Beans is one of the healthiest food to eat, being high in protein, fiber, lots of vitamins and minerals including iron and folic acid.  They are versatile due to their abilities to absorb flavours well and also very economical  because you can get a whole lot of nutrients from just one food. They are also known to help lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure,  and help manage blood sugars. 

However, despite these benefits, they are notorious for their ability to cause bloating (a sense of fullness in the upper abdomen) and the release of excess amount of gas (flatulence).

THIS IS BECAUSE? 

Studies have shown that beans (as well as most legumes) contain a type of sugar called oligosaccharides (a carbohydrate molecule containing a  relatively small number of monosaccharide units) that the human body cannot break down fully. Ideally, sugars are supposed to be broken down and absorbed by the small intestines but since the body does not produce any enzyme that can break down oligosaccharides,  it makes it all the way to the large intestine undigested. Bacteria in the large intestine finally break down these sugars and doing so causes fermentation and the production of gas that we release as flatulence. This differ for each person, most people can handle modest amounts of beans fairly well, but some people can tolerate large amounts while there are some that cannot handle even a little bit.

TO REMOVE GAS FROM BEANS;

These oligosaccharides must be broken down before they reach the large intestine and become food for the bacteria that live there. Some ways which you can do this includes:

1. Soaking:

After picking, soak the beans for atleast 8 hours or even overnight, discard the water and add a new one before cooking. By doing this, some of the oligosaccharides will dissolve and stay in the water. 

2. Parboiling: To save time, you can try this method. Place the beans in a pot, add enough water and allow to boil for 3-5 minutes. Sieve out the water, add a fresh one and continue cooking. The boiling breaks down some of the oligosaccharides which is getting rid of when you sieve out the water. 

3. Using alkaline substances: A good source of this is baking soda or potash (àkánwú). Adding this to the boiling beans can help reduce the oligosaccharide content also it speeds up the cooking time. Don't add too much though or else the beans will have a slippery feeling.

4. Using carminatives: Carminatives are substances that help reduce gas. An example of this is onions, adding plenty of onions while cooking beans can help combat bloating/gas. 

Other examples include: cumin, scent leaf, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, Nutmeg, cloves etc. 

Some make use of over-the-counter digestive aids (anti-flatulent) which contain enzymes that help digest the oligosaccharides in beans and improve tolerance to a high-bean diet. This is for severe cases though. 

5. Others include:

Do not add salt right away when cooking the beans

Never undercooked your beans

Some eating habits to  adopt to avoid bloating:

*drinking enough water after eating beans, to keep things moving in the gut

*eat in small amounts to enable your digestive tract to slowly adapt to digesting beans

*eating beans with an easily digestible grains like rice,yam, corn etc

*avoid carbonated drinks when eating beans

Which of these methods do you use to degas your beans? Which one worked for you? Which one will you be trying? Let me know in the comment section below.