Green beans, a type of legume, are a great source of many different types of nutrients. That means making green beans a regular part of your diet could lead to a number of different health benefits.
Because they’re high in fiber, green beans can help support gut health and digestion. Fiber can keep your bowel movements more regular and help you avoid constipation.
It also nourishes the microorganisms that live in your gut. Maintaining healthy levels of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome may help you avoid gastrointestinal diseases and metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
Green beans are also a smart choice for people who are already managing chronic digestive diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That’s because green beans are low in FODMAPs—these are carbohydrates that are rapidly fermented in the colon, sometimes causing gas, bloating, and abdominal pain for some people.
If your health goals include maintaining a healthy weight, green beans are an excellent energy source. Green beans are low in calories and fat, but still contain ample vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Plus, green beans’ fiber content isn’t just helpful for digestive health—fiber keeps you feeling full longer after eating, helping to control calorie intake.
Green beans are very high in vitamin K—in fact, one standard serving of raw green beans contains about 40% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K for adults.
Vitamin K is involved in bone formation and maintenance. Not getting enough in your diet raises the risk of osteoporosis, a disease that causes weakened, brittle bones.
When it comes to heart health, green beans have a lot to offer. They’re rich in vitamin B9 (folate) and potassium, which are two minerals that may help lower blood pressure. Green beans also contain fiber, which may also help with cholesterol management, lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol levels.
Keeping cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check can reduce your risk of heart disease.
However, be mindful of how your green beans are prepared—canned green beans, for example, can be high in salt, which can raise blood pressure.
Several components of green beans support vision and the health of your eyes:
- Vitamin C: A 100-gram serving of green beans contains roughly 15% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake. Vitamin C deficiency has been linked to cataracts and weaker collagen, which can potentially affect the health of your eyes.
- Folate (vitamin B9): Researchers have found that diets high in folate and other B vitamins may reduce the risk of an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that causes a gradual loss of central vision. A serving of 100 grams of raw green beans contains about 8% of the folate you need daily.
Though relatively low in calories, green beans are packed with nutrients. One cup (125 grams) of boiled green beans contains:
- Calories: 44
- Protein: 2.36 grams (g)
- Fat: 0.35 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.86 g
- Salt (sodium): 1.25 milligrams (mg)
- Fiber: 4 g
- Total sugars: 4.54 g
- Iron: 0.81 mg
- Magnesium: 22.5 mg
- Potassium: 182 mg
- Calcium: 55 mg
- Vitamin A: 791 international units; 40 micrograms RAE
- Vitamin B9 (folate): 41.2 micrograms (10% of the recommended daily intake)
- Vitamin C: 12.1 mg (16% or 13% of the recommended daily intake for women and men, respectively)
- Vitamin K: 59.9 micrograms (66% or 50% of the recommended daily intake for women and men, respectively)
How green beans are prepared affects their nutritional content. Here are some tips for making this versatile vegetable even better for your health:
- Watch the salt: Adults in the United States consume too much sodium on average, which can be dangerous for your blood pressure. Add a light amount of salt to your green beans or skip it altogether. If you’re purchasing canned green beans, look for no- or low-salt options and rinse them before cooking.
- Add green beans to your snack rotation: Green beans are often found on dinner plates, but fresh green beans can be great as snacks, too. Try dipping them in hummus or a mix of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- Choose fresh or flash frozen: Green beans are often more nutrient-dense when they’re fresh, rather than canned. (That doesn’t mean canned green beans are a bad choice, though—again, just choose low-sodium varieties and rinse them before cooking.)
- Sauté them: Boiling can remove some of the nutrients in green beans, so it’s best to sauté them. Choose olive oil or another healthy plant-based oil over lard or butter.
