How To Transition To More Plant-Based Protein When Beans Aren’t Your Friends

If the current warnings about upcoming meat shortages make you uneasy, you aren’t the only one. Many of us, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), don’t digest the most common source of plant-based protein (beans and lentils) very well. Having no access to meat can conjure up images of bloated bellies, painful abdomens, and flatulence… And who wants more of that?

Luckily, many of us CAN transition to eating more legumes (including beans, lentils, and peas) with few side effects, if we do so in a controlled and intelligent manner. I know it’s possible because I myself could not digest them very easily only a few months ago and have made some progress in the last couple of months!

Why Legumes Are Difficult To Digest

There are various reasons why legumes are more difficult to digest.

1. Oligosaccharides - Legumes are typically high in oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides are a type of carbohydrate which often causes a lot of gas in those with IBS. Oligosaccharides are poorly digested and bacteria get at them lower down in the digestive tract, producing those unpleasant side effects.
2. High fiber - While fiber is great at keeping your blood sugar under control and managing cholesterol, if you increase your fiber intake too quickly, it can backfire. Like oligosaccharides, the fiber found in beans can be difficult to digest and becomes food for bacteria in your gut, leading to more bloating, gas, and discomfort. Increase your fiber intake, but do it gradually for a smoother experience!
3. Anti-nutrients - Legumes are extremely hardy and contain anti-nutrients (including phytates and lectins) which can block the absorption of nutrients from your food. Some of these anti-nutrients (but not all) can be decreased through methods such as soaking, sprouting, and cooking.
4. Genetically modified beans - Soybeans (in tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame), are genetically modified to make them hardier and more shelf-stable, and they typically contain more protease inhibitors than non-GMO soy. This makes them more difficult to break down and digest. Always look for the non-GMO label if you are consuming any soybean products!
5. Pesticides – Many beans are often sprayed with the highly problematic pesticide glyphosate (Roundup) just before harvesting. This kills the plant, allowing the beans to be harvested all at the same time… but at what cost? Among other things, glyphosate destroys some of your beneficial gut microbes and makes certain minerals (zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper) unavailable to your body. If possible, buy your beans organic.

Your Gut Microbiome Changes With Your Diet

The makeup of your gut microbiome (that fine balance of microbes that create a diverse “garden” in your digestive system) changes based on what you are eating. If you aren’t used to eating beans, then you won’t have many bacteria in your gut that will help you digest them. Makes sense, no?
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So, if possible, it would be less painful to slowly add more plant-based protein into your diet rather than changing everything overnight. This gradual process will allow your gut microbiome to slowly adjust and grow the type of bacteria that will be helpful to you as you embark on this change in your diet, with minimized bloat. Try once a week, then twice a week, moving forward if you seem to be doing well. The changes in your gut bacteria can start to occur within one week of starting to eat more legumes, but will revert if you stop.

Which Legumes Are Best To Start With?

The ”sweeter” legumes, those that are typically associated with sprouting, are usually considered more digestible. Lentils have been my first go-to. Others in this category include adzuki beans, mung beans, and black-eyed peas.

Those that tend to be most difficult to digest have a harder outer skin, and include lima beans, soybeans, and navy beans – leave these to when you are a pro!

​Cooking Hacks To Make Your Legumes More Digestible

​If you’re ready to give legumes a shot, here are a few tricks to make them more digestible:

1. Start with dry beans. You save money, reduce your exposure to BPA from cans, and you can control the sodium. Also, starting with dry beans allows you to sprout them (see second hack).
2. Soak and sprout your legumes before cooking, and discard any soaking water. Sprouting takes a bit of planning ahead, but it is worth it. You end up eating a young plant instead of the hard seed. Not only does it decrease the oligosaccharide and phytate content of beans, it also increases their protein content and makes certain nutrients more available for you to absorb. You can buy pre-sprouted lentils at select stores if you need to save time. I used pre-sprouted lentils in this delicious recipe.
3. Add kombu (a type of seaweed), cumin, and/or ginger to the cooking water to help with digestibility.
4. Add a bit of baking soda to the cooking water, about 1 tsp per dry cup of beans, to help the beans cook faster and soften the hard outer shell. This works great with chickpeas to make extremely smooth hummus!
5. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the legumes once they are almost done cooking to help with breaking down some of the indigestible sugars.
6. Only start with a small amount at a time and increase the amount weekly or bi-weekly, allowing your microflora to adjust slowly.

Hopefully this was helpful to you! And don’t forget about other sources of vegetarian protein, including hemp hearts, other nuts and seeds, and eggs that you can rely on while you work on the legumes.

If legumes are your nemesis, you may benefit from specific digestive enzymes and digestive support. You may also be dealing with a more complex issue such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – just get in touch and I can help!

In health,
Dr. Tamar

References

Holscher H. D. (2017). Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota. Gut microbes, 8(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2017.1290756

Messina, V. (2014). Nutritional and health benefits of dried beans. Am J Clin Nutr, Jul, 100 Suppl 1, 437S-442S. . doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071472

Samsel, A., & Seneff, S. (2013). Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. Interdisciplinary toxicology, 6(4), 159–184. https://doi.org/10.2478/intox-2013-0026
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Tomova, A., Bukovsky, I., Rembert, E., Yonas, W., Alwarith, J., Barnard, N. D., & Kahleova, H. (2019). The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, 47. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00047
 
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