Taming the Magical Fruit

As a vegetarian, I can't imagine my life without beans. They are cheap, full of protein and fiber, low in fat, versatile, and delicious. However, I have met many, many people who swear that they cannot eat beans, beans give them terrible gas, beans make their stomachs hurt, and so on. Not having these bean-related issues myself, I have long wondered why beans affect some people in this way.Can anything be done to prevent this problem?

I found an article that explains, among other things, that when a person introduces a new a food to their diet, or eats a certain food very infrequently, digestive problems may ensue:

"... when you make any kind of major dietary change, your digestion takes years to adapt. When it's used to meat, then all of a sudden you're throwing beans down the hatch, your tummy protests: "Ack! Alien food. Does not compute!" Also...when you are eating a lot more fiber, [the fiber] cleans out the years of accumulated garbage from your former carnivorous diet, tending to make you a public nuisance."

The author also explains that there are four factors at play when it comes to a person's digestive reaction to beans:

   1. The individual's digestive system
   2. What kind of beans and how much
   3. How the beans are cooked
   4. Foods combined with the beans

To learn how to reduce negative side effects related to bean consumption, just click the following link:

www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-advice/eat-beans-without-gas.php