2003).
Contrast that with Latin America. In Mexico, for instance, the colorectal cancer death rate is 4.7 per 100,000 for men and 4.6 per 100,000 in women. Thus, a man's chances of d ying of colorectal cancer are one-seventh in Mexico City what they are in Prague! Similar differentials apply to other forms of cancer as well.
Beans contribute 70 to 80 percent of the vegetable protein consumed by lower-income Mexicans. Mexican dry bean consumption (much of which is of antioxidant-rich black beans) is 33 pounds per year, more than five
times the US total. Perhaps not coincidentally, Mexico has just 30 percent of the US colon cancer mortality
rate. Although the derisive term "bean eater" has been hurled by nordamericanos at their neighbors to the
south, it seems that those who eat beans will have the last word when it comes to some kinds of cancer.
My strong recommendation is to rediscover beans, if you haven't already done so. You can of course buy beans that are already prepared. I grew up eating Heinz vegetarian baked beans, which now are much too bland and sweet for my taste. A far more enjoyable and less expensive way to incorporate beans into your diet is to get yourself a good Yankee bean pot, a package of dried beans, and a source of pure water. You can then add uch things as kombu (sea vegetables), mustard, tomato sauce, vinegar, molasses or maple syrup. I generally try to limit sweeteners as much as possible. Nothing is more contrary to the wholesome taste of good baked beans than to muck it up with goopy syrups, fatty frankfurters or tiny marshmallows! But, that said, any beans are probably better than no beans at all.
As to gas, experience shows that it tends to diminish or go away after one has gotten into the bean habit. But some people truly cannot abide this food. For those who find the gas difficult to manage, a product called Bean-O may prove helpful. Bean-O is a food additive that is said to make legumes and other gas-engendering foods more digestible and therefore less offensive. Once you get past that obstacle, you will have discovered an economical source of nutrition that may be of tremendous value in the fight against cancer.
Some shopping hints:
Excellent sources of dried beans are your local food co-op and health food store. There are many organic
varieties available with subtle, but interesting, differences between them. Be sure to wash them well and pick them over for tiny stones that may have been included in the course of packaging. (This is especially important when dealing with local suppliers.) You can also get good information as well as products online, especially from Amazon.com.
For me, part of the ritual of making baked beans is the pot that I cook them in. I use a beautiful cast iron Le
Creuset Poterie four quart beanpot similar to the one depicted here:
Click or go to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005QFUS/cancerdecisio-20/104-6948735-0197512
For further suggestions on cooking beans, here is an excellent "Bean Bible":
Click or go to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762406895/cancerdecisio-20/104-6948735-0197512
There are many fine prepared bean dishes available online. Here's a fine black bean soup from Indian
Harvest:
Click or go to:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DH9VU/cancerdecisio-20/104-6948735-0197512
--Ralph W. Moss, PhD
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References:
Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, et al. Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women. Arch Intern Med 2001;161:2573-8.
Choung MG, Choi BR, An YN, Chu YH, Cho YS. Anthocyanin profile of Korean cultivated kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Nov 19;51(24):7040-3.
Correa, P. 1981. Epidemiological correlations between diet and cancer frequency. Cancer Res, 41:3685-90.
Hangen L and Bennink MR. Consumption of black beans and navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) reduced azoxymethane-induced colon cancer in rats. Nutr Cancer. 2002;44(1):60-5.
Hughes JS, Ganthavorn C, Wilson-Sanders S. Dry beans inhibit azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats. J Nutr. 1997 Dec;127(12):2328-33.
Kolonel, LN, Hankin JH, Whittemore AS, et al. Vegetables, fruits, legumes and prostate cancer: A multiethnic
case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev,
2000;9:795-804.
Northarvest Bean Growers Association. National Dry Bean Council Undertakes Market Development Programs in Eastern Europe. May 02, 2003. Accessed January 17, 2004 at:
http://www.northarvestbean.org/html/news.cfm?ID=482
Smith, Aetna. You might not know beans. Growers,
researchers, distributors talk about methods of studying,
touting bean consumption. GrandForksHerald.com Posted on Sat, Jul. 19, 2003.
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
The news and other items in this newsletter are
intended for informational purposes only. Nothing in
this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice.
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