Starch of boiled beans is indigestible and not converted as calorie

Azuki beans belong to pulses with plenty of carbohydrates, and about 50 percent of the beans is starch. Starch particles contained in the cells swell by absorbing water through boiling, and change into a pasty condition as temperature rises. The change is called gelatinization.

Influenced by the surrounding proteins, the starch particles contained inside Azuki-bean cells do not get too mushy, but keep their shape as particles. The adhesive component called pectin that connects cells is dissolved by heating, and each cell comes apart. The state is what is called bean-paste particle,which is the essence of the bean pastes.

The starch in the bean-paste particle, which is surrounded by the cell walls of Azuki beans, is indissoluble by the human digestive enzymes. It is a indigestible starch called resistant starch.

Therefore, the starch, which accounts for about 50 percent of the ingredients of Azuki beans, is indigestible in boiled beans, most of which is not converted as calories.

Ideal dietetic food that is filling with low calorie

In addition, 100 grams of boiled beans contain 11.8 grams of dietary fiber as we have seen above, which are about twice as much dietary fiber as roasted sweet potatoes (6.1 grams) or more than three times as boiled burdocks (3.5 grams).

It is filling but it has low calorie, an ideal food for dieting—that is what boiled Azuki beans are. It can be hard to keep on diet unless you are satisfied with the food you eat. Another recommendation is brown rice cooked with Azuki beans, which is also filling. I would like you to try it by all means.

Written by Jun Kato PhD.