The Humble Bean: Australia’s Budget Superfood in Hard Times, By Mrs Vera West

As Australia grapples with a relentless cost-of-living crisis, with grocery prices soaring and household budgets stretched thin, the humble bean emerges as a nutritional powerhouse and a wallet-friendly hero. A groundbreaking 12-week study funded by the USDA, presented at NUTRITION 2025, reveals that eating just one cup of beans daily, chickpeas or black beans, can significantly lower cholesterol and inflammation, offering Aussies a cheap, drug-free way to boost heart health amid economic hardship.

With food prices in Australia climbing, fresh produce costs rose 3.8% in 2024 alone, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, beans stand out as an accessible staple. A 400g can of chickpeas or black beans costs as little as $1 at Coles or Woolies, and a kilo of dried beans is even cheaper at around $3-$4. For families feeling the pinch, this is a game-changer. A half-cup serving delivers 7 grams of protein (matching an ounce of chicken), plus fibre, potassium, and phytochemicals that rival pricier superfoods like blueberries.

The USDA study, conducted by the Illinois Institute of Technology, found that prediabetic adults eating chickpeas daily saw their total cholesterol drop by nearly 15 points (from 200.4 mg/dL to 185.8 mg/dL), moving from borderline high to healthy levels. Those eating black beans saw a 27% reduction in interleukin-6, a key inflammation marker tied to heart disease and diabetes. With heart disease remaining Australia's leading cause of death (responsible for 18% of deaths in 2023, per the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare), these findings highlight beans as a potent, affordable tool for prevention.

Unlike costly statins, which can cause side effects like muscle pain or liver issues, beans leverage the body's natural processes. Their soluble fibre acts like a "sponge," binding bile acids in the gut and flushing out cholesterol. Black beans pack anthocyanins, antioxidants also found in berries, while chickpeas nourish gut bacteria that produce anti-inflammatory compounds. These benefits come without the $19 billion price tag of the global cholesterol drug market, making beans a direct challenge to Big Pharma's grip on heart health solutions.

The study's lead, Morganne Smith, noted that these benefits extend beyond prediabetics: "Beans are a great option for everyone." For Aussies, this is particularly relevant as chronic conditions like diabetes (affecting 1.3 million Australians) and heart disease rise alongside grocery bills.

Incorporating beans into daily meals is simple and fits seamlessly into Australian diets. Swap out expensive mince for lentils in a spag bol., toss chickpeas into a salad with tinned tuna, or blend black beans into a dip for barbie snags. For low-effort options, rinse low-sodium canned beans to cut salt or cook dried beans in a slow cooker with garlic and herbs for a hearty side. Try these ideas:

• Aussie brekkie twist: Mash chickpeas with avocado on toast for a protein-packed start.
• Budget bolognese: Use red kidney beans or lentils instead of beef for a cheaper, heart-healthy sauce.
• BBQ sidekick: Mix black beans with corn, tomato, and coriander for a quick salad.

Dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked in bulk, stretch even further, perfect for batch-cooking on a tight budget. With 72% of Australians worried about food costs (per a 2024 YouGov poll), these swaps deliver nutrition without breaking the bank.

The USDA study adds to decades of evidence that whole foods often outperform synthetic drugs. In Australia, where Indigenous diets historically included nutrient-dense plants like wattleseed, beans align with a return to real, affordable foods. Yet, don't expect supermarket giants or pharmaceutical companies to champion this shift, beans don't generate billion-dollar profits.

As Aussies navigate economic uncertainty, the humble bean offers a lifeline: cheap, versatile, and backed by science to protect our hearts and wallets/purses. So, next time you're at Aldi or IGA, Coles or Woolies, grab a can or two.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2025-06-10-daily-beans-slash-cholesterol-inflammation.html