The Weight Loss Benefits of Adzuki Beans

Beans are good for you, we all know that, but have you heard of the adzuki bean before? This little red legume originates from Japan and China, where it has been used in both sweet and savory dishes for thousands of years. Adzuki beans have a natural sweetness that has led them to being used in a variety of traditional Asian desserts. But even though they are sweet, they lend themselves perfectly to a weight loss diet, and here’s why.

Low Calories and High Fiber

Adzuki beans have the incredible quality of being both low in calories and high in fiber, making them a great food for losing weight. You’ll add plenty of protein to your nutritional intake and very little fat or calories when you eat these beans. All the other nutritional goodness that these beans contain also makes them a very balanced and healthy food.

Fantastic Source of Folate

One of the essential minerals your body needs is folate (also called folic acid), and adzuki beans are packed full of the stuff. In just one cup of cooked beans there is a whopping 70% of your recommended daily allowance of folic acid. And that is just the start of it, because there are plenty of other minerals in these beans. You’ll get 25% of your RDA of iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc in the same single cup of adzuki beans.

Great for Your Digestive System

For the cherry on the top, adzuki beans also do wonders for you digestive system. Among all beans, adzuki beans are one of the easiest to digest because they are not as starchy as other beans, like pinto and kidney beans in particular. Add in the fact that they are high in fiber and you have a food that will help to keep your gut healthy.