<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I received 30 responses to my inquiry about whether or not others
have experienced some difficulties with bean flours. That seems like
quite a lot to me -- that is, people out there also experiencing this
issue! Thanks to all who took the time to respond! :-)
All but 2 of these were from people who also suffer this problem.
Most, like me, without any answers as to why. For some, again like
myself, the problem is major, even worse than reactions to gluten.
Some have reactions to ALL beans. Most, as with myself, it seems to
be only bean FLOUR, not traditionally cooked beans.
I am certainly gratified to know I am not alone -- and I wonder if
those baking companies that rely heavily on bean flours (in
particular, I can think of Bob's Red Mill, Breads from Anna) have any
idea that so many people with celiac also have severe GI reactions to
eating bean flour. One person wrote to me that Whole Foods Bakehouse
products were heavily reliant on bean flour, but as far as I can
tell, the only product they make using it is their pizza crust. I
actually do plan to compose a letter to Bob's and Anna's with all the
comments I received on this subject. I expect they lose some
customers who have a GI reaction to their products with bean flour,
chalk it up to gluten cross-contamination and never buy their
products again.
Mostly the posts were to just say "I have that, too -- and please
summarize!" But I am passing along a few that presented some ideas
and/or a bit more information about this phenomenon. In particular,
some responders suggested that the key problem is certain properties
of beans are released or neutralized in the soaking process done
before cooking beans in the traditional way. The assumption is that
there is no "soaking" cycle when beans are converted into bean flour.
Actually, I don't know how bean flour is produced -- though I might
consider contacting some manufacturer to get a clearer picture of how
this process is done.
A few of the responses follow:
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My children have tested positive to certain beans, but they react to all.
If the flours are coming from a gf facility, my guess is that you've
got a problem with the flours and not the processing.
If you're reacting to the flours and not the beans themselves, I'm
going to suggest that you're sensitive to the phytates that are in
beans, grains, and nuts. Phytates are anti-enzymes that prevent
these from sprouting spontaneously before planting. Soaking
neutralizes the phytates, making them more digestible and the
nutrients inside more bio-available. I suspect that since you're
cooking them, there's some soaking going on, thereby removing the
phytates. The flours, otoh, are almost certainly *not* soaked and
the baked goods don't have the longer processing times that the whole
beans do. That would leave the phytates largely intact and phytates
interfere with digestion. If you're feeling up to some
experimentation, try soaking your flours before using them. Like
sourdough bread:
http://everythingfreeeating.blogspot.com/2007/11/unprofitable-servant.html
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check out the Eat Right for Your Type blood type diet book. There
are about 2 dozen types of beans and some will cause you more
problems than others. It most likely has to do with something called
lectins.
Kidney beans are not for my type, & it knowing that solved the
mystery of why my homemade chili bothered me some times & not others.
I'm okay if I stick to beans from my blood type.
When you cook beans, they are usually soaked in water for an hour or
longer, then drained & cooked in clean water. I suspect that beans
are not soaked before they are ground into flour which might explain
the difference in reaction.
I like the way chickpea flour works in recipes but have a mild
reaction to it. I'm going to see if I can make flour after I soak &
dry them...I really love black beans but the don't thing dark flour
would be very appetizing.
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While I don't have trouble with bean flours, many of my readers have
told me that they are unable to tolerate bean flours in their baked
goods.
I am not sure what would cause reaction. However, I just wanted to
let you know that you are not alone :) I have spoken with *lots* of
folks who have a similar experience.
www.glutenfreebaking.com
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The problem with bean flours is that they are not soaked. In order to make
beans digestible, they have to be soaked. Many people have the same
problem, myself included. I can eat regular beans without problems, but
bean flours make me swell with gas.
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You are in the same boat as I am. I cannot tolerate any of the bean
flours. I have been tested, and I do not have an allergic reaction
to them, but I will bloat, have gas, the gerd will kick in, and I am
just plain miserable.
My Gastro thinks it is because I have a very slow digestive system;
it can take mine 3 days to work to another person who will clean the
system in a matter of hours.
As I know they are good for you, I substitute with milled flax seed,
salba or I add powdered Vit. C to my baked products.
I might add some of the grass grains do the same. I cannot tolerate
Gifts of Nature products-get sick every time. I can only eat a small
amount of Bread of Anna at a time. I believe it is the Montina flour
in these mixes.
I try to stick with a cave man's diet. Plain meats, vegetables and
fruits. For pasta I use very little, maybe once a month. Instead of
bread, I have had good luck with the Teff wraps and the salba
tortilla chips.
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Bob's Red Mill mixes generally are made from their garbanzo/fava
blend. It is possible that you are selectively incompatible with the
fava beans. Here is a good reference to fava bean poisoning:
<http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/vicine.html>http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/vicine.html
. According to the next article
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0038-4801%28196223%2918%3A3%3C286%3AFSATI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage>http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0038-4801%28196223%2918%3A3%3C286%3AFSATI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage
the condition is sex-linked and on the X chromosome. Since you are
XX, you could still have the condition.
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a lot of fours are subject to mold growth. Who knows what kinds of warehouses
they store their flour in? mold mycotoxins can cause severe cognitive
and systemic symptoms, especially if you have mold allergies and sensitivities.
these toxins cannot be cooked out either.
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I cannot tolerate bean flours. Beans that you eat are digestible because
they have been soaked and then cooked. It is too difficult for the body to
break down bean flour in the gut of a lot of folks including me.
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I am also a female that has never been able to tolerate bean flours
NOR bean gum (which is found in many ice creams). I discovered this
the first year I was diagnosed with celiac, and it was very
surprising to me when I realized that it was those flours that were
making me so sick. I also get sicker with them than with gluten. I
also do not have any reaction to beans--dry or canned. I've never
learned why I react that way to the bean flours and bean gum.
I'm very fortunate that I discovered "The Gluten-Free Kitchen", which
uses potato starch and cornstarch in the recipes--AND the items taste
like wheat flour was used.
Maybe someone else will let us know "why" we can't tolerate the bean flours.
P.S. It was some time after I discovered that bean flours were making
me sick that I noticed a similar problem with ice cream. (Not as
severe, but it was bad enough for me to skip ice cream for some
time.) Eventually I found that it was the bean gum that was making
me sick, so I starting looking for ice cream without bean gum and
discovered that I could eat ice cream just fine--without bean gum.
(It's not a lactose issue.)
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My doctor at the Mayo clinic told me that sometimes those with gluten
sensitivities are also sensitive to beans, especially the red beans.
So far I feel better when I stay away from beans, although black
beans are fine for me.
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