Beans, nuts, and seeds: often underrated,
but invaluable

Beans are seeds in a legume. They are rich in vitamin B complexes, especially B6, calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. They are an excellent source of fiber: one cup of cooked beans contains about nine grams of fiber (the recommended daily allowance is at least twenty grams). Up to twenty-five percent (or one-fourth) of the calories in beans are protein, but because two amino acids are missing (methionine and cysteine), they are not considered a complete protein. Soybeans are the only beans considered a complete protein because they contain a sufficient amount of all the essential amino acids. Therefore, they hold an important and unique place in a healthy diet. Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the world, and heart disease is remarkably less prevalent there than elsewhere.