Including beans in a balanced diet boosts blood levels

Are you feeling constantly fatigued, experiencing shortness of breath, or noticing pale skin? These could be signs of low haemoglobin levels, a common issue that can impact your overall health and vitality.

Fortunately, increased consumption of cowpea alongside vitamin C-rich fruits is a natural way to boost haemoglobin levels, which also helps to form more red blood cells.

Its iron content is primarily in the form of non-haem iron, which can be less readily absorbed than haem iron found in animal products. Combining cowpeas with vitamin C-rich foods can improve iron absorption from non-haem sources. Vitamin C makes it easier for the body to utilise iron effectively.

Haemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and returning carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs for exhalation.

Cowpeas are a good source of iron, a mineral essential for haemoglobin production which carries oxygen in the blood. It is a plant-based protein source which is necessary for various bodily functions, including red blood cell production. Its folate content, a B vitamin, plays a crucial role in red blood cell formation.

Low haemoglobin levels, also known as anaemia, can result from a variety of factors like substantial blood loss, chronic alcohol consumption, pregnancy, smoking, genetic disorders such as sickle cell anaemia and many diseases such as cancers that affect the bone marrow, as well as kidney and lung diseases.

While not a direct replacement for iron supplements, including cowpeas like red beans and mung beans (Jerusalem pea) in a balanced diet can support haemoglobin levels and boost blood levels.

In a new study, researchers focused on addressing anaemia through nutritional strategy in Indonesia demonstrated that supplementation with mung bean and red bean porridge can effectively increase haemoglobin levels in anaemic adolescent girls.

The programme included nutrition education, regular health monitoring and community engagement to evaluate the effectiveness of mung bean and red bean porridge supplementation in increasing haemoglobin levels among anaemic adolescent girls.

The nutrition education is to enhance the participants’ understanding of healthy eating practices; the regular health monitoring is to allow for the assessment of changes in haemoglobin levels over time, and the community engagement training was on making bean porridge.

The finding that all participants (100%) showed improvement in their haemoglobin levels after the intervention underscores the potential of this nutritional strategy to combat anaemia.

Moreover, in another study, researchers corroborated the effectiveness of mung bean and red bean porridge in increasing haemoglobin levels among premenopausal women with menstruation-induced anaemia.

In this study, the researchers had administered bean ferritin iron to premenopausal Japanese women for nine weeks, starting immediately after menstruation, to evaluate their recovery from low haemoglobin levels as one sign of anaemia.

Bean ferritin, a protein found in beans, has shown high rates of iron absorption and bioavailability, making it an effective treatment for low haemoglobin levels.

Participants in the test supplement group received an iron intake of 5 mg from one capsule containing bean extract (SloIron®) for five weeks, which was increased to 10 mg (i.e. two capsules) from the sixth to the ninth week.

The study, found in Functional Foods in Health and Disease, evaluated the change in haemoglobin levels as the primary endpoint and other blood parameters like haematocrit, red blood cell count, serum iron and MCH (mean corpuscular haemoglobin).

There was a significant difference in the change in haemoglobin levels between the groups after nine weeks of intake, confirming the restorative effect of bean ferritin on low haemoglobin levels caused by menstruation.

Also, there was a significant change in serum ferritin levels after nine weeks of intake, suggesting that bean ferritin not only improved haemoglobin levels but also positively affected iron stores in the body.

They highlighted the potential of mung bean and red bean porridge as a valuable source of iron for vegetarians and those with dietary restrictions since iron supplementation from bean ferritin is an effective treatment for low haemoglobin and low ferritin levels caused by menstruation.

While cowpeas, red beans, and mung beans all contribute to blood health through their nutrient content, they are not direct replacements for iron supplements and should be part of a balanced diet for optimal results.

Plant extracts, including those from beans, are being explored as alternatives to traditional iron supplements due to their lower risk of side effects such as gastrointestinal issues. Bean ferritin, a protein found in beans, has shown high rates of iron absorption and bioavailability, making it an effective treatment for low haemoglobin levels.

While using plant extracts as complementary treatments may offer benefits like fewer side effects compared to iron supplements, potential drawbacks could include variability in efficacy and the need for further research to establish safety and dosage guidelines.

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